Youth Leadership Program
The students, alumni and mentors who lead IACS youth programs. Learn about the program →
I joined IACS's Youth Leadership Program (YLP) in September 2024 as the YLP Coordinator.
With a background in biotechnology research, I later became involved in PTSAs and
supported Pratham USA. In 2023, I completed my Professional MBA from Seattle University.
Email: ylpcoordinator@iaww.org
With a background in IT education and the IT services industry, I joined IACS in April 2025 as a Youth Program Navigator and as a part of the IACS Community Events team. Email: ylpnavigator@iaww.org
Youth Board Advisors
Sara completed her bachelors degree from Pitzer College in 2025 with a degree in Sociocultural Anthropology and Native American Indigenous Studies. She comes to IACS after teaching with AmeriCorps in Cleveland, OH. Excited to continue serving the youth and community.
Bio coming soon.
Youth Advocacy Advisors
Priyanka holds a BA from UW Bothell and a Master’s in Public Health from SDSU. She works as a housing specialist in Seattle and this is her fifth year as a YA Advisor.
Anupam is a Pacific Northwest native with a strong commitment to community service, volunteering in schools, shelters, and correctional facilities.
Hi, I'm Khushi Bhimani, a junior in high school. This is my 3rd year on YB, and my favorite things to do are hanging out with friends, listening to music, and playing tennis. My favorite song is Club Paradise by Drake. To me, YB is about building lifelong connections and making a real impact on the community, and I’m most looking forward to meeting new people this year.
Hi, I’m Aanya Sheth, a junior in high school. This is my 2nd year on YB, and my favorite things to do are hanging out with friends and listening to music. My favorite song is Plastic Palm Trees by Tate McRae. To me, YB is about being part of a team that makes a difference and growing through leadership and collaboration, and I’m most looking forward to working with kids at camp.
Hi, I’m Khushi Patel, a junior in high school. This is my 2nd year on YB, and my favorite things to do are hanging out with friends and listening to music. My favorite song is Shut It Down by Drake. To me, YB is about the opportunities it has given me and the connections I’ve made, and I’m most looking forward to meeting new people this year.
Hi, I’m Ajay Raghavan, a junior in high school. This is my 2nd year on YB, and my favorite things to do are hanging out with friends and playing basketball. My favorite song is Controlla by Drake. To me, YB is about being a leader in my community and making lifelong connections, and I’m most looking forward to meeting new people this year.
Hi, I’m Aanya Parikh, a junior in high school. This is my 2nd year on YB, and my favorite things to do are spending time with friends and traveling around the world. My favorite song is Don’t Matter to Me by Drake. To me, YB is about creating lifelong friendships and making a difference in the community, and I’m most looking forward to Camp Bharat 2026 and meeting new people.
Hi, I’m Aiden Kurisingal, a junior in high school. This is my 2nd year on YB, and my favorite things to do are playing basketball and hanging out with friends. My favorite song is Love All by Drake and JAY-Z. To me, YB is about bringing the local community together by creating a strong foundation, and I’m most looking forward to meeting new people and forming connections at camp.
Hi, I’m Neil Mehta, a junior in high school. This is my 2nd year on YB, and my favorite things to do are playing soccer and hanging out with friends. My favorite song is Two Birds, One Stone by Drake. To me, YB is about representing my community as a youth leader and taking pride in it, and I’m most looking forward to organizing community events, planning camp, and having fun this year.
Hi, I’m Saisha, a junior in high school. This is my 1st year on YB, and my favorite thing to do is listen to music. My favorite song is Stars Align by Drake. To me, YB represents a group dedicated to making positive change in the community, and I’m most looking forward to helping plan camp this year.
Hi, I’m Aarav Kulkarni, a sophomore in high school. This is my 1st year on YB, and my favorite thing to do is play tennis with friends. My favorite song is Lavender Sunflower by Tory Lanez. To me, YB is about bringing like-minded peers together to improve the community for everyone, and I’m most looking forward to planning events for the Indian community of Washington this year.
