Staff: Joaquin Canizales

Joaquin Canizales earned his Bachelor of Science in Cognitive Science at the University of California Santa Cruz in 2017. He found a special interest in psychological and behavioral research during his experience as a research assistant at the University of Southern California (USC) and UC Santa Cruz (UCSC), in the Mental Health Lab and Psycholinguistic Lab respectively.

Upon returning to the Antelope Valley (AV) and realizing his passion to work with the youth population, he became a behavioral therapist working with individuals who have varying learning and mental disabilities before moving on to become a case manager for youth.

Through his work with Friends LA, Joaquin aims to help children and their families achieve their dreams and become leaders in their communities by providing 1-on-1 mentoring services, resources, and constant support.

As an Antelope Valley native, he realized his purpose was to give back to the community that gave him the opportunity to grow as an individual. His goal is to be an advocate for youth mental and physical wellbeing and to one day have a lifelong positive impact on a youth in the AV.