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Georgia, USA

A multimedia artist and passionate student leader, Elizabeth is eager to use and grow her skillset in this new role. As an activist and advocate for justice, she is heavily involved in her school’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Programs, and is highly interested in learning about and contesting the systems that keep environmental racism in place. She has spent countless years in leadership positions and will be stepping down as the Student Head of School in the Spring of 2022 to pursue her passion for engineering – to create a better world. Additionally, Elizabeth is an athlete who loves contributing to campus life and her personal growth through varsity sports like track and field, swimming and diving, etc. She is the founder of her school’s Electronics & Robotics club, and Multicultural affinity, as well as President of the Model United Nations Team and Vice President of the Tech For All club. A fun fact about her is that she is a fire cadet, and is determined to make her mark on society through meaningful contributions!

Georgia, USA

Aarushi is an avid environmentalist and passionate advocate for the future. In addition to her officer position in her school’s Environmental Club, she has sought out opportunities to continue to make change. She is a member of the RE-Volv Solar Ambassador Program, which helps convert local and national nonprofits to solar energy. She is also a member of the National Green Youth Council. She received the Gold Award in the 2021 Ocean Awareness Contest for her creative writing piece. She is super excited to be more involved with Bow Seat and to join the Future Blue Youth Council!

Uttarakhand, India

Dhruv is a child-rights and climate justice advocate from Uttarakhand, India. He uses emotive writing to highlight the unique climate stories of children from climate-exposed and marginalized communities. He believes that environmental justice cannot exist without the meaningful and sustained involvement of children in climate discussions. Therefore, he has engaged with young people worldwide to work on toolkits, resource lists, and online workshops geared towards informing children about their rights and guiding them towards opportunities to contribute to child-friendly environmental advocacy spaces. Back home in his state, Dhruv works with his parents on a culture-conscious, green startup that rejuvenates traditional water mills and village streams to preserve our local ways of milling flour. They generate employment in the rural areas of Uttarakhand to curb mass migration from his state.

Almaty, Kazakhstan

Growing up in a landlocked country, Kazakhstan, the demise of the Aral and Balkhash Lakes due to oil pollution and irrational usage of water has accentuated Malika’s will to contribute to a green future where we and our nature will live in harmony. However, she believe that by only making people feel guilty and frustrated will not accomplish any change; instead, we need to let young voices lead us to a thriving and prosperous world. Malika is the founder of an Eco Club, GenGreen, at her school, which unites all passionate kids who are not willing to abide by the status quo. In addition, she writes eco-themed articles for her school press, featuring latest activism achieved by teenagers from different parts of the world. Malika strives to become even more engaged in the topic of climate advocacy, and to potentially propose her own solutions to environmental issues in Kazakhstan and the world!

California, USA

Satvika is a high school junior from Milpitas, California. She has worked to integrate climate-friendly practices in her school district, including instating a daily plant-based option at the school cafeteria, serving over 5,000 meals. Satvika believes in the power of equitable policy and has worked with the White House, USDA, and members of the U.S. Congress on legislative initiatives to incentivize healthy options and minimize waste in food systems. As an Opinions Editor for her school newspaper and President of her school’s Environmental Society, she knows the impact education and conversation can have on real change. When she’s not hiking or watching “Our Planet,” you can find her playing volleyball and softball or experimenting in the kitchen, creating her new favorite snack!

Delhi, India

Ishan is a passionate diver with a keen interest in economics, politics, and the environment. He is a rising senior at Wellington College, UK. Ishan’s experiences in the oceans opened his eyes to the harsh realities of environmental pollution, climate change, and biodiversity loss. Driven to develop a solution, he founded The Blue Voice, a campaign that helps conserve marine life, regrow coral reefs, and reduce pollution, while empowering weaker sections of society. Through the campaign, which is supported by the Bow Seat Fellowship Grant Program, single-use plastic bags are transformed into sleeping mats for the unhoused population in New Delhi, India.

Georgia, USA

Shaomin is an avid artist, environmentalist, and aspiring businesswoman. She is particularly passionate about endangered animals and habitat degradation. She is involved in numerous activities, such as being the owner of @keewicreations on Instagram; being a lead designer for a local design/apparel business; and running a nonprofit, Creative Diversity, to teach art to the underprivileged to reignite creativity in the younger generation. Through the Future Blue Youth Council, Shaomin hopes to spread awareness about the issue of climate change and how we can use the arts to make important changes.

