“Dreams and reality are opposites. Action synthesizes them.” -Assata Shakur

Lianza Reyes is a proud, first-born immigrant who was originally born and raised in the bustling city of Manila, Philippines. She moved to the United States and obtained her Bachelor's of Science in Syracuse University and her Master's Degree of Science in Information Systems at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She now works as Communications Manager at University of Houston.

One of Lianza's first goals when moving to Houston was to find a community and she did so by volunteering at the 2024 Houston Filipino Street Festival. To her pleasant surprise, she was encouraged to become a committee lead at her first meeting due to her upbeat attitude and strong work ethic. Her work with HFSF and FYP Houston became one of the best opportunities she ever took on, and she realized she wanted to be an even stronger part of a community she had come to love so much.

Now, Lianza spends her time with FYP Houston as our Youth Outreach Director, where she finds that her reasons for why she joined still stand strong! She now helps create thriving opportunities available for youths of all ages, from infancy to early 20s, in the Houston community. She hopes to continue creating spaces, programs, and relationships where this community can spend time to connect, collaborate, and dream. Whether it be through managing our scholarship program or developing a new mentorship network, Lianza wants to give young people, even those half our ages and beyond, a chance to look at FYP and think, "I can see myself grow and being happy here."

Outside of her job at the University of Houston and her work with FYP, she likes to write poetry and fiction. She's also fond of reading anything and everything, bothering her cat and/or husband, and yelling at her TV screen during women's basketball games!

In her own words:

“FYPamilya can't be replaced. If you're a current FYP member, thank you for being the lifestream of our organization. If you're a prospective member, I welcome you with open arms. Regardless of race, religion, belief system, or income, we have space for you.”