Hi, I’m Ridhima Bisht, a sophomore in high school. This is my 2nd year on YB, and my favorite things to do are hanging out with friends and listening to music. My favorite song is Different Species by Offset and Gunna. To me, YB is about doing fun and meaningful things while connecting with others, and I’m most looking forward to meeting new people at camp this year. "
Hi, I’m Vanshi Patel, a sophomore in high school. This is my 1st year on YB, and my favorite things to do are playing beach volleyball and spending time with friends. My favorite song is Desires by Drake. To me, YB is about meeting new people and becoming a better leader, and I’m most looking forward to connecting with new campers this year.
Hi, I’m Anika Iyer, a junior in high school. This is my 2nd year on YB, and my favorite things to do are writing and listening to music. My favorite song is Ruthless by The Marías. To me, YB is about building connections with my fellow members and giving back to the local community, and I’m most looking forward to making meaningful connections throughout the year.
Hi, I’m Saamiya Vaswani, a sophomore in high school. This is my 2nd year on YB, and my favorite things to do are listening to music and playing board games with my family. My favorite song is Dreams by The Cranberries. To me, YB is about leadership, responsibility, and commitment, and I’m most looking forward to meeting new people and connecting with the community this year.
Hi, I’m Simrita Prasad, a junior in high school. This is my 1st year on YB, and my favorite thing to do is hang out with friends. My favorite song is Not You Too by Drake and Chris Brown. To me, YB is about being part of a team that works together to create positive change while giving back to the community, and I’m most looking forward to meeting new people and planning camp this year.
Hi, I'm Arhan Surana, a sophomore in high school. This is my 1st year on YB, and my favorite things to do are play soccer and guitar. My favorite song is Into It by Chase Atlantic. To me, YB is about making an impact on the community and helping other, and I'm most looking forward to new connections and having fun at camp this year.
Hi, I’m Ayush Bhandari, a junior in high school. This is my 2nd year on YB, and my favorite thing to do is play soccer. My favorite song is Erase Your Social by Lil Uzi Vert. To me, YB is about building connections and getting closer to my community, and I’m most looking forward to planning camp this year.
Hi, I’m Keyan Shah, a sophomore in high school. This is my second year on YB, and my favorite things to do are listening to music and hanging out with my friends. My favorite song is These Walls by Kendrick Lamar. To me, YB is about making a difference in my community while having fun, and I’m most looking forward to planning Camp Bharat this year.
Hi, I’m Suhaas Nemani, a junior in high school. This is my 1st year on YB, and my favorite things to do are hanging out with friends and playing sports. My favorite song is Flights Booked by Drake. To me, YB is about helping others through volunteering and uplifting those in need, and I’m most looking forward to making new friends and memories at camp this year.
Hi, I’m Ishaan Bondre, a junior in high school. This is my 1st year on YB, and my favorite thing to do is play sports with my friends. My favorite song is Prices by Lil Uzi Vert. To me, YB is about growing as a leader and making an impact in the community, and I’m most looking forward to meeting new people and making friends this year.
Hi, I’m Mannat Virk, a junior in high school. This is my 2nd year on YB, and my favorite things to do are spending time with family and friends. My favorite song is Prom by SZA. To me, YB is about connecting with new people and building meaningful relationships, and I’m most looking forward to meeting new people at camp this year.
Hi, I’m Nainika Dalal, a junior in high school. This is my 1st year on YB, and my favorite things to do are hanging out with friends and family. My favorite song is Prove It by 21 Savage and Summer Walker. To me, YB is about service, learning, and making new friends, and I’m most looking forward to camp this year.
Hi, I’m Sohum Gupta, a freshman in high school. This is my 1st year on YB, and my favorite things to do are listening to music, hanging out with friends, and going running or biking. My favorite song is Apple Pie by Travis Scott. To me, YB is a space where everyone can collaborate, have fun, and make meaningful connections, and I’m most looking forward to meeting new people and organizing camp this year.