California, USA

Passionate about sustainability, environmental science, and ArcGIS, Yuzuna hopes to serve communities disproportionately affected by climate change through environmental law. As the student ex officio member of Glendale’s Sustainability Commission, she helps guide policymaking and is the lead of the Commission’s public outreach and green spaces/urban heat island projects. When she is not competing with her mock trial or moot court team, she participates in and develops citizen science projects using ArcGIS. ArcGIS has provided Yuzuna with many opportunities: she received Bow Seat’s Silver Award for her StoryMap and presented her methane monitoring project at the Esri Climate GIS Forum. She looks forward to inspiring meaningful leadership and promoting environmental stewardship across the globe with the Future Blue Youth Council.

Lima, Peru

Ariana is enthusiastic about science, learning languages, marine biology, and soccer. After the oil spill on Peruvian beaches in 2022, which caused the deaths of hundreds of species, she decided to contribute to a solution by participating in beach cleanups. She also attended protests to raise her voice and show her concern about the environmental problems her country was going through. Ariana believes the Future Blue Youth Council is the best way to achieve her goal of spreading awareness among young people, since they have the power to shape the future. When she is not reading the latest news about oil spills around the world, she is volunteering at tree-planting campaigns, assisting dog shelters, or organizing recycling projects with her friends.

Florida, USA

Sarah is a college sophomore studying biology on the pre-veterinary track and is passionate about the natural sciences, environmental activism, climate justice, and field of animal studies. Sarah strives to excel in STEM while pursuing her interests in preserving marine life and protecting the planet for future generations. She is the founder and president of the CARE Club, a nationwide environmental club started in 2020. She’s engaged in countless individual and group initiatives, including the creation of petitions, hosting of fundraisers, and participation in community events. Sarah was awarded First Place in the “A Voice for Animals” contest by the Humane Education Network and Animal Welfare Institute for her entry on the effect of plastic pollution on the endangered species of sea turtle. In her spare time, she enjoys nature walks, and her favorite creative outlet is music, especially singing. She also volunteers at the local animal shelter, veterinary clinic, and zoo to educate others on the importance of conservation efforts in helping preserve keystone species in our ecosystems. Sarah is excited to be an active member of the Future Blue Youth Council!

Utah, USA

A high school senior from Salt Lake City, Jayashabari is extremely excited to be serving on the 2023 Future Blue Youth Council. She is deeply interested in the intersection of science and the humanities, particularly in relating to the environment. Her work has been recognized and published in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times High School Insider, United Nations’ ISSCY Competition, and the University of Edinburgh’s New Americanist Journal. Jayashabari’s natural language processing research on history education has been published in the European Union’s TODO Open Data Project. In the future, she would also like to look at the impact of different NLP models on environmental education, perhaps while working part-time in science journalism.

Dubai, UAE

Riya hopes to advance sustainable development in the UAE and beyond. She believes that through advocacy for the environment, even at the grassroots level, ripples of change can be created. Her activism is propelled by the joy nature brings.

The nonprofit she founded, Biology for Better, advocates for the SDGs and for educational equity in STEM. As a MASDAR Youth4Sustainability Ambassador, FFAC Advocacy Intern, YOUNGO NDC WG member, UAE Dolphin Project volunteer, and IRENA Youth Forum member, she strives to increase dialogue on social and environmental issues. Awarded the Paryavaran Mitra Puraskar by the Indian Government, she is always looking for new, creative conservation methods and routes to collaboration with other environmental activists.

Maryland, USA

Emily is a high school student residing in Maryland, USA, known as home to the famous blue crabs and Chesapeake Bay. Ever since she encountered this watershed in her community, she has been fascinated with the environment: biodiversity, sustainable engineering, and how we can use the arts to promote it all. Currently, Emily conducts research at Johns Hopkins University, where she leads projects analyzing fungi that can break down oil spills and tobacco-control methods. Her science writing work has been published in the New York Times, and she is a Conrad Challenge “Pete Conrad Scholar” for her biodegradable menstrual product invention. She’s incredibly excited to serve on the Future Blue Youth Council this year, and to keep fighting climate change!

North Carolina, USA

Sunook is a youth leader who is dedicated to helping his community and the environment. Attending Episcopal High School as a student-athlete, Sunook is the co-founder of the Environmental Droners, which is a youth-led initiative that helps reduce the amount of pollution in the environment using technology. Using drone technology to raise awareness about environmental issues and mobile/cellular technology to create global collaboration, he makes sure to be the light that sparks youth leaders around the world to pursue their passions and be the change for their community, environment, and world.

