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Gloria Cuevas Torres
Gloria Cuevas Torres is a young leader shaping how her community responds to conflict.
A rising ninth grader at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Academic Middle School in San Francisco’s Portola neighborhood, Gloria is in her second year serving as a peer mediator. She stepped into this role with a clear sense of purpose: to make sure every student—especially the youngest—feels heard.
“I knew that teachers are often not listening to the youngest students,” Gloria shares. “But when there’s a conflict, everyone has a perspective—and everyone deserves to be heard.”
Since becoming a mediator, Gloria has helped resolve nearly a dozen cases, supporting her peers through conflicts ranging from everyday misunderstandings and gossip to deeper issues involving hurtful language and broken trust. Through her work, she creates space for students to speak honestly, feel respected, and find a way forward together.
Gloria recognizes that conflict often stems from fear of vulnerability. “Students are trying to protect their image,” she explains. “They don’t want to be seen as vulnerable, so they end up fighting. It’s important to listen.”
Her teacher, Brendan Gagnon, describes her as “a strong community connector and outspoken advocate for justice,” highlighting her leadership in de-escalating conflicts and guiding her peers toward resolution.
Through one-on-one conversations, active listening, and restorative mediation practices,
Gloria helps her peers express what they need, repair harm, and prevent conflicts from escalating or repeating. In doing so, she is carrying forward a tradition of peacemaking that has been passed from one generation to the next—ensuring these skills continue to live and grow in her community.
Originally from Tijuana, Mexico, Gloria moved to California in 2018 and now lives in San Francisco’s Visitacion Valley neighborhood. She is passionate about human rights, history, travel, and nature.
Community Boards is proud to honor Gloria Cuevas Torres as a Rising Peacemaker—someone who embodies the living legacy of this work and the power of young people to lead it today.
(At the request of Gloria and her family, no photograph will be displayed.)
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