Rising for Reform: Championing for Justice Impacted Youth
May 30th, 2025
Written by Gwendolynn Kenny, M.Ed.
Since beginning her journey at College of San Mateo in Summer 2024, Tiffany Cauyong has quickly become a passionate leader and advocate for justice system-impacted youth, both on campus and in the broader community. Majoring in Administration of Justice, she draws strength and purpose from her lived experiences with the juvenile justice system, using her story to uplift others who face similar barriers. Her journey is rooted in a belief that education, advocacy, and community are essential for healing and change.
Tiffany is an active student in multiple learning communities and student support programs at CSM, including Project Change, EOPS, KTP (Katipunan Learning Community), and Mana. Through these programs, she builds strong support networks, shares her knowledge with peers, and fosters a sense of belonging for peers navigating systems of trauma and displacement. As a Project Change scholar, she regularly facilitates peer presentations to educate students about the challenges faced by justice-impacted individuals—and how collective action and support can make a difference.
She is also a Pathways Student Leadership Fellow with the Youth Law Center (YLC), an organization that works to reform foster care and juvenile justice systems nationwide. As part of the Leaders in Action Fellowship, Tiffany is preparing for Capitol Day in Sacramento, where she will join fellow advocates in meeting with legislators, policymakers, the California Community College Chancellor’s Office, and the newly formed California Department of Juvenile Justice. Their goal is to advocate for the proposed $30 million in state funding to support system-impacted youth across California.
Tiffany’s dedication to social justice and transformative change is not just academic—it is personal, lived, and deeply urgent. With every presentation, meeting, and act of service, she reclaims her story and helps others do the same. Her presence at CSM is a powerful reminder that leadership is born not just from achievement, but from empathy, courage, and the refusal to give up.