Uttar Pradesh, India

As a feminist and environmentalist, Kamakshi seeks to make her voice heard and stand up against social and climate injustice. She raises awareness about various socio-environmental problems, through her love of writing, as the founder of the blog The Changing Planets. With the Future Blue Youth Council, she hopes to advocate for the environment and inspire youth to continue taking small steps that may seem insignificant but go a long way in saving and helping the environment.

Colorado, USA

Emma has volunteered at the Denver Botanic Gardens since middle school and has a particular interest in water conservation in the western United States. She serves as a Water Challenge Ambassador for EarthEcho International and has hosted a podcast on teen participation in water stewardship. Emma is also involved with plant science and spends her summers working as an intern and research assistant to botanists conducting field research. Emma’s essay on the Colorado River, “The Lifeline of the West,” won a Judge’s Pick award in the 2021 Ocean Awareness Contest.

Marmara, Turkey

Doğa is a scuba diver, science communicator, and designer who spends her summers scuba diving on the south coast of Turkey with a community of people that care to conserve marine ecosystems. As a PADI Rescue and CMAS 2 Star Diver, she aims to protect the waters and local fish populations of Turkey and the Mediterranean Sea.

Doğa was selected as a Rise for the Future Global Winner for her work with children with limited educational resources. She is now illustrating and writing a children’s picture book and continuing training to make her community a better place.

Idaho, USA

Liz spends her time camping in the mountains of Idaho and swimming in the surrounding rivers. She is Co-Leader of the Youth Salmon Protectors, a coalition working to save endangered Northwest salmon. This conservation work has driven her to meet with members of Congress, artists, and actress Jane Fonda. She works at an organic plant nursery, and volunteers as a wilderness steward for trail restoration and at a Buddhist temple. She throws pottery in her free time, rock climbs, and enjoys oolong tea. She is the first queer All Student Body President at her high school and a rising freshman at Brown University for the class of 2026. She hopes to gain an international lens on youth activism, and to encourage more students to protect their blue planet.

Punjab, Pakistan

Areesha is a climate and gender rights activist. After seeing one of her closest friends suffer an asthma attack in her city – which is currently ranked as one of the most polluted in the world – Areesha realized how imperative it is for us to save our planet.

Areesha has been working with various global and national nonprofits to achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals; has spoken at various conferences, Model United Nations, and educational seminars about environmental conservation; participates in plantation and clean-up drives; and serves on the World Ocean Day Youth Advisory Council. She believes advocacy is important, especially in a society where the majority of the people are unaware of the damage their actions are doing to the environment. Areesha aims to become a marine biologist and work with the government to pass solid laws to conserve the oceans.

Harare, Zimbabwe

Colletor has a plethora of personal interests and skills – such as music, acting, public speaking, and volunteering – which she hopes to zestfully fuse to make indispensable contributions to ocean and environmental campaigns. In a country where the general populace is primarily concerned with improving the economy, she aims to impart the importance of caring for the environment.

Having experienced firsthand what social segregation feels like, Colletor carries a burning desire to extend information about climate change and our oceans to underprivileged groups, such as people living with impairments or in orphanages.

Washington, USA

Connie’s passion for environmental justice is rooted in her work in community organizing and education equity. She is involved in many youth-centered climate justice groups and seeks to learn more about climate issues through a lens of intersectionality.

Connie has founded a volunteer-run program teaching kids around the world about environmental science and hopes to continue pushing for systemic change around the climate crisis through art and activism. In her free time, Connie enjoys learning about sustainable fashion, and sewing and crocheting her own clothes.

Dhaka, Bangladesh

Growing up in the land of rivers, Nazaha has always had a soft spot for the water. Her mother, a water engineer, exposed her to many ocean- and river-related problems. She has studied how access to clean water affects menstrual hygiene, and the impact of river erosion and accretion for the people living nearby. Recently, she was selected in the Junior Academy of New York Academy of Sciences and developed a biofertilizer to treat eutrophication and prevent agricultural nutrient runoff.

Nazaha has served as an ambassador to her country for an environmental networking platform, addressing local environmental and social problems and organizing awareness campaigns in her community. She has also formed a business plan for devices that the visually impaired can use to read computerized texts with braille. She enjoys writing, especially when she can uplift oppressed voices. She has won the Gold Finalist award in Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition and ranked fifth in the International Trust for Sustainable Living Essay Contest.

California, USA

Brooke is passionate about poetry, social justice, and finding new ways to combine the two. As the founding editor-in-chief of Intersections Magazine, she has worked to create a platform for young voices to share creative work regarding current events and issues that affect young people.

