Th
e Youth Fellows and Youth Board leadership and career development programs provide high school students with hands-on educational and professional development. Through the Fellows program and Board, you will have the opportunity to work alongside changemakers to lead the future of global learning in Pittsburgh and beyond.
Meet our 2024-25 Youth Fellows and Youth Board members!
Youth Fellows
Oviya G., — Global Minds Fellow
I was motivated to apply for the Youth Fellow position because I wanted to be more involved in its purpose: connecting diverse youth and adult voices. As the Global Minds Youth Fellow, I look forward to working with other Youth Fellows and Board members, and supporting Global Minds chapters across the world to strengthen the relationship between students and adults from every walk of life. In my free time, I enjoy playing my violin, dancing (specifically ballet) and biking around my neighborhood.
Kenza B., — Youth Voice Fellow
I’m Kenza, and I am currently a student at Pittsburgh Obama. I was initially interested in working as a Youth Fellow because of my interest in the World Affairs Council as a whole. I do a lot of work with the Islamic Center of Pittsburgh, and working with the Council is a way to even further the impact. I hope to assist the Council in promoting the voices of youth in my school, community, and in the city of Pittsburgh in its entirety. Outside of work, volunteering, and other extracurriculars, I enjoy reading, going to cafés with friends, and spending time in the sun!
Natalia C., — Communications Fellow
I am thrilled to be the Communication Youth Fellow for the 2024-2025 school year. I am a senior at Taylor Allderdice High School. I look forward to this fantastic opportunity to continue the work with the Council. I hope to further my education about global issues, especially advocating for the importance of youth voice. My future goals include collaborating with others about global issues that influence us, locally and globally, through the use of social media to reach a broader audience. I love traveling, skiing with my friends, and trying new foods.
Youth Board
Farahangiz A.
I’m so excited to join the 2024-25 Youth Board program. I’m a Senior at Chartiers Valley High School. I moved to America in 2021 from Afghanistan and have been in Pittsburgh and attending Chartiers valley since 2022. Coming to the US was a big step for me and my family and I had a hard time adjusting to the new life and culture, but I had amazing people around me who made sure I always felt welcomed and safe. They taught me most of the things I know. Together with them, I felt better, I felt seen, I felt heard, and I felt like myself again. Ever since, I have made It my mission to do as much as possible to make sure those around me are heard, seen, cared for, loved, welcomed, and appreciated. This program allows me to do exactly that and that is why I wanted to be a part of it.
Zane A.
To start I am a very ambitious person! I see myself in a career such as engineering (civil or sustainable, most likely) and being a part of a youth leadership board is a great start. I expect to learn some of the logistics and processes of being a part of a youth board. My free time includes: working out, hanging with friends both on and offline, and I am in the final stretch of boy scouts soon to be Eagle Scout.
Eva F.
Hi, I’m Eva! I am a rising sophomore at Shadyside Academy. I founded One Bead at a Time, a jewelry making initiative to help local immigrant and refugee teens practice English, build skills and confidence, and create a sense of community and belonging. As the daughter of a Venezuelan immigrant, I built this initiative into a monthly program at the Carnegie Library at Beechview, an area of Pittsburgh where many Hispanic and Latin American people reside. I received the 2024 Junior Achievement of Western PA 18 under 18 award for my work.
I am also the founder of Community Conversations, a column for my school newspaper, where I promote dialogue and invite community leaders to talk about civic matters to bridge gaps across communities through storytelling. I am also on the staff of the international podcast “This Teenage Life“ where teenagers express their identities, tastes, and interests through conversations and storytelling. I was featured in Teen Vogue for my work on the podcast. I am collaborating with a local nonprofit to create a podcast covering how international relations affect local teens. In my free time, I love to go for walks, read, and listen to music, especially Lana Del Rey, Sofia Kourtesis, and Amy Winehouse. I am very excited to work with the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh and use my youth voice for good! I believe and have witnessed, through my initiatives, the value of youth-adult partnerships.
Julia T.
I was inclined to apply for the Youth Board because I wanted to continue my involvement with the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh, as well as build upon my current knowledge and understanding of the importance of Youth Voice. Having recently been the Communications Youth Fellow, I am excited to step into a new role and learn from a different perspective. I look forward to collaborating with the members of the Youth Board in order to contribute to a globally minded and diverse world. In my free time, I enjoy playing guitar, making short films, and writing.
Morgan M.
My name is Morgan and I’m a current Youth Board Member at the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh and former Youth Voice & Partnerships Fellow. I’m a senior at Oakland Catholic High School, where I’m involved in various extracurricular activities including the Global Competence Initiative and founding the Principal Advisory Committee. I also work as an intern and Advisory Council member at SLB Radio Productions, where they use radio and media to amplify the voices of young people in order to educate and build community. Outside of working, I love to bake, explore new languages, and spend time with her friends and family. I believe that youth voice is the future and am motivated to open people’s minds to the importance of youth perspectives and exploring global issues with others.
Ushan D.
I’m Ushan, I’m a rising senior at Seton LaSalle Catholic High School. As a Youth Board Member of the World Affairs Council, my main goal is to embrace the voice of young people to help my community thrive in different ways. I was drawn to apply for the Youth Board because it was an organization that shared the same values as I did. I believe youth perspectives should be included in several aspects of a community. By being a part of the Youth Board I hope to explore several youth-based projects, global issues, and increase recognition of youth voice. Some of my favorite things to do are, listening to music, playing tennis, traveling, and hanging out with friends. In closing, I am very excited to have been selected for this opportunity!