Walter Cortina
Story By Cynthia J. Zapata & Art by Anh Tran
In Mexico, the colibri, or hummingbird, represents that better times are nearing the horizon; they also symbolize that ancestors are near and protecting us. These winged creatures are diligent as they bring joy, protection, and luck into the spaces they fly into. Water Cortina is a colibri.
With his team, Walter has been an inspiration and positive influence for over 1,500 young people from ten years of age to twenty-four — helping them to articulate and fight for what is meaningful and purposeful to them. His listening, caring and support has shaped the programming at Bridgemakers, the organization he co-founded. Bridgemakers offers mentoring, economic and career building opportunities to young people, in an effort to help them find the agency to shape the solutions they see fit for themselves.
During the COVID-19 lockdown, Walter witnessed how young people were hit hard as a workforce, and that their age prevented them from accessing unemployment benefits. “The assumption that young people work solely for extra money and not as contributors to the financial stability of their family is a glaring oversight,” says Walter. In 2020, Walter and his team built a campaign to expand unemployment benefits to eligible students. The successful legislative effort led to a new state law, and provided $33 million dollars to over 20,000 youth.
Walter sees that campaign now as a testament to the power of community, and as a challenge to adults to consider young people in their decisions. But he knows that young people shouldn’t rely on others to create the future they want to see.
“Youth are capable of massive change.” says Walter, “We don’t have to wait to begin creating change, or to make an impact, or be a part of society.” As the executive director of Bridgemakers, Walter invites youth to live into their purpose and power. The organization is built from the ideas Walter values — authentic relationships, generous curiosity, and a spirit of tolerance.
There is a wisdom Walter carries that can only be gifted through experiencing life with grace and hope. At age 13, Walter’s parents were deported back to Mexico, leaving him homeless in Minneapolis. Many months of pain and trauma followed, but he was able to repurpose that energy into discovering what he sees as his calling: “Building the community that supports the development of families and the upbringing of adolescents for a better future.”
For Walter, there is no room for political, religious, or cultural divisions if the future of Minneapolis is one that prioritizes development for youth and families. In his vision, young people do not need the validation of these institutions to get involved in the decisions that impact them.
Walter sees a Minneapolis that is home to 75,000 young people, all ready to be activated in their potential to design a new way of being. Each one, a unique genius, a colibri, ready to usher in a more just and inclusive world.
