Christopher Aldair Silva’s academic and professional journey has been shaped by a strong interest in community development, public health, education, and creating opportunities for young people in his hometown of Pasadena, California.

Christopher is currently the Development Coordinator at Day One, a non-profit organization advancing public health and empowering youth throughout Southern California’s San Gabriel Valley. He became acquainted with the organization at the age of 12 when he served there as a volunteer, fulfilling community service hours required by his middle school. In 2021, Day One hired him as the Community Engagement Coordinator where he gained hands-on experience organizing informational sessions and workshops with schools and local agencies focused on substance abuse prevention and reducing substance use among youth. The experience helped strengthen his interest in prevention-focused public health and showed him the importance of engaging communities, schools, and local organizations in creating healthier futures for young people.

Expected to graduate from UCLA’s Executive MPH program in 2028, Christopher’s ultimate goal is to establish a nonprofit dedicated to transforming Northwest Pasadena by expanding access to quality education, technology, creative learning opportunities, and preventative health resources. His long-term vision is rooted in the belief that communities can change when people are given meaningful access to the resources and opportunities they need to succeed. As his executive director at Day One often reminds him, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Christopher hopes to carry that philosophy into his future work by investing in prevention, education, and opportunity before challenges become barriers to a young person’s future.

A double Bruin, Christopher holds a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from UCLA. His own academic journey at UCLA has exposed him to resources and opportunities that have influenced his vision for what could be possible in his hometown of Northwest Pasadena. Experiences with spaces such as the Young Research Library, maker spaces, and media labs have inspired him to imagine similar opportunities being made accessible to young people in his community.