Youth Voices – Class of 2025

Aaron D.

Age: 18

Pronouns: He/They

Location: California

Aaron is a proud Queer Mexican American descendant of the Tlahuica and Cora people from Morelos and Nayarit, Mexico. Their cultural identity not only plays a huge role in informing their work as a grassroots organizer, intersectional activist, and leader within their community but also in how they keep the stories of those who came before them alive. During high school, Aaron co-founded and served as president of their GSA S.A.G.E (Sexuality and Gender Equality) club at their high school. He played a crucial role in improving his school’s Sex Ed curriculum to be more inclusive surrounding queer youth, which will now be taught to future students throughout their district. Aaron has worked with League of Women Voters, LA2050, and Rising Communities. From their impactful work in their community, they received the Youth Voice For Change Award from the California Endowment.

This is Aaron’s second year as a Youth Voice, and he hopes to utilize It Gets Better’s platform to mobilize and excite potential voters to cast their ballot in this upcoming election. Today, Aaron serves as the Chair of the Metro Youth Council, joined the Know Your IX team, and will be an incoming freshman at the University of Southern California, majoring in psychology on the pre-law track. In the future, they strive to stand on business and ensure that diverse voices are heard and empowered, driving positive change in their community and beyond.

Aki K.

Age: 19
Pronouns: They/She/He
Location: Iowa

Akiko is a Los Angeleno-turned-Iowan passionate about connecting with diverse communities to develop resilient solutions for the future. They are an incoming freshman at Georgetown University intending to study Science, Technology, and International Affairs. Akiko hopes to use their degree to increase LGBTQ+ representation in the intersections of STEM and government leadership.

Akiko’s interests has led them to research the relationship between queer youth’s mental health and workplace representation as a International Civics Innovation Fellow, study Chinese in Taiwan as a 2022 and 2024 National Security Language Initiative for Youth Mandarin Scholar with the US Department of State, and curate content focused on reaching LGBTQ+ teens as a Youth Social Media Specialist for Q Chat Space. They love Farmer’s Markets, good books, and Curious George. Akiko’s so excited to be included in this year’s Youth Voices!

Annabelle W.

Age: 17
Pronouns: She/Her
Location: Indiana

Annabelle is a queer activist dedicated to leveraging technology for positive change. With a commitment to social good, she taught herself a new programming language to create Free Period Products (free-period-products.onrender.com), a crowd-sourced database of places that give out free period products. By allowing users to input their address and find nearby locations offering essential period products, and ensuring that anybody in any place can add to the database, Annabelle hopes to address period poverty on a global scale.

Annabelle is also dedicated to creating inclusive spaces for LGBTQ+ and women in STEM. She started a Girls Who Code program for 4th and 5th grade girls in her school district to close the gender gap in STEM classes at her high school as well as teach young girls to be resilient and take risks. Committed to making change for LGBTQ+ people in her local community, she is the president of the Gender & Sexuality Alliance at her high school.

Annabelle plans to pursue a computer science degree to continue building impactful technology while continuing her advocacy.

Eli P.

Age: 18
Pronouns: He/Him
Location: New York

Eli is a transgender filmmaker, photographer, and activist from the Los Angeles area. His inspiration is drawn from being a kid and not being able to find anyone on the screen that shared his experiences. Throughout high school, he has tried to create that media. His short films centered around the trans experience have gained more than 60k views online, been shown in festivals all across the country, and won various awards. He hopes that through his films and work with It Gets Better he can help kids feel seen and give them someone they can relate to on screen.

Outside of that work, Eli spends his time rock climbing, camping, and spending other time outdoors with his friends. He plans to pursue film and gender studies in college, and continue his work as an artist and activist!

Ellie Z.

Age: 18
Pronouns: She/Her
Location: New Jersey

Ellie is passionate about policy and advocacy. She is a Jewish Queer youth from Central New Jersey who believes that defending the rights of all is crucial to driving change. Ellie is very involved in school activities. She enjoys spending time preparing for her school’s Mock Trial team and debates through Junior State of America (JSA). She’s an avid athlete who loves playing soccer and lacrosse. Outside of school, she has interned for three campaigns in an effort to elect those who align with her values, particularly promoting equality. In her community, Ellie volunteers weekly with children with disabilities and is on the leadership board for Friendship Circle. In her free time, Ellie enjoys working out at the gym, reading a good book, relaxing at the beach, and spending time with friends and family.

Jeremy T.

Age: 20
Pronouns: Any Pronouns
Location: Rhode Island

Jeremy is a passionate advocate and leader who dedicates their time to effecting positive change. They are extensively involved in Tony’s Place, a drop-in center for unhoused LGBTQ+ youth, and are committed to supporting and engaging with the center’s members. Through Youth Voices, Jeremy seeks to amplify their impact, transcending the local level to foster change on a national scale.

