Meet the Team

The Faces of the Youth Success Project.

Ariel Hayes | she/her

Director

Ariel Hayes (she/her) is 24 years old and the Director of the Youth Success Project. She grew up in Arizona and has degrees in Gender and Women’s Studies and Public Health from the University of Arizona. Ariel is passionate about grassroots advocacy work, community building, social justice, and youth empowerment. She was a voting member of the Youth Success Project before stepping into the Director role.

Madison | she/her

Leader, Balance of State

My name is Maddie. My pronouns are she/her/hers. I am a former youth in care and have experienced homelessness through out my life. I am attending school for a bachelors degree in Human Services and i'm excited to see what my future holds.

Suzie | she/her

Member

Suzie is 24 years old and a member of the Youth Success Project. Her experience with homelessness began when she was 17 years old and was kicked out by a parent. Suzie has been homeless for 4 years and struggled with substance use disorder as a direct result of her homelessness. She is now housed, in recovery, and working towards her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology. Suzie hopes to positively affect change in New Hampshire so future generations don’t go through the same experiences that she did.

Kadyja Harris | she/her

Assistant Director

I am a former homeless youth and alumni for the Youth Success Project. I experienced homelessness at the age of 17 for a total of two years before I became connected with waypoint to secure stable housing. I now am a mother of a three year old and hold two degrees, an associates degree in Addiction Counseling and a bachelor's degree in Human Services. I am now pursing my last and final degree for a masters in Criminal Justice and working my dream job as a substance abuse counselor working with criminal offenders in reentry.

Jackson | he/him

Leader, Manchester

Heyo! I’m Jackson, I first experienced homelessness at the age of 6 years old with my family and went to 7 different public schools growing up. In high school I was on the football and wrestling team. After I graduated high school, I unfortunately experienced homelessness again. I was accepted into Waypoint's Transitional Living Program and built my life up from scratch. Now I have support in my personal life, role models to look up to and, most importantly, I found my purpose. I’m looking to end the experience of youth homelessness. It is no child’s fault that they are homeless.

Zander | he/him

Member

Zander (he/him) was born and raised in New Hampshire. He has spent much of his time as a young adult experiencing homelessness in the city of Nashua. While experiencing homelessness, Zander worked with Kathy at the Stepping Stones drop-in center to get on his feet. He is now housed in his own apartment and working full time. Zander wants to make a difference in the Nashua community by helping people.

Celene | she/her

Leader, Balance of State

Celene (she/her) is 22 years old and was born and raised in the Nashua area of New Hampshire. She first experienced homelessness while attending university, which caused her to leave college early before completing her bachelor's degree in Women’s Studies. Celene experienced homelessness in the Tri-City area of New Hampshire and is now working on building her community and stability. Celene is passionate about LGBTQ+ rights and representation, enjoys creative writing, and social justice work.

Brandon | he/him

Leader, Manchester

Hello, My name is Brandon Richardson and I first experienced youth homelessness at 15 years old. During this time, a tent was home for over 8 months, and housing instability followed until things finally started to come together when I was 17. Thankfully, I was able to join the Army and ultimately go on to pursue both an undergraduate and graduate level education. The memories of my experiences are now what drive me to my passions for mental health treatment and community action. Being a leader here at YSP is an outlet for these passions. It also provides me with hope; hope that experience and compassion can be enough to help young people negotiate similar challenges and succeed.

Britt | she/her

Member

Britt (she/her) is originally from Rochester and experienced homelessness as a minor and as a young adult. She was housed through Waypoint’s Rapid Rehousing Program and is now a member of the Youth Success Project. Britt likes working as part of a team with other YSP members to make a difference in the lives of other youth and young adults experiencing homelessness.