WE THE YOUTH 2021

These young people are the brilliant forces behind the NYC Youth Agenda. The We the YOUTH Advisors, CUNY’s Intergenerational Change Initiative and several other youth organizers have worked tirelessly behind and in front the scenes to bring forth an agenda that is truly reflective of themselves, their peers and represents the voices of the Youth of New York City.

  • Abasiono Etuk

     

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    hails from Nigeria and moved to New York City in her primary years. During her assimilation to a new country, culture, and new life, she quickly realized her uniqueness from her peers. This did not stop Abasiono from excelling academically and participating in sports at her local afterschool program. As a young adult, she held various retail jobs and experienced firsthand the inequities of being an immigrant and a woman in the workforce. This led her to realize how important it is to have self-awareness and self-love in a world that does not see past labels. After an injury on the job, she looked to healing mentally and physically. Now as a freelance Social Media Manager, a Proofreader and Editor, hairstylist, and wellness coach, Abasiono prioritizes sharing as much information as she can with her community about mental and spiritual wellness.
  • Amanda Reynolds
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    Amanda Reynolds is 16 years old and Co-Director/Founder of Young Idealist, an organization fighting for equity in arts and education as well as empowering young artists to make social change. Amanda is also an Advisor with We the Youth Advisory Council. She is very passionate about social justice as well as the arts. Currently a junior at the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts where she studies Acting, Amanda is honored to be attending one of the most prestigious high school level art programs in the country. She was born and raised in Queens and she is a proud member of the Caribbean community. During her free time, Amanda indulges in dance, fine art, music, dramaturgy, and films.
  • Amaris Martins
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    Amaris Martins will graduate in 2022 from the East New York Arts and Civics High School in Brooklyn. As the only girl in a Caribbean family, she utilizes her time helping with her special needs brother and working a job that contributes to the support of her family. Along with strong academics and love for political science and history, Amaris developed a passion for writing and music. As a student representative for the New York City Youth Leadership Council and We the Youth Advisory Council, Amaris has worked with minority and youth centered organizations advocating for local change in her City. She has also worked with Shaeleigh Severino on campaigning for the 2021 New York City Council election, as well as founding her student-led organization called The Censured, to help fight against biased media and help more young people get involved with politics. In her free time, Amaris enjoys swimming, playing the piano and steelpan.
  • Angela Cabrera
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    Angela Cabrera was born in the Dominican Republic and moved to the United States at the tender age of five. Acculturating into a new country and learning a new language was not an easy task but with her positive work ethic and support from her mother, Angela soon progressed from receiving complaints about lack of participation in school to receiving yearly awards as an upstanding student. She went on to become president of her junior high school class several years in a row and the first female student of the month to ever be elected. Angela took that same drive with her into high school and she was selected from a group of 500 other qualified students to enroll at the New York City Charter High School for Architecture, Engineering & Construction Industries.

    With a passion for social justice, Angela is currently an Advisor with We the Youth Advisory Council. She is inspired by her hard-working mother who moved to the United States to give Angela a better life, a life that her mother did not have growing up in the Dominican Republic. Angela hopes to build a foundation for future generations in her family, just as her mother did for her.

  • Arieana Jose
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    is a spiritual Latinx Trans woman from the Bronx. She is proud of her Dominican culture and honors her ancestors through spiritual practices, music, food, and dances. As a member of the Mayor’s Office to End Domestic Violence and Gender-Based Violence (Youth Leadership Council), she advocates for young people like herself by speaking on ignorance that comes from societal norms that limit us from expressing our true selves spiritually, mentally and physically. Arieana’s endurance comes from being confident in her capabilities and the faith she has in her future. She expresses herself through dance, music, fashion, and cosmetics, using her voice to speak her truths letting it be known she feels and looks pretty while doing so. 
  • Cecilia Castellon
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    Cecilia Castellon is of Bolivian descent and currently lives with her family in Queens, New York. She is interested in social justice and mental health, believing these issues should be taken seriously because they affect many people almost daily. Voter engagement is another important issue of interest for Cecilia. She would like to have more young people involved in rank-choice-voting at her high school because young people can have a huge impact on elections, especially in New York City.