Jeremy’s passion also lies in promoting civic engagement among Gen Zers. Their personal experience as an immigrant has instilled in them a profound understanding of the importance of political advocacy and voter registration, especially within their own generation. Jeremy has been involved with their city’s Mayor’s Youth Council and was elected as the vice-chair and was also an intern in a program involving Rice University and the League of Women Voters that sought to increase voter registration in local high schools. With a devotion towards storytelling, Jeremy aspires to utilize their voice as a platform to amplify the voices of underserved and underrepresented communities, aiming to raise awareness of the challenges they face.

Kay T.

Age: 16
Pronouns: She/Her
Location: Maryland

Kay wants to bring legislative changes to the current state of the federal foster care system, broaden healthcare for disenfranchised groups, begin addressing systemic disadvantages and how to lessen the effects of them, and normalize (and liberate) sex education. She has been apart of several county council and B.O.E meetings addressing the genocide in Palestine, the instability in American child welfare, and inclusivity in Black voices in education. In these spaces, she has worked to bring the conversation back to center, almost mediating some, to ensure the overall goal is still addressed.

Youth Voices is just another step she is taking to rebuild and rejuvenate the community that America so desperately needs changed. In Youth Voices, she hopes to accomplish finding her voice in public spaces and creating voices for youth who typically don’t get the opportunity to be heard. Kay is multi-passionate, outgoing, assertive, and always ready to listen when someone needs an ear.

Marlin X.

Age: 16
Pronouns: He/Him
Location: New York

Marlin is an artist, activist, and aspiring lawyer from New York. Passionate about many subjects ranging from environmental conservation to civic action, he spends his time pursuing these interests in various ways. When it comes to the arts, Marlin’s illustrations and written works have been published by multiple organizations, and he has served as an art gallery curator. His love for the planet also shines through his work with many environmental groups, NOAA and EarthEcho International being the most prominent, and he founded his own global nonprofit called The Youth Oceanic Initiative. Additionally, Marlin’s passion for the American legal system stems from his desire to aid marginalized groups especially the LGBTQ+ community. He takes law courses at his school, and he has participated in New York University’s High School Law Institute and Columbia University’s Freedom and Citizenship program. At school, Marlin is an executive at numerous creative clubs and is part of the National Honor Society.

Coming from a conservative Chinese family, Marlin deeply understands the hardships that come with being queer. He hopes that through Youth Voices he will be able to encourage other LGBTQ+ youth to live authentically as themselves regardless of how difficult it may be, as that is a liberty that everyone deserves. Marlin has shared his own experiences with being transgender in It Gets Better’s Queerbook 2024 and his article “Reintroducing Myself To The World” published by Youth Communication.

Mia M.

Age: 18
Pronouns: They/Them
Location: Texas

As an avid disability rights advocate, intersectional feminist, and transgender healthcare supporter, Mia is fervent about the rights and equity of others. Growing up in Texas as Muslim & Black, Mia often faced harmful discrimination for their sexuality, religious identity, and Blackness, urging them to follow in their ancestors’ footsteps rooted in activism, social justice, deep faith, and service to others. Thus, Mia began their activist journey, uplifting and encouraging others to join the good fight. As one of the founding members of Troop 363, the first all-female Boy Scouts of America (BSA) troop in New Braunfels, TX, and became first African-American in their troop to earn the rank of Life Scout, the second-highest rank awarded to scouts. In addition to scouting, Mia furthered their education in maternal health, feminism, and reproductive justice by attending a Spelman Early College biology program in the summer of 2023 where they learned about the anatomy of the reproductive system and how to advocate for Black women in healthcare. As they prepare for their new chapter in upper education, Mia plans to pursue a BA in both exercise science and psychology with a minor in women & gender studies.

When not signing petitions or crafting zines, Mia can be found volunteering as a dance instructor with Kinetic Kids, an organization that allows people of all abilities to participate in adaptive sports, performing on the Lyra, dancing in the rain, or curled up at their favorite indie bookstore with an iced chai latte. Mia is a firm believer that BIPOC individuals are essential in the LGBTQ+ community and deserve a place without question in the LGBTQ+ community as their white peers, regardless of their spiritual identity or how they choose to present themselves.

Violet C.

Age: 15
Pronouns: She/Her
Location: California

Violet is a filmmaker from the Los Angeles area who uses her voice as an artist to stand up against hate. Growing up mixed-race and lesbian, identity has always been on her mind. She hopes to bring her experience as a biracial youth, growing up half Irish American, and half Chinese Jamaican to highlight intersectional voices in the queer community. Violet hopes to spread self-love and encourage others to embrace their own identities.

Her journey as an activist has afforded her the opportunities to be an ambassador and organizer for the AAPI youth organization Make Noise Today, the president of her school’s AAPI club, a cultivator of feminist spaces within her Girl Scout Troop, a public speaker promoting civic engagement through her local YMCA Youth and Government chapter, as well as a creative content maker with the Los Angeles based organization GetLit! When she is not busy advocating for her communities, she likes to spend her time writing screenplays, playing the electric bass and guitar, and most of all hanging out with her cat. Violet intends to engage all of her passions to work in both film and public policy, reflecting the change she wants to see in the world through her Art. She is elated and most grateful to It Gets Better for the opportunity to work as a Youth Voice and inspire beautiful change!