Esmeralda is a 2008 Polanco Fellows Alumni and is a graduate of UCLA. While a Polanco Fellow she completed her executive agency placement with the Department of Public Health and her legislative placement with Assembly Member Felipe Fuentes.

The MO Project has given young people across the state a platform through video to showcase what they are doing to improve the health of their community. Esmeralda Martin's passion for health is clear, " Youth are going to be in charge of our state and we have the ability to assist them in making changes now before it is too late. Today's kids are overfed and undernourished-we are raising the first generation of children who live sicker and die younger than their parents. We can change this statistic!"

Esmeralda along with CANFIT Program Manager, Ruth Manzano, facilitate statewide trainings with parents on how to advocate for improving the health of their community. CANFIT is important because they meet people where they are (primarily low-income communities and communities of color) and work in partnership with them to improve their communities health. CANFIT also connects to the policy world in a "real-life" way by bridging the gap between communities and policymakers to allow a more informed and involved political process.

When attending UCLA, Esmeralda was able to work with the day laborer community in Southern California doing popular education workshops in English. Esmeralda stated, My eyes became wide open to the disparities that existed in health: not having health care, good food, a place to be active, etc. Health is the cornerstone of everyone's livelihood - without it, we are unable to function at our best." Esmeralda continued, We all deserve to be healthy and grow in a place that supports health! Many people believe that health is simply what we eat and how we exercise-but health is something much deeper. Health is what is around us and what we can access day in and day out. If you live in Santa Monica and have access to a weekly farmers market and there is a gym nearby-health is more available than if you live in Kettleman City.

CLCI Salutes Esmeralda Martin and her life commitment to health!

About the California Latino Legislative Caucus Institute for Public Policy:
The California Latino Legislative Caucus Institute for Public Policy which was founded in 2002 is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization created as a non-partisan effort by the California Latino Legislative Caucus to serve as a broad based public policy, educational and leadership development organization. The Institute will serve as an agent of change to ensure that California’s Latino community has an increasingly positive and dynamic influence on the state’s diverse economic, social and political resources. The Institute Board of Directors includes: Sen. Richard Polanco (Ret.), Chairman, David Lizarraga, President, Carmen O. Perez, Secretary as well as Angie Medina, former Assembly Member Bob Pacheco and Roberta Sistos. The Institute has also established a corporate advisory council whose members include: Bank of America, Kaiser Permanente, Southwest Airlines, Heineken USA, TELACU, PepsiCo, Chevron, Nielson, Amgen, Southern California Edison, Chrysler, Sempra Energy, Pfizer and AT&T.

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