Hi, I’m Sreeshan Sathyamurthy, a freshman in high school. This is my 1st year on YB, and my favorite thing to do is robotics. My favorite song is Rich Flex by Drake and 21 Savage. To me, YB represents leadership, helpfulness, and kindness, and I’m most looking forward to participating in sports and being part of this amazing community this year.
Hi, Im Ishaan Regalla, a sophomore in high school. This is my first year in YB and my favorite things to do are going out with friends and playing soccer. As a YB i’m excited to create connections and make a positive impact to the community around us.
Hi, I’m Armaan Kochhar, a junior in high school. This is my 2nd year on YB, and my favorite thing to do is play basketball. My favorite song is The Real Her by Drake. To me, YB is about community, passion, and friendship, and I’m most looking forward to camp and making the most of my last year on YB.
Hi, I’m Diya Mahesh, a freshman in high school. This is my 1st year on YB, and my favorite hobby is reading novels. My favorite song is Moves by Suki Waterhouse. To me, YB is an opportunity to give back to a community that has helped me connect with my culture, and I’m most looking forward to meeting new people and growing as a leader this year.
Hi, I’m Shreya Sinha, a freshman in high school. This is my 1st year on YB, and one of my favorite things to do is bake with my sister. My favorite song is Open Arms by SZA and Travis Scott. To me, YB is about being part of a group that cares about the community and makes a difference together, and I’m most looking forward to helping make camp a special and fun place for all the campers this year.
Hi, I’m Anya Banerjee, a sophomore in high school. This is my 1st year on YB, and my favorite thing to do is hang out with friends. My favorite song is Supercut by Lorde. To me, YB is about being a leader in the community and helping plan meaningful events, and I’m most looking forward to planning fun and creative activities this year.
Hi, I’m Kaavya Laks, a freshman in high school. This is my 1st year on YB, and my favorite things to do are painting and listening to music. My favorite song is Super Rich Kids by Frank Ocean. To me, YB is about being part of a community that comes together over shared goals and supports one another, and I’m most looking forward to planning camp workshops and making new friendships this year.
Hi, I’m Sid Pawar, a junior in high school. This is my 1st year on YB, and my favorite song is Jungle by Drake. To me, YB is about bonding with friends and helping campers have a great time, and I’m most looking forward to camp this year.
Hi, I’m Krish Manocha, a freshman in high school. This is my 1st year on YB, and my favorite thing to do is public speaking. My favorite songs are anything by Diljit Dosanjh. To me, YB is about gaining new leadership experiences and giving back to my community, and I’m most looking forward to all the opportunities to grow this year.
Hi, I’m Vivaan Datta, a sophomore in high school. This is my 1st year on YB, and my favorite thing to do is hang out with my friends. My favorite song is Crew Love by Drake. To me, YB is a place where I can be a leader and give back to my community, and I’m most looking forward to meeting new people this year.
My name is Kaavya Vaswani and I am in 11th grade. This is my 2nd year in YA and my 4th in IACS. In my free time I like to hang out with friends, bake, and garden. I joined YA because I am interested in making a deeper impact in the community by advocating and honoring different groups in our society. I am looking forward to advocating for more equal rights because I believe that everyone should have them.
My name is Ananya Mittala and I am in 10th grade. This year will be my second year in YA. In my free time, I like to draw or watch shows, and I also like to bake occasionally. I joined YA because I enjoyed it last year and want to build my leadership and communication skills. This year, I look forward to advocating for women’s rights and mental health, especially for people our age.
Hi, my name is Krishna Sridhar and I am currently in 11th grade. This is my second year in YA and 4th year in IACS. I enjoy debating, DECA, and business competitions. I joined YA to make change by advocating alongside like-minded youth.
My name is Mahnya Balakrishnan and I’m in 10th grade. This is my 2nd year in Youth Advocacy and my 3rd year in IACS. I enjoy piano, volunteering, and advocating for human rights.