Her poetry has been recognized by the National Scholastic Art & Writing Awards and the UK Poetry Society’s Young Poets Network. Her poem about mycelium and climate change was featured at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26).

Delhi, India

Raghav is enthusiastic about data science, writing, history, environmental conservation, and economics. He is currently a first-year at the University of Chicago.

In high school, Raghav founded Carryubble to convert crop residue, or stubble, into affordable handmade bags to replace single-use plastics. He also spearheaded Stubble Trouble, a social initiative within Carryubble to provide an unbiased picture of why farmers typically burn stubble. He has written a book called History Makes Leaders, which explores the successes and failures of various Indian rulers, highlighting their significance to our understanding of leadership skills.

Raghav believes that youngsters – now, more than ever – need to act on their beliefs. Since the world is replete with wide-ranging environmental problems, he feels that everyone should give back to the planet for enriching our lives.

Maharashtra, India

Ajay is a first-year undergraduate student of English Literature and Environmental Sciences. Growing up on Mumbai’s Worli Sea Face, he has always had a strong affinity for the sea. He has closely observed overfishing and finds it his moral responsibility to work towards ocean conservation.

Ajay is currently a member of Rotary International Club, where he is involved in freshwater conservation by helping clean water sources and more. He has volunteered with NGOs like Stonesoup, Team Everest, and EarthDay.org. Ajay has extensive editorial and digital media experience and serves as Assistant Editor at Southern Humanities Review at Auburn University.

In his pastime, he likes to sketch and write. He believes only a positive outlook and enforcement practices can help the ever-unraveling condition of our planet.

Selangor, Malaysia

Nuan Ning is a high schooler whose family hails from the island of Penang. Spending her childhood summers by the beach, she noticed the shorelines growing dirtier with each passing year and became passionate about preventing the impending climate catastrophe. Nuan Ning is an avid poet who received the Gold Award from Bow Seat’s Ocean Awareness Contest in 2020 and represented Malaysia in the CausewayEXchange Poetry Slam in 2019. She is eager to explore intersectional and diverse voices in the fight against climate change.

Atlántico, Colombia

Ashlee is an entrepreneur, programmer, musician, and plant lover who strives to use technology to fight our climate crisis. She spreads awareness and promotes a sustainable daily life with her eco-friendly online business, Camellia Lifestyle.

As a member of the Colegio Real Royal School Ecology Club and manager of the XVI Forum Pensando en Colombia, she works to address social and environmental problems that affect her country. A lifelong resident of the sunny coast of Barranquilla, Colombia, she plans to use her platform to advocate for the conservation of her country’s biodiversity and fight climate change.

Ontario, Canada

Sarah is a community mobilizer that strives to take advantage of every opportunity to make the world a better place. She is very passionate about social and environmental activism, which derives from her motivated and driven personality. She is always looking for opportunities to grow, challenge herself, and make a difference.

Sarah is an alumna of the Greenhouse Youth Innovation Program, where she wrote and illustrated a book that educates children about the stigma surrounding people with disabilities. She served on the Multi-Action Council at her high school as a Committee Chair, and is the co-founder of Muslim Artists for Justice.

Arizona, USA

Akhila is a Freakonomics enthusiast, octopus lover, and poet. She has lived in Phoenix, Arizona, for most of her life, but is currently attending Princeton University. The recipient of Bow Seat’s Gold Award for poetry in 2017, her poetry has been featured by Greenpeace USA, The Ocean Project, and Mass Audubon’s Joppa Flats Education Center, among others.

Past the page, Akhila works towards environmental justice. She has served as an organizer with Arizona Youth Climate Coalition, on Earth Echo’s Youth Leadership Council, and as a delegate for Sea Youth Rise Up.

Akhila believes one of the most accessible ways young people can get involved in their local community is through art. To that end, she co-founded and served as co-president of Creative Youth of Arizona. She also co-launched Phoenix’s first Youth Poet Laureate Program.

New York, USA

Ainsley is a student at the University of California, Berkeley. Her connection to the ocean was forged during the many summers spent on Jeju Island, South Korea.

Ainsley was involved with Bow Seat’s Ocean Awareness Contest since she was in eighth grade. She has won multiple awards for her submissions to the film, poetry, and visual arts categories. She is passionate about the ways that art and science intersect, and is eager to apply them in her studies, activism, and the world beyond.