    Cecilia is motivated by her teachers and student leaders who inspire her to continue using a voice to share and speak on issues that personally matter. She is optimistic that her dedication to these issues will convince other students to work hard towards making changes in their community, so young people could live in a world filled with love and peace.

  • Duha
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    Duha is a 16-year-old American of Egyptian descent and currently majors in drama at the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. She is passionate about community organizing, feminist literature, and critical race theory. Duha is motivated by the struggles she faces in life as a Muslim woman of color, and the injustices she witnesses day-by-day such as redlining. She is currently associated with the Young Idealist organization working towards educational equity within the New York City Department of Education, and We the Youth Advisory Council. She plans to attend law school one day and work at the United Nations, or at an international nonprofit organization that focuses on helping people seek asylum in the United States.
  • Ebube Nwaeme
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    is 17 years old college student that is currently attending the Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC). He is a member of My Brother and Sisters Keeper Youth Council (MBSK). The council provides him with a platform to use his and effect change in society. His main interest has always been to bring more awareness to the power and voice young people. He stands firm that the days of “you are the leaders of tomorrow” are gone and the leadership should start coming to actualization NOW. He is grateful to be a member of and it has provided him guidance, so he does not stress about his future, he is creating the future he desires. He aspires to work in television, radio and in the music industry.
  • Elijah Green
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    is a 16-year-old student at Broome Street Academy whose passion for community, racial equity and the arts has led him to activism and service. Elijah’s participation with The Possibility Project has given him the opportunity through theater arts to bring awareness, life and voice to issues that young people face every day: bullying, social acceptance, sexual orientation discrimination and gender identity bias. In addition to volunteering with the Bravo EMT Youth program in Bay Ridge, he is part of the NYPD Explorers program, where he is considering a career in law and public service. Most recently, Elijah helped form the grassroots NYC Marchers movement to speak out against police brutality. Elijah’s belief in equity constantly inspires him to “act as a bridge and be a catalyst for change while standing firm as an advocate for those most in need.” 
  • Iris Seal
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    Iris Seal lives in the birthplace of Hip Hop, the Bronx, and has roots in Philadelphia and Florida. She is a young feminist who is learning more about her self-identity and her place in a world that marginalizes Black, Indigenous, People Of Color, including women. She proudly stands with the values of the Black Lives Matter movement and wants to contribute to change in her community and America. Even with the inequities she has witnessed in her sixteen rotations around the sun, she remains altruistic, positive, and hopeful. She is often thought of as a “breath of fresh air” and uses kindness to alleviate the negative experiences of others.
  • Jayden Cruz
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    Seventeen-year-old Jayden Cruz is currently a junior at the Bard High School Early College Queens. He has been involved with various after school programs that focus on activism for underrepresented minority groups. He is on the Black Lives Matter Task Force and We the Youth Advisory Council. Jayden has volunteered and led workshops regarding equity for black people as he worked with other members to establish fairness throughout their school. As an Advisor with We the Youth Advisory Council, Jayden has contributed to the content creation of the Department of Youth and Community Development’s town halls and is part of the #VoteUrVoice Mayoral Candidate Town Hall planning committee. Overall, Jayden has mainly been embedded in political spheres allowing him to help and educate others in his community.
  • Maryam Oguntola
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    has a passion for fairness and social justice. As an immigrant, she learned through her personal experiences and believes opportunities are paramount to her focus. Maryam now helps people seeking asylum by providing these individuals access to resources. 

    She is a second-year honors student at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, studying law and society with double minors in Dispute Resolution and Environmental Justice. Maryam aspires to attend law school after receiving her bachelor’s degree and working at a nonprofit organization in an underrepresented community while practicing immigration and environmental law.  

    Life experiences have inspired Maryam to join WE THE YOUTH Advisory Council, an organization that helps educate and encourage young people seeking equity. 

