Palacio Podcast
Silissa Uriarte Smith: Mentoring Students Toward Success
Silissa Uriarte Smith is the Executive Director of Power 4 Youth, a nonprofit that provides one-on-one academic mentoring to middle and high school students from throughout the Long Beach area. Close to 500 vulnerable, at-risk, primarily low-income students have had their lives impacted through Power 4 Youth’s program.
Born and raised in Orange County, Silissa Uriarte Smith credits her professional successes to mentorship, hard work, and exceptional education. Smith has strong opinions about the power of mentors. For her, there is a difference between mentoring and tutoring. According to Smith, a tutor can sit down with a student and go through a subject step by step, but with a mentor, it’s all about the emotional support the mentee is receiving.
“Like let’s have a conversation ‘Why does that bother you. How can I help you? …Emotional support should never be underestimated and I think that’s the power of mentoring.”
Smith explains further that it’s an opportunity for a student to have someone to talk to that’s not their parent.
PalacioMagazine.com interviewed Silissa Uriarte Smith in the Power 4 Youth offices about their program, their successes, and the challenges for both students, parents, and mentors.
Editor’s Note: The person “Samana” mentioned several times in the interview is Samana Budhathoki, Program Director for Power 4 Youth. She provides support and assistance to each of the program’s students and volunteers.
For more information, visit https://power4youth.org/
Silissa Uriarte Smith Bio
“With 21+ successful years in the non-profit, political, and public sectors, Silissa’s diverse and multifaceted career includes extensive experience in the areas of advocacy, fundraising, community engagement, and public affairs. Her roles have included: Executive Director, Development Director, Chief of Staff, Consultant, and Community Organizer.
Born and raised in Orange County, California, Silissa Uriate Smith has deep community roots throughout Southern California. Her professional successes are the result of mentorship, hard work, and an exceptional education: general education and theater course work at Fullerton Community College, a B.A. in Political Science from Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri, and an M.A. in Organizational Leadership from Chapman University. She is currently in Coaching School with the Academy for Coaching Excellence (ACE), a top International Coaching Federation accredited program.
Key executive leadership training and professional development experiences include MANA, a National Latina Organization Avanzamos Fellowship Program and HOPE’s (Hispanas Organized for Political Equality) Leadership Institute both in 2003. Silissa has served on the Stephens College Board of Trustees since 2015, her undergraduate institution. In addition, she serves on the Church Council for the Congregational Church of Fullerton, where she is an active and engaged member.
Silissa has had the privilege to have mentored numerous student and young professionals through the years and currently has a mentee at Stephens College. Professionally, she led MANA de Orange County’s Hermanitas Mentoring Program from 2000 to 2004, first as a volunteer then as a consultant. This program focused on vulnerable Latina youth, ages 10 – 18 in Satna Ana. Through Hermanitas Silissa matched mentees with MANA members, developed positive impact programming, fundraised and worked under the rigors of a federally funded grant.”