Puerto Rico

Raúl is a student at Rhode Island School of Design. His love for the environment has propelled him to create films and join initiatives to promote its stewardship. He produces videos to educate about paleontology, evolutionary biology, and accurate science topics. His mission is to advocate for the environment and the improvement of societies through products or ideas.

Harare, Zimbabwe

Having grown up in a country that is dependent on agriculture for sustenance, Sekai has always had a keen interest in the environment, her surroundings, and how human activities have an impact on our environment. First-hand experience of facing the consequences of years of neglect towards the environment has been a major drive in her desire to fight for the environment. Sekai has participated in several campaigns for the environment, working in conjunction with various organizations such as Mukuvisi Woodlands to come up with effective solutions to preserve our environment.

Alabama, USA

A lifelong resident of the Gulf Coast, Sophia grew up loving the water. Ocean advocacy has been her passion since she experienced the BP Oil Spill in 2010. Sophia loves channeling the voice of nature through her writing. She received a Silver Award for her prose essay in Bow Seat’s 2019 contest, “Estuaries: Where the Tide Meets the Stream.” Sophia enjoys playing with her many cats, writing too many poems, and going on adventures to fuel her photography addiction.

Ohio, USA

Since she was young and exploring the tiny creek by her home, Sylvia has always been interested in the natural world and its preservation. A student at Wellesley College, she hopes to combine English with climate science to create stories that spur climate action and encourage ocean conversation. Sylvia was a Finalist in the 2020 Cincinnati Overture Awards, and she has received a Gold Award and Notable Award from the Ocean Awareness Contest.

New Jersey, USA

Ashley is devoted to using the power of visual arts to raise awareness and inspire people’s views and behaviors regarding environmental issues. She has produced numerous works of art with environmental themes and is especially passionate about applying her art as a tool to convey messages and educate young students in her community.

Ashley co-founded Generation Green, an online magazine for environmental articles, photography, and artwork, which fosters a community of writers and artists who share the goal of building a sustainable future. In addition to using the arts to further her environmental advocacy, Ashley is passionate about environmental justice and works with grassroots organizations to fight for equitable climate policies.

British Columbia, Canada

Jasmine lives surrounded by the deep waters of the Pacific Ocean. She’s passionate about art, science, and bringing the two together to educate and inspire. As an artist and entrepreneur, she created her own sustainable business to share her love of the ocean with the world. Through Ocean Child Creative, she creates art based on local marine life and uses creativity as a tool for conservation.

When she’s not working on conserving the oceans or painting, she enjoys baking, dancing, and any activity that involves the coast.

Texas, USA

Even though he lives deep in heart of Texas, Jude has been passionate about oceans and coastal microclimates his whole life, having spent summers in South Carolina’s low country since he was a kid. Jude is a senior at Austin High School, where he plays for the varsity tennis team and represents Austin High as a Peer Health Educator for a city-wide program. Jude plans to major in global and environmental studies in college. In his spare time, Jude loves to research extreme weather, aggravate his sister, root for the Longhorns, and play with his cats.

Uttar Pradesh, India

Curiosity and a penchant for exploring unheard narratives have been the guiding forces behind Anjali’s work as a writer and environmentalist. Having been in close contact with nature and wildlife from childhood, she seeks to inspire and create awareness through her writing. She strongly believes that the first step towards change is awareness.

Anjali’s first book on the transformative power of friendship, Forbidden, was published in 2021.

Pennsylvania, USA

Red has participated in the Ocean Awareness Contest for several years, most notably making the cover of the 2019 Yearbook and receiving a Gold Award in the 2020 Interactive and Multimedia category. Their view on the ongoing climate crisis was formed by their awareness of the effects of unfettered capitalism in America, and the lack of government action taken against fossil fuel corporations that are the root cause of ocean warming and acidification.

Canterbury, New Zealand

E Wen is an accomplished poet, innovator, and community-builder. She is the founder of P.S. Our Beaches and the winner of the 2020 National Schools Poetry Award. E Wen is studying towards an LLB/BSc at the University of Canterbury. E Wen enjoys running, biking and the outdoors, and is excited to empower young people to advocate for their future and for our blue planet.

Guangdong, China

As a logophile and melophile, Yutong’s taste for literature and music is quite eclectic. When she is not freewriting to emo rap, you will most likely find her delving into interdisciplinary interpretations of some 90s rock opera. Originally at sea when she sailed out into this ocean of knowledge, she hopes to bring back tidings of exotic findings from her experience as a Future Blue Youth Council member to serve as a bridge between languages and cultures.