Arizona

Serkute is a youth activist who is passionate about social justice and the intersection of Black and feminist-focused activism. She leads her high school’s Black Student Alliance and Feminist organization to increase diversity and equity within her community. She is also involved in community projects surrounding bullying (Teens Against Bullying) and human rights in South America as she is self-taught in Spanish. She is planning to study sociology and political science at Stanford University in the fall and plans to take up Arabic to continue her journey as a polyglot.

Lauren Ware is a freshman at University of Maryland Baltimore County studying flute performance. She has spent her life engaged in the arts but ultimately settled on playing the flute as her passion. Additionally, Lauren has spent her teenage years advocating for African American youth with disabilities through various organizations and public engagements including developing a webinar for the National Institute of Mental Health on healthcare transition. Lauren has interned at the United States Capitol with the Architect of the Capitol and at Family Voices National. She hopes to engage in research and develop programs that increase access to high quality music programs for African American children as she moves through her educational endeavors and into her career as a musician.