Since she was young, Yasmine Mabene always dreamed of growing up to be someone who would one day change the world. As a first generation American whose parents immigrated from Cameroon, Yasmine grew up experiencing a unique blend of American and African culture. The importance of community was strongly emphasized throughout her childhood and reflects in the actions she took to improve the lives of those around her. Whether it is the summers she spends running activities at a camp for homeless youth, or the classroom discussions she leads with younger students on healthy lifestyle choices, Yasmine continuously strives to make a positive impact. She is a strong leader within her campus as an officer in Peer Counseling, President of the California Scholarship Federation, and both Treasurer and Secretary of National Honor Society. Beyond dedicating hours of her time to serving others, Yasmine discovered her passion for fighting for social justice. Heavily influenced by her parents who were born right after the liberation and subsequent political turmoil in Cameroon, activism is in her blood. In addition to leading rallies, town halls, and demonstrations, Yasmine has visited both her State Capitol and the nation’s Capital to speak with politicians on issues that are important to her. She is the State Director of March for Our Lives California, a youth organization in the gun violence prevention movement and the Social Media Director of Earth Uprising, an international youth led organization that works to fight climate change through education. Through this work, Yasmine has found that she has been able to build a community with people from all around the world, something she finds essential in initiating transformative change.
Yasmine has always found herself holding a wide variety of interests. Her never ending love for music allowed her to perform in Carnegie Hall but also in more intimate settings such as retirement homes and the oncology department of the hospital she shadowed in. Yasmine’s interest in the STEM field allowed her to participate in research involving pain detection and address racial disparities in healthcare while her involvement at Johns Hopkins Public Health Institute gave her the opportunity to study policy and the disproportionate effect that gun violence has on communities of color.
Yasmine hopes to further explore these interests next fall at Stanford University, to continue taking part in research that can be implemented to benefit communities, and perhaps, achieve her childhood dream along the way.
