Since graduating from YouthBuild, Francisco Medrano has been giving back to his community. For the past four years, Medrano has been working for Breaking Cycles as an alcohol and drug specialist, visiting youth in their homes and in jail to provide drug and alcohol counseling services to them and their families. Most of the young people he works with are re-entering school after long absences and are academically challenged. Medrano says that as a YouthBuild graduate, he wants to help under-represented young people reach their goals.
Medrano has been active in all levels of YouthBuild, both locally and nationally, for nearly eight years. After renovating low-income housing through YouthBuild, Medrano served as the AmeriCorps coordinator at MAAC Project YouthBuild, where he organized several community service projects in Chula Vista, CA, to help senior citizens clean up their homes. In 1999, Medrano was elected president of YouthBuild USA's Young Leaders Council. He spearheaded the formation of the San Diego Alumni Council and has served on YouthBuild USA's National Alumni Council for the past five years. In 2004, Medrano was elected to the YouthBuild USA Board of Directors.
After obtaining his GED at YouthBuild, Medrano earned an associate's degree in criminal justice in 2004, and then enrolled in San Diego State University, where he is working on obtaining a bachelor's degree in criminal justice. In 2005, he received a Helene D. Stoneman Civic Leadership and Scholarship Award to help him continue his studies. In 2006, Medrano was awarded the Community Service and Leadership Award at YouthBuild USA's Celebration of Transformation.
He is married and is a homeowner.
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