Xochtil Larios is a 25-year-old full-time big sister, social justice advocate, and community leader born and raised in South Hayward. Having navigated the juvenile justice system, foster care, homelessness, and the struggles of economic mobility as a transitional age youth, Xochtil has consistently shown resilience and strength. Despite the challenges she has faced, she continues to show up, bring positive energy, and inspire those around her. It was during this journey that she connected with Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice (CURYJ), and became deeply passionate about social justice reform through an indigenous “land-back” healing framework. As a community champion, Xochtil was honored with the California Endowment 2018 Youth Award, served as the youngest Fellow of the Peer-to-Peer Initiative through the Community Justice Network for Youth (CJNY) through the Burns Institute, and received a $50k SOROS Youth Justice Fellowship with the support of CURYJ to launch her innovative “Youth Transformation Curriculum” for detained youth. Xochtil is also a dedicated youth commissioner on the Alameda County Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Commission (JJDPC) working to improve the conditions of detained young people. She believes that community-based solutions are the only real solutions worth investing in and implementing.
