Ernest Balezi is a recent graduate of the University of Washington, where he earned a degree in Public Health–Global Health and a minor in Bioethics, with an emphasis in Dentistry. Guided by the belief that I am because we are, Ernest is committed to cultivating spaces of care, connection, and shared growth. Once a youth participant in the program, he now serves as a youth mentor and Program Manager, embodying the power of intergenerational learning and collective leadership.

 

Through founding and participating in mentorship initiatives across Washington State, Ernest has helped create pathways for access, belonging, and possibility. He continues to serve his community by sharing lived experience, knowledge, and care in ways that uplift and empower others.