Professional Position: Retired Senior IT Advisor
Company: CollegeSource, Inc.
Location: San Diego, CA

Jessy Ybarra was diagnosed with ALS in 2017 at the age of 53. Since then, he has dedicated himself to living life to the fullest and advocating on behalf of the ALS community.

Jessy joined the ALS Association shortly after his diagnosis, becoming a board member in Greater San Diego in 2021. He has served on the Legacy Gifts Committee and traveled to Washington, D.C. in 2019 to share his story with members of Congress and advocate for research funding and improved care services.

Jessy's background in education and technology, as well as his dedication to serving his country, make him a powerful advocate with a broad, diverse, and deeply dynamic perspective on life. Jessy leverages his experiences of living with ALS to help lawmakers better understand the unique and formidable challenges the ALS community faces each day.

Prior to joining the ALS Association, Jessy served in the United States Air Force before working for 32 years in CollegeSource's Information Technology Department. Jessy eventually became the Vice President of Information Technology at CollegeSource — a position he stepped down from after his diagnosis. Jessy then served as the Senior IT Advisor, directly reporting to the CEO, until he retired in early 2022.

Jessy earned his Associate of Science Degree in General Electronics from San Diego Mesa College in 1990. He continued with his technical training and became a Microsoft Certified Professional and a Certified IT Project Manager.

When not fundraising and advocating on behalf of the ALS community, Jessy enjoys following sports with his 10 year old son, laughing with his 10 year old granddaughter and checking off items from his "aliveness list."