Gerald Brighton Young Alumni Award

Jose Sanchez Molina is a 2012 graduate of the University of Illinois, and was an active student leader at the Y,  serving as President of La Colectiva, a member of Amnesty International and a Bailey Scholarship recipient. As a leader in La Colectiva he was a key member in bringing the organization to the Y, where they continue to do impactful work today. Since then, he has dedicated himself to working for social justice in a variety of capacities.

Soon after graduating, he was awarded a "Claiming Our Democracy" Fellowship from the Greenlining Institute where he managed advocacy and public relations campaigns across California and worked alongside the California General Assembly to lead a record passage of 10 bills sponsored by the institute in the span of one year. He also created and implemented a grassroots and advocacy toolkit that is utilized by the institute and its coalition.

Jose later returned to his hometown of Chicago to be the Campaign Director for VOYCE (Voices of Youth in Chicago Education). In that capacity he directed public policy and public relations campaigns that resulted in passage of nationally recognized state policy. In 2016, Jose was hired by the Better Government Association (BGA) where he served as Policy Analyst for two years.

More recently Jose put his talents and communication skills to work representing several public officials. First he was hired as the Deputy Communication Officer for Chicago City Clerk Anna Valencia before becoming the Director of Communication for Lt. Governor Julianna Stratton, and then the Deputy Press Secretary for Governor JB Pritzker. Currently he is the Communications Manager for NielsenIQ.

During his career, Jose has demonstrated leadership skills beyond his years and has persevered when others might have given up. Whether working with undocumented immigrants or high school students seeking a greater say in the policies that affect their lives, he has excelled at transferring skills and knowledge to empower those who he works with. As a recent alumnus, Jose has demonstrated work ethic, commitment, intelligence, and talent, in a career that has continuously worked toward positive change in our society. He continues to exemplify the leadership qualities and attributes that the University YMCA works to instill in our students.

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