One of the Young Center’s newest Board Members and Board Secretary, Dr. Selma de Leon-Yznaga is an associate professor in the Department of Counseling at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Dr. Yznaga earned her doctorate in Counselor Education and Supervision at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio. She has held numerous leadership positions in the American Counseling Association (ACA), including president of the Counselors for Social Justice division. Most recently her clinical work, advocacy, and scholarship are directed at the treatment of immigration-related trauma at the Texas/Mexican border. She has also served as a volunteer Child Advocate for seven years.

How did you get involved with the Young Center initially?
Young Center Associate Director Liz Frankel called the Department of Counseling at The University of Texas at Brownsville around 2009 to see if there were any faculty who would help her train volunteers in the trauma experiences of immigrants. Since this was a population that I was familiar with, I happily volunteered. I helped Liz train volunteer Child Advocates in Harlingen, Texas for a few years, and then worked with staff members based in Harlingen. Around 2015, I was privileged to serve as a Child Advocate and was able to bring this experience to the volunteer trainings as well.

Why is fighting for the rights of children important to you? Should it be important to everyone? 
Children represent infinite possibilities for a better world. When they are nurtured, supported, and kept safe, they develop optimally and have a much better chance of becoming productive adults and contributing to a stable and peaceful world. Living on the border has allowed me to experience first-hand the multitudes of children on the move. Unaccompanied children are incredibly street-savvy and mature; however, they are still children and constitute a very vulnerable population. In the United States, our paradigm is that children are not competent to direct their own lives, and the transition from having complete agency to having none is challenging for these children. It is imperative that legal, educational, and mental health professionals support these children during the transition and set them up for success as adults in the United States. 

What is one thing you’d like everyone to know about the Young Center’s work?
The issue facing unaccompanied children is dizzyingly complex. The Young Center leans into the challenge fearlessly, addressing all aspects with a compassionate problem-solving approach. I don’t know of any other organization that works as hard as the Young Center to protect immigrant children.

What’s your dream for immigrant children? 
Ultimately, I’d love for immigrant children to be able to stay in their home countries with the resources and support they need to take root and thrive. Until this becomes reality, however, I dream of a society that welcomes, protects, and sees them for what they are: children. My dream is that we would all shed our political, socially constructed biases and open our arms to educate, house, and nurture immigrant children.