Metzli Nieves joined CDF-NY as a 2018 Beat the Odds Scholar and Advocate and an intern, and is currently a student at Barnard College on a full scholarship. Metzli has advocated for young people with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and was recognized with a UCLA Dream Summer 2020 Fellowship at the New York State Youth Leadership Council (NYSYLC) — the first undocumented youth-led organization in New York State.