ABOUT US

Hi, I'm Marina, a 16 year old high school junior in Lexington, Massachusetts. I started YLS due to my passion for empowering youth in fighting social injustices. Unlike most organizations with strict topic focuses, I wanted to be a part of a community where individuals could advocate for multiple matters. I believe that teens, regardless of their background, can have a strong voice and individuality. Through YLS, I hope to bring youth from around the world to inspire others and cultivate a promising future for next generations.

instagram: @marinaachen_

Hi all! My name is Keely, and I am a rising sophomore from Northern Indiana! I joined Youth Leaders Society for many reasons; the biggest one being that I love to make connections with other inquisitive and like-minded individuals. This is a big opportunity for me to be able to connect with peers and learn how other leaders are involved in their communities and the world around them.

instagram: @ummkeely

My name is Afua, a rising 16 year old junior in high school from NYC. I joined YLS to be apart of a community that wants to help the youth raise awareness and advocate for social justice issues!

instagram: @adore.afuaa

Hi! I’m Emma Polinsky, a rising senior from Saint Petersburg, Florida. I’m 17 years old and can almost always be found with a book or iced coffee in hand. I joined the YLS team to be able to share what I love with others: Compassion and action. Leadership encompasses these ideals, and I am happy to be able to promote and assist others in their own leadership pursuits!

instagram: @emmapolinsky

Hello, I'm Justin. I'm 15 and from Hong Kong. I joined YLS simply because I'm really passionate about discourse and I'd want to help out at this growing organization and spread awareness. I'm very much into debating and global affairs.

instagram: @justin_chng.724

Hi everyone! I'm Rahul. I'm a 16 year old from Los Angeles, California. I joined YLS because I believe that our generation is that of the future, and I want to do everything I can to help create and promote change across multiple topics! A fun fact about me is that I have been training in Bharata Natyam (Classical Indian Dance) for 10+ years! You can find my YouTube channel of my videos by searching “Rahul Yates”.

instagram: @rahul.yates

Hi there! I'm Audrey, a 16 year old, rising Junior in Jakarta, Indonesia. I enjoy doing various of things from reading a good book, playing volleyball, and all the way to diving into adventures! I love creating a change and am really keen on development and exploration; I'm really excited in being a part of YLS!

instagram: @audreygrld

Hi! I’m Athena Chlapowski and I’m 16. I live in St. Petersburg, Florida and am a rising senior. I joined YLS because I thought it was a great opportunity for many students to have their voices heard and to contribute something to their communities.

instagram: @athenachlapowski

Hey everyone! My name is Zehra, which is an Arabic name meaning "flower" . I'm 14, and I'm a rising freshman in Dallas, Texas. My hobbies include reading and binging Stranger Things.

instagram: @zehra_1295

Hello! I am María Belén Andrade, a sixteen year old student based in Quito, Ecuador. As a member of YLS, I love to empower other young people through inspiration and education. I enjoy learning new things, reading and baking!

instagram: @mabelen_andrade

Hi there! I’m Abreen Masheeta (she/her), a 14 year old girl from Malaysia who enjoys baking and dancing. I joined YLS because I enjoy spreading awareness to the youth in my community, I also joined to gain more experience in being a researcher and I want to be able to know more people from other countries and their stories as well. I am also a big fan of K-pop boy group, BTS and NCT as well.

instagram: @masheetajsuh

Hello! My name is Jane, I’m 16, and I’m from Canada ! I joined YLS because I’m passionate about education and mental health. I wanted to contribute to an inspirational platform that created positive change with youth. I love learning more about the world and helping others to discover more as well. A fun fact about me is that I watch over 30 different TV shows - highly invested in my entertainment!!!

instagram: @janewaang

My name is Chahat Arora and I am 16 years old from New Jersey. I joined YLS because I want to be able to help make a difference no matter how large or small.

instagram: @chahat.arora_

My name is Eun Gu and I recently turned 16. I'm an incoming grade 11 student in Toronto who enjoys playing music, watching movies, and painting. I initially joined YLS in order to learn and grow among a group of students who are supportive and eager to learn as well. As part of the team, I look forward to meeting other people and doing my part to create a supportive and welcoming environment that encourages growth and exploration.

instagram: @the_happy_pomegranate

Hello! My name is Vyctoria, and I am a rising junior from San Jose, California. My favorite animal is a dwarf hamster!

instagram: @vyctoria_vu

Hi everyone! I am Nola. I live in North Carolina. I am a rising junior, love arts and sciences, am learning German and Italian. I am also an activist (environment, equality, etc). I also like history, specifically dress history/fashion history.

instagram: @r.c.alon

My name is Malysa Vongrasmy, and I am an upcoming high school junior. I was born and raised in the Texas panhandle. I joined YLS because the message they brought upon was very inspirational!

instagram: @malysaok

Hello! I am Alina Ahamed, I am a high school student from Hong Kong and i am 15. I joined YLS because this platform was just something i was looking for as an opportunity to express my potential leadership and meet people from all around the world with the same vision as me! I believe YLS is a life changing organisation and i hope you all will come along with us in this impactful journey. I am passionate about counselling and educating people about various issues like gender stereotypes and mental health:) I also enjoy writing very much as a hobby! Thank you so much for supporting us.

instagram: @ahamedalina

My name is Carla Ramirez, I’m 17 years old and I currently live in Houston Texas. The reason on why I joined YLS was to make a difference that included all the society. I currently work with another organization where we talk about issues that we as girls face which is amazing. However, I also wanted to bring attention to the issues that many minorities including me and my community face. I want to raise awareness to what’s going on right now, change many things that still make women and the society feel restricted, make an impact so that everyone feels included and united, and fight for equality and for the change, so that our voices can be heard.

