CIARA Viramontes: DIRECTOR OF PATHWAY TRANSITIONS & MENTORING

ciara@urbanpromisecharlotte.org

Ciara (“CiCi”) is originally from Los Angeles, California. She attended Azusa Pacific University, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work.

She is passionate about equipping and encouraging youth to pursue their goals, to use their voice, to become leaders, and to be change agents in their communities. CiCi first explored her passion for youth leadership in college as she studied community development and served with an after school program in South Africa. She particularly fell in love with the UrbanPromise model soon after, spending three summers interning with the UrbanPromise sites in Camden, New Jersey and Copan Ruinas, Honduras. Her experience later as a Teach for America Corp Member and middle school teacher affirmed her desire to serve students outside of the classroom.

After four years as a StreetLeader Director at the South Blvd location ("Camp Joy"), CiCi felt called to use her story and experience to extend support to StreetLeaders as “Alumni” as they navigated the challenges of pursuing post-secondary pathways and the beginnings of “adulting”. She feels personally committed to persistence-driven advocacy and coaching. CiCi is newly energized by the opportunity to participate in building the foundations of programming that seeks to holistically empower our Alumni as they fulfill the third element of our vision, to “restore community”.