JBAY celebrated the remarkable achievement of Youth Advocate Esme Nuno Mora this November, coinciding with National Youth Homelessness Awareness Month. Esme was selected to receive a prestigious scholarship from the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY). Out of hundreds of applicants, she was one of a small group of students chosen to become NAEHCY Scholars.
The NAEHCY Scholars Program provides annual scholarships of up to $5,000 to post-secondary students who have experienced homelessness and are actively pursuing their education. As part of the award, Esme traveled to Orlando, Florida, to attend NAEHCY’s annual conference, where she shared her story with stakeholders and participated in an inspiring awards ceremony.
Esme joined JBAY as a Youth Advocate at the beginning of the year, and she has been a fierce advocate for students who have experienced homelessness in this role. After her mother’s passing, Esme relocated to California, moving between family members without clear legal guardianship. Each move meant attending a new school, and it wasn’t until her senior year that she was identified as an unaccompanied homeless youth (UHY). This status finally connected her with critical protections and resources.
Reflecting on her experience, Esme said, “the educational system shouldn’t run on luck. It was only because I reached out for help applying for financial aid that anyone realized I qualified as a UHY. I can’t imagine what my life would’ve looked like doing this all alone.”
Esme’s story underscores the urgent need for better support for students experiencing homelessness. California does not provide a single dollar of state funding to address the needs of homeless students. Inspired by Esme and others like her, JBAY is advancing a 2025 budget proposal to correct this disparity. The proposal would establish a foundational capacity across county offices of education to support homeless students and would pilot an innovative and proven model of support for high school students experiencing homelessness.
Esme described the NAEHCY conference as a transformative experience that mirrored her discovery during her senior year. “When I first discovered that my status had a name, I also discovered a community that helped me move out of survival mode. Attending the conference and connecting with other students in similar circumstances, along with advocates who have a passion for this work, reaffirmed that my circumstances do not define my identity and that I can achieve my dreams.”