Alejandra Wells: Youth Voice, Researcher, and Builder of Belonging
At an age when most teens are just testing their voice, 17-year-old Alejandra Wells is using hers to change how we talk about youth mental health.
Alejandra’s journey didn’t begin in a boardroom, but in the quiet of a personal struggle. Through her teenage years, she battled anxiety and depression, an internal conflict that sparked the idea behind Hiya, a jewelry brand built on the message: you are not alone. Hiya sales are tied to mental health outreach, with Alejandra using her platform to hold workshops, share stories, and fund support for young people.
Alejandra pairs entrepreneurship with evidence: she designs bracelets that spark conversation and conducts studies that show why those conversations matter. In 2024, MENTOR Nebraska named her Young Leader of the Year for advancing mentoring and youth well-being.
Her work travels because it’s grounded in lived experience and data. In July 2024, Wells was selected for the iCAN (International Children’s Advisory Network) Research & Advocacy Summit in Bari, Italy, presenting peer-led models that meet teens where they are. A year later, she shared updated findings at the 2025 iCAN Summit in Montréal, including survey results showing 65% of teens feel more comfortable with peer-led support than traditional therapy, a metric that has become a cornerstone of her approach.
Alejandra partners with mentoring and youth-serving groups to put tools—and hope—directly in young hands. She has forged partnerships with the Teen Center of Omaha, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Elevate Omaha, Go Beyond Nebraska, Latino Center of the Midlands, Siembra Nebraska, and MENTOR Nebraska, ensuring her work reaches youth who live on the margins. She launched a teen lifestyle magazine, an annual publication, and a blog site that amplifies youth voices. She offers a summer internship program and volunteer opportunities to help build youth career development. She also participates in several teen advisory boards, including UNMC and Children’s Hospitals KIDS Nebraska Board, Elevate Omaha, and the Teen Center’s Advisory Board.
Nebraska’s Latino community is shaped not only by established leaders but by rising change-makers who innovate for collective well-being. Alejandra’s work expands access, reduces stigma, and centers community care, values long championed in Latino organizing and mutual-aid traditions.
Across press and platform posts, she keeps the message simple: teens want to feel seen, not studied. Her latest analyses back that up — 71% of teens follow peers who share mental-health journeys; 82% want society to talk more openly about wellness.
From Omaha school halls to conference halls in Bari and Montréal, Alejandra Wells is building belonging with rigor and heart, turning a personal struggle into research-driven advocacy that helps an entire generation feel less alone.
Do you know someone whose story should be told — a mentor, educator, entrepreneur, veteran, artist, or advocate who has made a lasting difference in the Latino community? Please share their name and a little about their journey with us.
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