2026-2027

Mari Nishitani

Hi, everyone! I’m Mari, and I was born and raised in Japan. I recently graduated from Pomona College with a major in Environmental Analysis with a concentration on Race, Class, and Gender. I’m passionate about studying community ownership and participatory governance models of resources to ensure equitable access to essentials like healthy food, safe housing, and electricity. Food has been especially central to my inquiry into these alternative systems. Particularly, immersing myself in the hyperlocal foodways at a food hub organization in rural Japan opened up my eyes about the multi-layered functions of food spaces—urban gardens, markets, or restaurants — not just as destinations for sourcing food but also as spaces
for belonging and cultural connection.

I am excited to join the Jubilee Year Los Angeles Fellowship to support critical and much-needed services that host organizations provide and also to bring my leadership to improving those services so they can become even more accessible and impactful. I’m also looking forward to engaging in dialogue with fellow cohort members and practitioners across the food justice movement in LA to expand my perspectives and ultimately find my role in building a regenerative food economy.


Outside of my passion for food, I’m known as a queen of sidequests among my friends. I love backpacking, biking, growing vegetables, and cooking. I also love learning languages and doing crafts, especially with thrifted materials!

Valeria Lucas

Hello there! My name is Valeria. I was raised in LA and grew up surrounded by the St. Stephen's Community. Being able to now work at St. Stephens and become more involved in my own community feels like taking care of my home. I have seen probably a dozen JYLA cohorts come and go throughout the years, but I never imagined that I’d have the opportunity to go through my own “year of service,” let alone two years! Yet, I believe that some of the best things in life are those we never plan for.

I studied Child Development and Communication Studies and have worked as a preschool teacher for the past 6 years. I took the UCANR Master Gardener’s course in Spring 2024 and learned that I love gardening and being surprised by all that nature is and does without our interference. Some of my favorite pastimes include climbing with friends, painting, being immersed in nature, and playing with my (highly energetic) two-year-old husky. I look forward to deepening and continuing my work within the St. Stephen’s and St. Barnabas communities while making new connections this year.

Bria Mason

Hi, I'm Bria Mason, a researcher, consultant, and community advocate from Long Beach,
California. My work sits at the intersection of social justice, education, public health, and
community engagement, where I've spent the past several years supporting nonprofits,
conducting qualitative research, and building programs that strengthen communities. As a Ph.D.
candidate in Communication Sciences with a background in anthropology and psychology, I'm
passionate about understanding how systems shape people's lives and how community-led solutions can create lasting change.


I decided to join the Jubilee Year LA Fellowship because I believe meaningful transformation begins through service, relationships, and learning alongside others. I'm excited to deepen my understanding of food justice and community organizing while contributing my skills to organizations serving Los Angeles. I look forward to growing alongside a cohort of people who are equally committed to justice, compassion, and creating a more equitable future for our communities.

Amelia Albanese

Hello! My name is Amelia Albanese. I grew up in the small coastal town of Westport Massachusetts. This past winter I graduated from Bennington College in Vermont where I studied food systems through an interdisciplinary lens, as well spent a good amount of my time painting and exploring. I love making art, spending time at the beach, and writing letters to friends. One of the first places I will be looking for once I make it to LA is a local figure drawing group.

I fell in love with growing food in high school after I started volunteering at a regenerative farm in my community. I am very passionate about growing good food for people that need it in ways that support our environment. Throughout my time in college, I explored many different types of gardens and farms, including in New Orleans and Havana, as well as inside the fence at a local jail. I love to spend time in new places and learn from people different from myself. I am excited at the opportunity Jubilee Year will give me to dive deeper into the food systems of a city as layered as Los Angeles. I can’t wait to meet everyone and connect with other people dedicated to food access work!


Mariam Matta

Hello, I’m Mariam! I was born in Alexandria, Egypt, grew up in Massachusetts, and have lived in Los Angeles since 2018. I went to the University of Southern California, where I received a B.S. in Global Health and primarily researched topics around Indigenous Peoples and Environmental Justice. I was also a founding member of the USC chapter of the Food Recovery Network, so I’ve dabbled in food justice at a local scale. I enjoy reading, writing, swimming, making physical and digital art, upcycling trash, growing my own veggies, and cooking unique plant-based meals. 


I was drawn to JYLA because the values of the food justice fellowship deeply aligned with my own, and I felt like it could be a “reset” of sorts for me. I have nearly a decade of experience working with progressive nonprofits in several capacities — from in-the-field direct service work, to grantmaking administration, to consulting — but I find my career at a standstill due to the current landscape of the nonprofit sector and the general zeitgeist. I am passionately anti-genAI: I believe in people and planet over profits, and that all good things take time, care, love, and effort.

My undergraduate studies dove deeply into systemic inequities around social determinants of health, so viewing systems through a critical social justice lens is instinctual for me. I am excited to get back to my roots of promoting health and food equity at a local scale, and having thoughtful discussions and critical reflections with my peers through Jubilee Year as a Food Justice Fellow.