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  • Mohammed Oguntola
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    is a senior at Astor Collegiate Academy. He plans to continue his post-secondary education majoring in engineering on a pre-med track. He hopes to one day be a doctor or a researcher. Mohammad is an officer with The National Honors Society Club and Red Cross Club. Furthermore, he partakes in various after-school activities including the College now program, Ace Mentor Program, and Youth Advisory Council. Devoted to raising awareness and galvanizing action to combat inequality, intolerance, and other institutionalized issues that exist in society, he hopes to accomplish much in this nation and return to my native country to aid in its betterment. 
  • Waleyska Ramos
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    Waleyska Ramos is of Puerto Rican descent and she attends the Fordham Leadership Academy in the Bronx. Well-articulated, Waleyska enjoys speaking to others especially when discussing educational issues. She also participates in Girls. Inc, Bring Change To Mind, Women who Thrive, and a Woman Empowerment group in her school. Waleyska strives to elevate women and empower the community to be supportive and inclusive. She is passionate about a variety of social topics such as, but never limited to; LGBTQ+ rights, inequity, racial discrimination, and sexism. Thus, pushing herself to partake in We the Youth Advisory Council and elevate her voice even more.

The Intergenerational Change Initiative (ICI)

  • Alexandra Rouvinetis
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    I’m Alexandra (she/her) a high school senior from Queens. I’m a part of the Intergenerational Change Initiative as a youth researcher. Other forms of civic engagement I’ve been a part of include volunteering with the Queens Public Library to encourage more NYC residents to take the 2020 Census as well as helping to hand out free summer lunches to NYC youth through the free summer lunch program.
  • Alfonso Bravo
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    Internship Specialist, CUNY BMCC

    Alfonso Bravo (he/him) holds a dual Bachelors in Industrial Engineering and Economics, and a Masters in Human Services. He is currently pursuing a second Masters from CUNY School of Professional studies in Youth Studies. He is also a proud member of Phi Iota Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Alfonso has over five years of experience in higher education, and two years of experience in university teaching. He is currently serving as the Job Bank Coordinator for the New York City Paralegal Association Board of Directors, where he promotes the importance of education and certification in the paralegal profession. Currently, Mr. Bravo works in the Internship and Experiential Learning Office as an Internship Specialist. He supports students in career exploration, setting career goals, internship search techniques, and resume writing. Mr. Bravo has experienced the power of effective mentoring, so he strives to be an effective mentor and positive influence like those who have come before him.

  • Clara Pitt
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    Clara Pitt (she/her), a California native, has spent the last few months working with the Intergenerational Change Initiative (ICI) team on building the 2021 Youth Agenda. This fellowship, through ICI, is Clara’s first experience with community engagement in New York City. Clara is a rising senior at Vassar College, where she studies Environmental Studies with focuses in Earth Science, Psychology, and Studio Art.
  • Heidy Mendez
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    Pronouns: she/her 

    I currently work for Yeshiva University in Manhattan. As a research coordinator for a health psychology lab, I serve a research and academic role in healthcare for people with diabetes in the Bronx community. I have a bachelor’s from Brown University, and I am currently working on a second bachelor’s in psychology from CUNY.  

    I also work for the Intergenerational Change Initiative (ICI). Over the past couple of months, I have helped ICI plan for and collect youth action data through youth-focused discussion groups aimed at informing the development of a youth agenda for the next elected Mayor.

