On April 18, youth leaders, families and community organizations gathered at Garvey Intermediate School for the 17th Annual San Gabriel Valley Youth Summit, hosted by Pacific Clinics’ Asian Pacific Family Center (APFC). The youth-led annual event brought together young people and community partners for a day focused on mental health, prevention, leadership and connection.
This year’s theme, ORBIT — Organize, Reimagine, Build, Innovate and Transform — encouraged participants to think expansively about their role in shaping the future while staying grounded in community.
“The Youth Summit is a reflection of a mission dreamed about many moons ago to create an event entirely by youth, for youth,” said Stephanie Zapata, program director for APFC and co-emcee of the event. Stephanie mentioned how the theme was chosen as a metaphor to “cultivating spaces on Earth where youth can be joined together in orbit with their peers in our shared humanity, we can bring about positive community change and intergenerational healing.”
The summit featured a keynote from student leader Audrey Ouyang, senior at Gabrielino High School, alongside workshops led by both youth and community organizations. Sessions ranged from hands-on and creative to practical and advocacy-focused, including “Basics of Bots,” “How to Become Rich: Practical Guide for Youth,” “Healthy Relationships” and “Freehand & Fizz,” an art-based wellness workshop. Other sessions addressed topics such as “Community Organizing and Mutual Aid,” “Coping with Anxiety,” and “Know Your Rights — Preparing Immigrant Communities.” The event also included a wellness room with calming music where overstimulated people can relax.
Organizations including the Asian Youth Center, YWCA San Gabriel Valley, Day One and Advancing Justice Southern California led workshops and tabled during the resource fair, offering information on local programs and support services.
Later in the day, a college panel featuring current and past students provided practical insight into navigating higher education, with panelists sharing personal experiences and advice. Madilyn Yee, a first-year student at the University of California, Irvine and youth leader raised in San Gabriel Valley, emphasized the importance of defining success on one’s own terms.
“No matter where you go in college, you can still be successful,” Yee said. “If you have the motivation, you will find opportunities that guide you to where you need to be in life.”
Alongside skill-building and education, the summit also emphasized the role of joy in community wellness. Co-emcee Cassandra Arechiga, social emotional learning manager at Woodcraft Rangers, highlighted the importance of creating spaces that balance addressing challenges while fostering connections.
“I think prevention work often focuses on hardships, which is important,” Cassandra said. “But this event is 100% a space for joy and for connection, and that is really central to healing for everyone here.”
Between workshops, a resource fair, shared meals and youth-led performances, the summit created opportunities for participants to engage with one another while building skills and confidence.
