Gerald Brighton Young Alumni Award

Tatiana Alonso is a 2012 graduate of the University of Illinois, and was active as a student at the Y,  where she was involved in La Colectiva and CU Immigration Forum. Following graduation she attended the Chicago-Kent College of Law, receiving her J.D. in 2020, and has continued to be a fierce advocate for immigrant rights.

Currently Tatiana is a Staff Attorney at the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights, where she directly supports and advocates for the rights and safety of unaccompanied and separated immigrant children. In this role she works to identify and advocate for the best interests of individual children and ensure that all decisions about them—including custody, placement, reunification with family, permanency, and repatriation—consider their best interests. She also supervises and mentors volunteers, supporting them as they learn about the difficult challenges that young people face in the U.S. immigration system. In recent years Tatiana has helped to build the Child Advocate program in Michigan, where young people in Michigan can access Child Advocate services, including in-person volunteers, increasing the number of youth served in that state. 

As a leader in her field Tatiana's relationship-building, courage, and passion for immigration justice has inspired those around her. She has helped to bring people together, even in times when stakeholders disagree on how to move forward, and she continues to exemplify the leadership qualities and attributes that the University YMCA works to instill in our students.