  • Jenna Cossuto
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    Hi, my name is Jenna Cossuto (she/her). I am a Brooklyn, New York resident (born and raised) and a staff member of the Intergenerational Change Initiative (ICI). Prior to joining this research team, I worked at a community services organization that focused on alleviating food insecurity in local Brooklyn residents. Joining the ICI has taught me about what the youth of today really need and how I can assist them in having their voices be heard. I believe there is no greater asset to our country than listening to youth’s voices and this starts with giving them a seat at the table. In addition to my work with ICI, I am a graduate student studying psychology, with plans to become a Psychologist.
  • Jennifer Tang, Ph.D.
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    Jennifer Tang, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) is a Research Fellow with the Intergenerational Change Initiative. Her most recent work is a study on young people’s perceptions of opportunities for their participation in governance in New York City. Her academic interests include children’s rights to participation, participatory democracy, youth participatory action research, and the use of digital technology to engage young people in civic and political engagement. Jennifer earned her Ph.D. in Environmental Psychology from The Graduate Center, City University of New York, and her Master’s Degree in Human Security and Peacebuilding from Royal Roads University in Canada. She has taught courses in Human Development, the Psychology of Sex and Gender Roles, and Research Methods at Hunter College, Brooklyn College, and the Pratt Institute. Jennifer has also worked with fellow activists and organizers on community projects such as the Free University NYC, the March for Science, and in her local community garden.
  • Jessica Barreto
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    Jessica Barreto 23, (She, her) is from New York City. Jessica is a junior at Baruch College school of Public Affairs. She has had many systems involvement as a child growing up in foster care,adopted, and moved to placement. She has a strong will for advocacy, to fight for those who can’t fight for themselves. She was the president of her high school and created movements that impacted her school, Jessica served on the briarcliff rotary club where she was an active member in her community through community service all year round..In her two year college at Dutchess Community College,she was a appointed the role peer mentor and served on the diversity board.She currently has been working for the Intergenerational Change Initiative for four years where she utilizes the practice Participatory Action Research to identify problems in New York City amongst youth, to then advocate and take action on local and city levels. Jessica aspires to graduate and keep serving the community she came from.
  • Mauricio
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    Mauricio (he, him). Queens, NY. ICI Staff. He graduated from Brooklyn College with a B.A in Film Production. In his free time he volunteers with a grassroots community led organization that fights against gentrification, criminalization and over-policing in Queens. 
  • Pelumi Oloyede
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    My name is Pelumi Oloyede(she/her), I am newly joined to the Intergenerational Change Initiative team, where I am currently assisting in the development of New York City’s Youth Agenda. I am a current resident of Far Rockaway in Queens, New York, where I am an active advocate for sustainability within my community. I am directly involved in efforts to rebuild the infrastructure of Rockaway’s landscape to ensure resiliency against future storms through programs such as Rockaway Initiative for Sustainability and Equity and Rockaway Youth Task Force, where I have been able to gain knowledge on the environmental and social problems within my community and contribute to efforts in place to address these issues. I have also been directly involved with research concerning the water quality of the two governing bodies of water that encircle my community.

    I am currently a sophomore on a gap year at the University of Pennsylvania, where I am majoring in Science, Technology, and Societies. During my time off from University, I participated in the gap semester program CityGAP in which I was involved in enriching opportunities to directly engage with New York City’s landscape and explore various diverse facilities that make it up. My hobbies include planting, embroidery, crochet, coloring, reading, and cooking. I love learning new things and interacting with people from diverse backgrounds. I try to bring bright and positive energy to the spaces I encounter. I hope to learn more about the world around me and positively impact it physically and socially.

  • Rayven-Nikkita Collins
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    My name is Rayven-Nikkita Collins (she/her). I am a researcher with the Intergenerational Change Initiative (ICI) through CUNY SPS Graduate Youth Studies Program. I graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in May 2015 and have been teaching and developing curricula ever since. I worked as an education consultant in Shanghai until the pandemic brought me and my work stateside with my partner and young child. Once settling back in the US after three years abroad, I joined the founding executive board of Project Mislead, a national initiative to educate others about lead and heavy metal poisoning. My role as the Director of Curriculum Development is to oversee and lead the creation of a national curriculum on community-specific threats of lead and heavy metal poisoning families face, as well as the approval of any new or modified curriculum created at the local or state level.

    Academically, I am finishing my Master’s in Developmental Psychology, which culminates in an original research project. I am examining the impact of racism at the interpersonal and systemic levels on Black Americans’ health. The goal of my research is to provide context for framing the social-cognitive processes in which racial discrimination contributes to stress and poor physical health outcomes over the life course. In the fall, I will join Boston University School of Medicine’s Anatomy & Neurobiology department to study the neurobiology of stress and the pathophysiology of racial disparities. Through this graduate program, I will also learn pedagogical skills and theory that I hope to translate into teaching and rewriting medical school curricula to include such topics as systemic racism, climate change, and disabilities studies, to name a few. As a researcher with ICI developing the Youth Agenda, I have had the unique opportunity to see how systems, institutions, and policies affect the health and development of youth and will carry this experience with me as an aspiring clinician.