Hi! I’m Karen Medina. I’m 16 years old, I’m from Venezuela, and I’m currently living in Coral Springs, Florida. I joined YLS because it is a space which one can really make a difference in the world. We are the future and it’s our job to shape the world in which we want to live in. Fun fact, I’m bilingual!

instagram: @karen.medina2003

Hello! I’m Claire Yung, a 15 year old rising sophomore from Naperville, Illinois. I joined YLS because I love how the groups focus on a variety of matters which aligns with my hope to become more involved and create a positive impact on society while connecting with individuals globally. Some of my hobbies are baking, tennis and running, and theatre!

instagram: @xof_life

My name is Amber Beck. I’m 15 and I’m from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. A fun fact about me is that I play seven instruments.

instagram: @amberleigh.5

Hi! I'm Susana, I'm 15 and from Medellín, Colombia. I joined YLS to work with other young leaders towards a common objective.

instagram: @susanaarangoz12

Hello! My name is Sasha, and I’m a rising senior from North Carolina. I’m super excited to join YLS because I love to meet with other young leaders and activists from around the world, since I love to hear about different perspectives. When I’m not campaigning or keeping up with current events, I enjoy playing the violin, reading books, and learning about astronomy.

instagram: @politicable

My name is Althea Ocomen. I am a 14 year old high school student currently residing in the Philippines. I joined this organization in order to empower the youth on certain social and cultural issues which are currently affecting our society. I am a writer, an avid reader, and an otaku. I have a great passion for spreading public awareness and advocate for education, feminism and free speech.

instagram: @nicoleocomen

Hi! Heaven Danielle Homeres is my name, 18 years of age, living in the pearl of the orient seas, Philippines! I am an incoming freshman of Far Eastern University, taking up Bachelor of Arts in International Studies, majoring in International Relations and Diplomacy. I am an avid fan of Korean boy group Seventeen and they really serve as my source of serotonin. Being able to connect with people across countries and working together towards one goal is what really pushed me to be part of YLS! With our aim to work together for progress, we are rooting for your all out support to our team!

instagram: @hebeeeeeeen

Hey everyone! My name is Klelia and I am from Albania. I am 16, and this fall, I will enter the 11th grade at high school. I am passionate about human rights, history,current affairs and global politics,so I would like to study law or political sciences in the future. I enjoy reading and learning new languages, my next target is German and I already speak 5 languages.

instagram: @klelialo

Hi! I'm Jordyn, a rising junior from Westfield, NJ. I joined YLS because I’m passionate about leadership and want to change the world.

instagram: @jordynives

My name is Jessie, I'm 15 and I live on Long Island. I joined YLS in hopes to become an inspiration and also get inspired by amazing people.

instagram: @jessieedong

Hi! My name is Malak which means Angel. I'm 16, a rising senior from Yemen, currently living in KSA. I joined YLS because of my ambitious for making this world a better place even if the change we are making is tiny. I'm happy to take a part in it in inspiring the youth into striving for their dreams and never fear saying what's on their mind. I always say, "Love yourself, speak yourself, and believe in yourself". One fun fact about me is, I love reading so much to the point I can read my life away!

instagram: @an.angels.diaries

Hey there! My name is Zehra and I am a rising eighth grader in the Bay Area. I enjoy writing, listening to music and gaming. I joined the YLS because I wanted to empower our youth to become the leaders of tomorrow.

instagram: @zehra.naqviii

My name is Blessing, I'm 18 years old from Nigeria. I joined YLS because of its engagement of young people to take action, I'm happy to work with everyone!

instagram: @_blessing.s13

Hi, I'm Shiva! I'm 16 and from India. I joined YLS because I want to share my love for writing with other people. The community seemed like a very positive and accepting space and something that I needed to be a part of. A fun fact is, I've been doing martial arts for 10 years!

instagram: @shivachopra_

Hi! My name is Lelah Shapiro and I am a rising sophomore in high school, based in California. I am passionate about traveling, volunteering, playing volleyball, and making a difference during these unprecedented times. I can’t wait to work alongside other talented and dedicated individuals in the YLS team and encourage teens to enact positive social change and express themselves!

instagram: @lelahshapiro

My name is Bhavika Chandak and I am 16 years old. I am going to be a junior at Tompkins High School this fall and live in Texas. Before I joined YLS, I would see their stories and I was so inspired to do something more for the community. When I looked into it, I immediately knew I had to join and I knew that by being a part of this, I would be an active advocate for creating a new culture of acceptance and unity.

instagram: @bhavikac__557

Hi, my name is Saumya Singh. I am 14 years old and am a high school freshman. I currently live in Delhi NCR, India. I joined YLS to explore new things. I know it's crazy but I think can see the future sometimes.

instagram: @me_sam_the_great

I’m Ingyin, I’m 16 years old and I’m currently residing in Singapore. :D I’m a MUN aficionado and I joined YLS to be able to hone my leadership skills and use my voice for the greater good.

instagram: @its_just_ingyin

My name is Harish Patibanda. I’m 16 years old. I currently live in Katy, Texas. I joined YLS because I saw this as a perfect opportunity to start making a difference in society with our actions.

instagram: @harishp27

I'm Arabi, a rising junior currently living in the greater Toronto area. I joined YLS because I wanted to work with a group of like-minded individuals who want to make a difference. I'm passionate about all things science (especially medicine), writing and activism. In my free time, I like to read, write, play the piano and do karate. Whenever I'm not busy with school, I can be seen volunteering or helping out in my community.

instagram: @scxrlettx.skyes

I’m Elizabeth Sheehy and I’m 19. I’m a nursing honors student at the College of Mount Saint Vincent. I played softball and I irish danced. I am passionate about helping people and all things science.

instagram: @elizabeth.0606