BLTN NextGen’s Youth Advisory Board is a group of young people charged with setting network priorities and advising on communication, publications, budgets, grant funding, and agendas for cross-site meetings. The Board meets monthly, online, via Zoom. Contact any of the Youth Advisory Board members for more information on their work, or contact Tom McKenna, BLTN NextGen Director, about the network as a whole.
Aiken, SC
Charity Johnson is a senior at Aiken High School. Aside from NextGen, she is a member of Beta Club, Health Occupation Students of America, National Honor Society, and Key Club. She enjoys cooking, taking pictures, spending time with friends and family, and taking long drives while listening to music. “I am incredibly excited and honored to be a part of the Youth Advisory Board,” comments Charity. “I am ready to make a positive impact on my community and continue to grow with others.”
Ezekiel Whetstone is a 17 year-old singer, public, speaker, and youth activist at Aiken High School. In addition to his commitments to NextGen, Beta Club, and as a Senior Executive member, Zeke loves spending time with family and friends.
Atlanta, GA
Kevin Belcher is a junior at Atlanta’s historic Booker T. Washington High School. “I am excited about being a part of NextGen Youth Advisory Board,” says Kevin, “because I look forward to opportunities to getting my voice heard.”
Jordan Tate was born in Miami but raised in Georgia. She loves reading and writing. She writes, “I’m interested in working with NextGen because I think it will be a great opportunity to make change in Atlanta and get to know people who come from different backgrounds and places.”
La Casa Roja (Navajo Nation)
Tonya Bluehorse learned about the value of networking, collaborating, and outreach to her community through participation in the Navajo Community Health Outreach (NCHO) Program. Supported by NCHO, she started a school garden at Window Rock High School which still thrives long after her 2017 high school graduation. After NCHO ended, she joined La Casa Roja, and is excited to work with everyone in NextGen. Tonya holds a B.S. in Health Care Administration from Arizona State University
Alvanna Yazzie came to BLTN NextGen from her involvement with Navajo Community Health Outreach in high school. Now a 2022-23 Advisory Board member, she recently earned her Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Fort Lewis College. She is excited to work with the national network.
Lawrence, MA
Katherine Wangari Titus (she/her) is from the United Kingdom, and has recently moved to Massachusetts where she is now a senior at Lawrence High School. Katherine works as a writing leader with Andover Bread Loaf and as an intern at Lawrence General Hospital. Her biggest goal right now is to work out what she would like to study in college and to leave a meaningful, positive impact on the world around her, despite her young age. She loves to read, bake, learn about Black history, and listen to music. Katherine writes, “I’m always looking for more recommendations, don’t hesitate if you’ve got any!”
Louisville, KY
Jesse Cleaves, a second year student at Fern Creek Traditional High School in Louisville, loves to produce and curate music, garden, and study language. Jesse recently joined NextGen and the Youth Advisory Board and says he is loving it so far. “The community is awesome and diverse and I get to help too! I hope I inspire people and get to create real change soon.” Jesse’s favorite lyric is “Different, alternative, unique, you and me, we could be anything we want…”
Jenna Presnell is sophomore at Jeffersontown High School in Louisville. They use pronouns “they/them” and love music, art, games, and writing.
Santa Fe, NM
Maria Begay enjoys playing volleyball, running track and field, writing, and playing board games. After high school, she plans to attend college, studying civil engineering and architecture. She loves being part of the NextGen program because “it’s important as young leaders to use our voices and help make a difference in the world.”
Angela Lujan enjoys spending time with family and friends. I like to explore new things, both in nature and in the city. Angela is a senior at the Santa Fe Indian School.
Vermont
Jacques Snell is a junior at Middlebury Union High School in Vermont. He loves challenging himself academically and artistically and enjoys putting his mind to the test. Jacques writes, “Film is a passion that I try to constantly feed through picking up the camera and writing scripts. This year I am commited to making some serious changes in my life and one of those is actively tryng to be more involved in my community.”
Farren Stainton is a senior at Woodstock Union High School in Woodstock, Vermont in her fourth year as a youth leader in the BLTN NextGen Leadership Network. She has been a part of the Vermont branch of What’s the Story? The Vermont Young People Social Action Team for three years. As part of What’s the Story, she created a film about climate change called “Our Changing Winters” which aired on PBS. She was also a collaborator in the creation of the film “Shades of Pink: Layers of the Pink Tax” about the issue of the Pink Tax in Vermont. Most recently, Farren has been focused on creating social action in her community about women’s rights. She has been communicating with people in Iran and Yemen to implement an action plan while she strives to improve racial equity in her school environment. Farren enjoys working on student council, hiking, running cross-country, running track, Nordic skiing, and biking.
Affiliate Site Representatives
Menna Dawelbeit, a junior at J.R Tucker High School, is passionate about Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. She channels this passion into her role as director of the Equity team for her school. As she continues on in her school life and into her career, Menna aspires to advocate for mental health awareness in the education system. She loves to crochet, bake, listen to music, and write poetry as a way of self-expression. Overall, she is very excited to work with NextGen and make a difference in her community.
Tien Hoang is a junior at J.R. Tucker High School in Henrico, Virginia. She is a second-generation Vietnamese-American with a passion for the writing community. She has developed her craft through participation in literary programs and contests like Scholastics, The Incandescent Review, and Iowa Young Writers’ Studio (IYWS). In the future, Tien hopes to use writing as a platform to uplift youth voices and build connections between diverse perspectives. She looks forward to working with the NextGen members and encouraging change on a national level! Outside of writing, Tien enjoys binging K-Dramas, hoarding on-sale items from Costco, and listening to Vietnamese pop music.
Hager Alsekaf is currently a junior at Julia R. Masterman High School. She was born in Sanaa, Yemen but currently lives in Philadelphia. Hager writes, “I am excited to be a part of NextGen as I love meeting new people and making a change.”
Also a junior at Julia R. Masterman High School in Philadelphia, Ayona Kuriakose loves meeting new people, learning new things, and traveling. “I am very excited to join this amazing group at NextGen,” she comments, “and hope to leave a positive impact on my beloved hometown of Philly!”
Maryan Abdi is a freshman at Chelsea High School in in Chelsea, Massachusetts. She enjoys staying active and productive. In her free time, Maryan enjoys drawing and listening to music. Her participation in Chelsea’s after school program called REACH is what brought her to NextGen. “I’m excited to be a part of this amazing program as Chelsea Reach Affiliate!,” comments Maryan.
Dieunie Cademus is a sophomore at Chelsea High School. With the help of REACH, a program that provides aid to students in 7th – 12th grade with academics and life goals, Dieunie got the opportunity to be part of NextGen. In her free time, Dieunie likes to cook, listen to music and sleep a lot. She plays flag football, basketball, and participates in college-rated programs.