  • Reveena Ramotar
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    My name is Reveena Ramotar and my pronouns are she, her, and my name. I live in Brooklyn with my family. I am part of the Intergenerational Change Initiative (ICI staff). I am also a sophomore in college, going to be a junior in the Fall 2021 double majoring in Psychology and Human Development and Family Science Specialization, while also minoring in Business and Liberal Arts Honors at Queens College. There have been some forms of civic engagement that I have participated in throughout high school. This includes being part of a Gender Empowerment Coalition during my junior and senior year where I helped coordinate workshops to encourage and spread awareness of challenges affecting youth regarding issues of identity and sexuality. I also facilitated group discussions and helped encourage participation on specific issues to enhance students’ knowledge and correct any misinterpretations that others perceived about gender. The students also participated in role play in which they served as an effective method to practice and model new skills in a safe supportive environment where they feel more comfortable. I was also part of the Psychology Committee at my college where I served as the students’ voices within the major to share their concerns, and improvements that we should make to the department overall.
  • Sarah Zeller-Berkman, PhD
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    Sarah Zeller-Berkman, PhD is the Director of the Intergenerational Change (ICI) Initiative and the academic director of the Youth Studies Program at the CUNY School of Professional Studies.  Through her work with her colleagues at ICI, she supports multiple critical participatory action research projects that promote intergenerational and participatory policy making.  Dr. Zeller-Berkman has spent the last two decades as a practitioner, researcher, evaluator, and capacity-builder in the field of youth and community development. Trained in Social-Personality Psychology, she has worked in partnership with young people on participatory action research projects about issues that impact their lives such as sexual harassment in schools, incarceration, parental incarceration, and high-stakes testing.  Her publications include articles and chapters in the Journal of Community, Youth and Environments, The Handbook of Qualitative Research, AfterSchool Matters, New Directions for Evaluation, Globalizing Cultural Studies, and Children of Incarcerated Parents. She is committed to using participatory design principals, youth-adult partnerships, a critical participatory action research approach, and the latest technical tools to be part of a larger movement to alter the status quo for/with young people.
  • Shaquille Benn
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    Repping Brooklyn
    ICI Staff
    Also works at a non-profit organization that provides compost for the community.

    Hey, my name is Shaquille but nowadays I go by Shaq, I’m not really much of a writer and I’ll probably be the one playing games or watching anime, I enjoy nature and sleeping when I can. I’m currently going to college in hopes to get my bachelors degree in Urban studies and Psychology. I’m not really up for trying new things and I much rather stick to what I’m comfortable with but oftentimes only make exceptions if it’s to help someone.

  • Stephanie Mui
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    Stephanie Mui (pronouns she/her/hers) is working with the Intergenerational Change Initiative as a first-year graduate student in the CUNY Youth Studies Master’s program. Stephanie had previously earned a BA in Policy Studies from Dickinson College.  After college, she worked as a line staff, and later a counselor, in a secure placement unit for adjudicated youth.  Stephanie works as a Senior Program Analyst for a not-for-profit multi-service community-based organization in NYC.  She currently works doing internal evaluation of afterschool programs for participants ranging from kindergarten to eighth grade.  While working in the role, her favorite project has been working with the Youth Councils within the afterschool programs to engage youth participants in the performance management cycle of evaluation. Stephanie has presented two posters in the American Evaluation Association 2020 Virtual Annual Conference.  The first poster, “Shared Interests: Involving Youth Councils in Performance Management” presented the work done to engage youth participants in each step of the performance management cycle (Define, Measure, Learn, and Improve) to provide high-quality afterschool programming.  The second poster, “Lighting the Lamp: Including the Voice of Younger Participants in Afterschool Program Planning,” detailed the pilot of a survey to capture the voice of kindergarten through second graders, a group of participants who are not often included in program planning.  Stephanie has also co-authored the chapter “Walk the Path Together: Partnering to Advance Data Use,” in Measure, Use, Improve! Data Use in Out-of-School Time, edited by C. Russel and C. Newhouse.