Nada is an Egyptian American student from Astoria in New York City. She participated in Columbia University’s Freedom and Citizenship in 2023, where her love for learning flourished, and she graduated from Manhattan Hunter Science High School in 2024. Nada now attends Barnard College as a Barbara Silver Horowitz ’55

Zoharys Jaen currently resides in Cypress, California and is a 2024 graduate of Oxford Academy. During the summer of 2023, she participated in Biola University’s Read Well, Live Well program, where she rekindled her passion for classical literature and social justice. Her favorite texts from the summer program were excerpts

Hawa Kamara is a Bronx native. She participated in Columbia University’s Freedom & Citizenship Program in 2023 and graduated from the Frederick Douglass Academy in 2024. Her favorite reading in F&C was “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” by Frederick Douglass. Hawa now attends Barnard College of

Donovan Morrow is a dedicated student from Chicago who graduated in 2024 from the Illinois Math and Science Academy (IMSA). Donovan participated in North Central College’s Civic Humanities Project in the summer of 2023 and has participated in programs such as GlobalShala and Columbia University’s JSTEP Fellowship, gaining skills in

Serena Panucci was born in Genova, Italy. She moved to New York at the age of seven and is now a resident of Brooklyn. In her free time, Serena loves to read and write, and she loves swimming. She participated in the NYU Democracy Scholars program in the summer of

Yordani Rodriguez was born in Santiago, