“Trey is a sophomore in Winthrop House planning to concentrate in History & Literature with a secondary degree in Philosophy. In 2019, he graduated from The Roxbury Latin School where he was the president of the school’s debate program, as well as associate editor of the school’s newspaper and captain of the junior varsity soccer team. After graduating, Trey took a gap year in which he spent half of the year working on several local and national political campaigns, before traveling to Paris to study French language and literature at La Sorbonne. At Harvard, Trey is involved in the Black Men’s Forum and the Politics of Race & Ethnicity program within the Institute of Politics. Trey is a foodie at heart. He loves cooking dishes from around the world, as well as exploring the world’s greatest food cities (his current favorite is New Orleans). Trey also enjoys writing. Amidst the Black Lives Matter protests of this past summer, he published his first piece on Medium entitled “Respectability Politics Have Got to Go.” When he isn’t cooking, eating, or writing, Trey loves to read, play board games with his younger brother, and listen to 90s R&B.”

Rayo is a sophomore at the college studying Psychology with a particular focus on criminal behavior. She is originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota and is very passionate about youth voice and social justice as a whole. She has been very involved in her local and school communities, holding various leadership positions and setting an example for rising teenagers in her neighborhood. In her free time, Rayo is the lead singer in a band called Gifted Hands, a talented group composed entirely of youth musicians. Rayo hopes to combine her outgoing personality, her passion for leadership, and her interest in crime to be a force for change in the criminal justice system.

Jess is a sophomore in Pforzheimer House from Cape Town, South Africa. She is concentrating in Economics and hopes to explore the more behavioural side of the field, with a possible secondary in Sociology, Education, or History. Jess has been involved in various social impact projects in South Africa, from skills development programmes for retrenched workers to the creation of a fresh produce market to support emerging farmers. She is passionate about educational empowerment and has been involved in History curriculum development and conducted workshops for high school students in Cape Town. In her free time, Jess loves hiking with her dog Charlie, reading both fiction and non-fiction, from Ella Ferrante to Dan Ariely, as well as eating copious amounts of chocolate ice cream. She is so excited to be involved with YLC and meet students who are passionate about leadership and making a difference in others’ lives.

Ishaan is a junior in Lowell House interested in exploring the intersection between Computer Science and Linguistics. Having participated in YLC as both a camper and a junior counselor, Ishaan is excited to now help lead the program as a counselor and former director. At the College, Ishaan is a research student at Harvard Business School, a case team leader for the Harvard College Consulting Group, and a student ambassador with the Crimson Key Society.

Ethan is a Junior from San Diego, California. He studies Computer Science and Philosophy and is interested in pursuing business after Harvard. An avid outdoorsman and Eagle Scout, Ethan enjoys backpacking, hammocking, and camping. He is a member of Harvard’s Men’s Rugby Team and enjoys the camaraderie of team sports. Ethan recently returned from a 2 year mission trip in Vietnam. There, he participated in community outreach programs and service projects that were aimed at improving the daily lifestyle of those in the community. Ethan hopes to be a mentor to younger students and to help influence others to make a change in their communities. He believes that developing leadership skills early and often is the key to positively affecting the political landscape in the world moving forward. A self-proclaimed “”foodie””, Ethan enjoys trying out unknown local eateries. He believes that the best forms of communication are those in which good food is involved.

Ayah Al-Zubi is a junior in Leverett House born in Jordan and from Cincinnati, Ohio. Ayah plans on studying the intersection of psychology, sociology and education. She empowers youth to transcend their potential and take on challenges. With sports being one of her most important motivators, Ayah utilizes the sports platform to bring on this empowerment. This passion for sports has allowed her to start her own organization, Impowera, that builds youth sports curriculum in which she launched basketball camps in the MENA in 2019. This also led Ayah to create the first ever sports and mental health conference in the MENA. Ayah has taught a sports justice course featuring professional athletes and given a Tedx Talk on diversity and youth leadership. Ayah is committed to empowering youth to change the future because they are the future. You can find Ayah outdoors, traveling, learning about new cultures, and playing any sport in her free time!

Albie is a senior in Cabot House concentrating in Economics with a secondary in Astrophysics. He grew up in Walpole, Massachusetts and before college embraced many leadership roles, especially as Class President for six straight years. Albie stays heavily involved at the school as the Co-Captain of the club ice hockey team, as the former President of club lacrosse, and with the rugby team. He also spreads his interests to other extracurriculars including being in the undergraduate art club and acting in a small play. During his gap year, Albie spent the majority of his time travelling in the United States and Europe while developing what he sees as the key to effective leadership: communication. Albie has served as chair of YLC and looks forward to continuing his involvement while maintaining the organization’s effectiveness and expanding the outreach. His family stays involved with foster care in the Boston area, taking in babies in need of a home. Albie enjoys listening to a wide variety of music, drawing on his iPad, and being in nature.

Afiya is a sophomore in Eliot House concentrating in Molecular and Cellular Biology, and planning for a secondary in Global Health and Health Policy down the road. She is originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin where she served as Senior Prefect of her high school, captain of various team oriented clubs, and founder of programs dedicated to mentor younger students in STEM research and STEM learning. At Harvard, Afiya is involved with the Harvard Science Review, MEDLife, and other service focused programs. Due to her interest in advocacy, especially with regards to education, Afiya stands by the Latin proverb, “By teaching, we learn”. She has been so grateful to have received direction and guidance from mentors in her life, and through YLC, hopes to give back to the community by providing mentorship in leadership to build confidence and communication. In her free time Afiya loves photography, sewing, playing tennis, and cooking from global cuisines.

Alex Aldrich is a student at Harvard College, as well as National Debate Champion and founder at Youth Initiative and AlexDebat. He is also involved with research screening at SUNheart Cardiology.

Ibrahim Alkuraya is a student at Harvard College and a founding member of Rashd, a national medical awareness organization. He is looking forward to sharing his knowledge on how to set up your organization – especially at the high school level.

Jessica Chen is a student at Harvard College majoring in CS/neuroscience. She just wrapped up her gap year abroad teaching English in rural classrooms, doing research at NTUST, training for a freediving license, and riding a motorcycle around the island of Formosa! Her interest in educational policy stems from equity-in-excellence debates in both her hometowns of northern Virginia and Taipei, Taiwan.

Hannah Chew is a student at Harvard College studying History of Art and Architecture and Education. Hannah is involved with various arts organizations, student clubs, the Harvard Art Museums, and Wave Learning Festival. She is really excited to start working with TWF students on a project exploring issues of educational inequity!

Vikhyat Kethamukkala is a student at Harvard College studying computer science and linguistics. He loves exploring the intersections of technology and culture through the ever-changing state of language and psychology.

Kevin Chen is a student at Harvard who was born and raised in Shanghai, China. He is passionate about economics, technology, and the intersection of the two fields. Kevin is also an avid reader and likes to watch anime in his spare time.

Grace Li is a student at Harvard College, originally from the Richmond Hill, Canada. She’s interested in computer science, economics, and neuroscience, and loves spending her free time painting, biking, and baking. She’s always down to meet new people and gush over media recs (The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green is phenomenal!), so feel free to reach out anytime!

Jeremiah Curran is a student at Harvard College and Teen Director of Project Next Generation, an organization that offers free civic engagement workshops to middle and high school students. In his free time, he enjoys reading and programming using Python.

Malaika is a first-year student from the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. She is currently on campus living in Currier House. Malaika is interested in pursuing a career in the medical field, as she is passionate about tackling the disparities present in the healthcare system. She is thrilled to be a YLC counselor and looks forward to fostering a strong sense of community, helping young individuals find their voice, and inspiring others to speak up for social change. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, exploring new places, and listening to music!