My name is Riddhi Tikoo and I am currently a sophomore. I have been at IACS and in the Youth Advocacy program for 2 years now. In my free time, I enjoy practicing karate, running, reading, and working on creative projects like coding or social media content. I joined YA to continue advocating for inclusivity and meaningful human rights work.
Hi, my name is Manu Krishnan, and I am currently in 10th grade. This is my first year in YA. In my free time, I enjoy playing guitar and hanging out with friends. I joined YA because I want to bring people together through advocacy and look forward to advocating for mental health in young people.
Hi, my name is Aanya Arkalgud and I am currently a freshman. This is my 1st year in YA and my 4th year in the youth leadership program. In my free time, I enjoy playing sports and spending time with friends and family. I look forward to advocating for people who aren’t able to speak up for themselves.
Hi, my name is Aarav Sinha and I am in 10th grade. This is my second year in IACS. In my free time, I enjoy making board and card games, drawing, and playing video games. I joined YA to make a genuine and noticeable change in today’s community and look forward to advocating for gun control.
Hi, my name is Aarush Chekuri and I am currently a sophomore. This is my first year in the YA program. In my free time, I enjoy watching TV shows, drawing, and hanging out with friends. I joined YA to meet new people and give back to the community, and I look forward to advocating for mental health.
My name is Adithya Gogini and I am in 10th grade. This is my first year in YA, and I attended Camp Bharat last year. In my free time, I enjoy hanging out with friends, playing sports, going to the gym, and relaxing. I joined YA to learn how to advocate for myself and others and raise awareness about mental health.
Hi, my name is Amol Rane and I am currently in 10th grade. This is my first year in YA and my fourth year in IACS. In my free time, I enjoy reading and playing basketball with friends. I joined YA to advocate for stronger gun possession laws and help address gun violence in our communities.
Hi, my name is Anaisha Sharda and I am currently a sophomore. This is my first year in the YA program and my second year in IACS. I enjoy reading, baking, and spending time with friends. I joined YA to spread information about important topics and look forward to advocating for mental health.
Hi, my name is Ananya Anand and I am currently a sophomore. This is my first year as a YA leader. In my free time, I enjoy Madhubani art, traveling, and spending time with friends. I joined YA to make a positive impact and look forward to advocating for human rights and raising awareness about citizens’ rights.
Hi, my name is Ananya Sharda and I'm currently a sophomore. This is my second year in IACS. In my free time, I enjoy singing, watching movies, and baking. I joined YA to advocate for issues I am passionate about and look forward to advocating for climate change and mental health.
Hi, my name is Ashank Mehrotra and I am a sophomore. This is my second year in YA and my third year in IACS. In my free time, I enjoy hanging out with friends. I joined YA to make an impact in the community and want to advocate for mental health due to the pressure many teens face.
Hi, my name is Dhrithi Manikantan and I'm currently a junior. I love to sketch, bake, and play volleyball in my free time.I joined YA this year because I wanted to be part of a supportive organization that actually makes a positive impact towards the community. I’m looking forward to advocating for equity, cultural awareness, and creating a more inclusive school environment.
Hi, my name is Dhruv Mehrotra and I am a junior. This is my third year in IACS. In my freetime, I like to play basketball and video games. I joined YA this year because I wanted to step up from YC and advocate for a topic I wanted. I am looking forward to advocating about climate change because it is a prevalent issue and even though many people know about it, very few people actually do anything about it.
My name is Dishani Akash and I am in 11th grade. This is my first year in IACS and being a part of YA. In my free time, I love painting and making sketches of simple things around me. Other than I love to binge watch Bollywood movies and reading books. I joined YA because I want to enhance my skills on socializing and communication which will not only help me build confidence, but encourages me to make good friendships around me. I am currently in Human Resources and excited to work on the topic more and learn how it benefits and needed in the world. Along side that I am really looking forward to advocate on mental health, because I want to find ways and provide ways which would help change the world little by little, if they know certain causes of why the human brain works in its way and how to keep it healthy for future.
Bio coming soon.
