Melynn Schuyler is the Founder and Executive Director of YouthWorks.  Originally from the state of Washington, Melynn trapped pocket gophers in New Mexico while studying biology, lived, worked and hitch-hiked across Japan, earned her BA in International Relations from Boston University and her MA in Marriage, Family, and Child Therapy from the Phillips Graduate Institute in California. Melynn has three sons, raised as a result of the help of YouthWorks participants, joined as a large family to assist each other to meet success.

YouthWorks was created as a community-based organization to connect marginalized “opportunity” youth in Santa Fe to hands on workforce training, life skills training, alternative education instruction, case management and counseling and career and college placement. In addition to having created a caring, open-door youth-serving organization with wrap-around services, Melynn has polished YouthWorks into an agile, creative nonprofit that addresses social equity through an evolution of initiatives that are entrepreneurial, collaborative, replicable and sustainable.  

Contact: Melynn@santafeyouthworks.org 

Michael moved to Santa Fe from Jeffersonville, Indiana, where he taught Communication Studies at Indiana University Southeast. Michael grew up in Houston, Texas, and worked in the hospitality industry while earning his Master’s degree at University of North Texas. Michael then moved to Louisville, Kentucky, and began his career as a teacher. He taught at Indiana University Southeast for 26 years before packing up and heading west.

Michael and his husband, and their dog Pibble moved to Santa Fe in spring 2022. In addition to his work in education, he is a published author and a regular contributor to PopMatters magazine.

Contact: Michael@santafeyouthworks.org

Francisco first connected with YouthWorks when he was 16, working with a crew on environmental restoration and community improvement projects. This was when YouthWorks was in its first operating center on Siler Road. Years later, Francisco is excited to be back with YouthWorks as a supervisor, applying his lived experience into this position of supervisory support and mentorship, of the program that he participated in during his high school years. Coming from an art-based family, Francisco enjoys leading projects developing community murals with the youth. Francisco began his professional career while serving in Job Corps where he rotated through multiple trades and gained skills as an electrician. Then he returned to Santa Fe to work for an electric company.

With years of experience as a supervisor in construction projects that involve HVAC and electrical work, Francisco shares his breadth of experience with today’s participants in the YouthWorks program. “The fact that I get to now serve as a mentor, and try to make a difference in these kids’ lives because I was one of them – because of the struggles they are going through and that I have been through, I can remind them that they are worth more and are capable of more and I tell them to not give up on their dreams.”

Contact: Cisco@santafeyouthworks.org

Geegee is a passionate advocate for all youth, ensuring all participants know that they are capable and supported.

Geegee is originally from Santa Fe, and she is a graduate from YouthWorks programs. Geegee originally came to YouthWorks as a Santa Fe Youth Corps participant, and today is working as a peer mentor to guide other youth toward success. She is learning all aspects of YouthWorks client navigation and case management to assist with the demands of client/participant needs.

Contact Geegee@santafeyouthworks.org 

Karen Cain is a New Mexico licensed clinical mental health counselor. She has been employed as YouthWorks Counseling Director since 2018. She received her Master’s Degree in counseling in 1997. Karen provides individual and family counseling for all YouthWorks program youth, ages 16-24. At YouthWorks Karen provides daily assessments of clients and also provides 24/7 text, phone, and email response for clients in crisis.“My greatest reward as a therapist is helping my clients explore ways to make the changes in their lives that will allow them to look forward to the future with hope.” Karen is also a lifelong animal rights activist and is the executive director of a local non-profit, Street Homeless Animal Project which provides veterinary care, food and more for the companion animals of people experiencing homelessness. 

Lizbeth comes to YouthWorks with extensive experience in property management and affordable housing. She first joined YouthWorks on a part-time basis in the winter of 2017, helping manage the ShelterNow! Program, an emergency overnight shelter for young people that was hosted in local houses of worship.

Today, Lizbeth is a full-time staffer and serves as a case manager coordinating services to meet the needs of our young people, with special focus on housing issues. Lizbeth also oversees an intensive community monitoring program for youth in the juvenile justice system, working particularly with many of our Spanish-speaking clients.

Contact: lizbeth@santafeyouthworks.org

Johnny Gee was born and raised in Santa Fe New Mexico. Johnny left Santa Fe to study in Oregon at Portland State University where he received his Bachelor’s degree in Community Development, only to find that he left his heart in New Mexico. He has since moved back to Santa Fe to retrieve it, and to give back to the city that raised him. Johnny is the YouthBuild Construction Trainer and is a certified Core Curriculum Instructor with the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER).

Having grown up in Santa Fe, Johnny is passionate about the future of Santa Fe youth and loves watching his students build better lives for themselves one nail at a time.

Contact: Johnny@santafeyouthworks.org

Kaylee Gutierrez is an instructional assistant of YouthWorks. Originally from Costa Rica and raised in Guatemala, she has been working with the impoverished youth of Guatemala since the age of 14 years old. She taught Spanish for three years before she began teaching at YouthWorks. Kaylee then moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, with her little baby, only to find her passion and love for teaching and trying to make a positive change in young people’s lives. 

Contact: Kaylee@santafeyouthworks.org 

Rachel assists youth with career planning and helps to develop work opportunities for YouthWorks youth by growing relationships with employment partners in New Mexico. Rachel earned her master’s degree in Community and Regional Planning from the University of New Mexico before serving in Peace Corps Nepal. In Nepal, Rachel worked as a Food Security Specialist, designing and implementing trainings for farmers and women’s groups on sustainable agriculture and nutrition.

With the goal of helping community members to realize their strength through supportive actions and connections, Rachel has worked for many years with nonprofit organizations that focus on environmental advocacy, environmental education, and sustainable agriculture. When not at YouthWorks, Rachel volunteers with the Albuquerque Wildlife Federation to restore watersheds and wildlife habitat and enjoys hiking and rock climbing in the public lands of the desert southwest.

Contact: Rachel@santafeyouthworks.org

Levi was born and raised in Santa Fe NM, and after dropping out of high school he went to YouthWorks to acquire his GED. After getting his GED with YouthWorks he left Santa Fe at 16 to search for what he wanted to do in life. After trying a few different fields he decided to join the Coast Guard. He became an electrician’s mate and served 6 years. He is a lover of the outdoors and after getting out of the Coast Guard he decided to hike the Appalachian Trail. Finally life returned him back to Santa Fe where he has decided to try and help the youth as he was helped.

Contact: levi@santafeyouthworks.org