My name is Kimaya Daptardar and I’m a freshman at Redmond High School. This is my first year in IACS and YA. In my free time, I like to read and spend time with my friends and family. I joined YA so that I could be able to help the people around me and voice my concerns. I am looking forward to advocating for women’s rights.
My name is Marisha (or Mari) and I’m in 11th grade. I’ve been a part of YA for one year and a part of IACS for 2. In my free time, I like hanging out with my friends, drawing, and listening to music. I joined YA because I wanted to use the opportunity to help my community and advocate for my beliefs. I’m looking forward to advocate for human rights because I feel like it’s a very relevant topic in modern politics.
Hi, my name is Meghna Sharma and I am currently a freshman. This is my first year in both YA and IACS. In my free time, I enjoy baking and cooking, playing soccer, art and spending time with family and friends. I joined YA this year because it is a platform that perfectly interests advocacy, community service and leadership skills. I am looking forward to advocating for women’s rights and DEI overall because it deeply resonates with me as an Indian American girl.
My name is Meher Singhal and I'm currently a sophomore. This is my first year as a YA member. In my free time I like to watch F1, listen to music and swim. I joined YA this year so I could help make an impact, meet new people and give back to my community. I am part of the Mental Health group this year, and I’m looking forward to advocating for teen mental health!!
Hi, my name is Nishka Parekh and I am currently a freshman. I have been a part of YA for 1 year and IACS for 3 years. In my free time, I like to play volleyball, hang out with my friends and go shopping. I joined YA because I wanted to make an impact on the community and YA is the perfect program to do so. I am looking to advocate for climate change because it increasingly affects our planet and I think it is important for people to know about it.
Hi, my name is Pravallika Puram and I am currently a freshman. This is my first year doing YA and my third year in IACS. I like to read or walk around with my friends in my free time. I joined YA this year so I could advocate for the topics I wanted and collaborate with other peers. I’m looking forward to advocate for women’s rights and diversity because in this time it’s very important that we spread the message.
Hi, my name is Prisha Modi and I am currently a sophomore. This is my first year on YA. In my free time, I like to play basketball, go shopping with my friends, eat out, and sleep. I joined YA because I wanted to make an impact on the people around me and I thought that this would help make a difference. I am looking forward to advocating for mental health because it’s a very big part of teens’ lives and it is something that affects all of us but it still heavily stigmatized and overlooked. I want people to know that it’s okay not to be at their best all the time and that everyone has off days.
Hi, my name is Raehan Baliga and I'm currently a junior. This is my first year part of YA and IACS. In my free time, I enjoy rock climbing, hanging out with friends, and watching movies. I joined YA this year because I wanted to contribute towards making a noticeable positive difference in our community. I am advocating for the Climate Change group as it is an increasingly important subject right now.
Hi, my name is Roma Upalekar and I am currently a sophomore. This is my first year in the YA program and my second in IACS. I enjoy dancing, traveling, and spending time with friends. I joined YA this year to meet new people and get a chance to become more involved in my community. I am part of the DEI and Women’s Rights advocacy group. I am looking forward to learn more about and advocate for our diverse communities.
Hi, my name is Shubh Jain and I am a junior. This is my third year of YA. In my free time, I like to spend time with friends and play sports. I joined YA to address issues that are important to me. A topic I am looking forward to advocating for is climate change because it is becoming a big problem in the world.
I'm Unnat Parsana and I'm in 10th grade. This is my first year on YA and my second year at IACS. I like to hang out with my friends, watch comedy, and read about whatever interests me at the time. I joined YA so I could help my community at a foundational policy level through advocacy and engagement with leaders. I'm looking forward to advocate about gun control, as I am deeply passionate about keeping our community safe and healthy.
Hi, my name is Vihaan Mehta and I am currently a freshman. This is my first year in YA and third year in IACS. I enjoy playing sports like basketball. I also enjoy activities that help me wind down, like video games or music. I want to advocate for gun violence prevention and teen mental health, as these are issues that matter deeply to me and our community.
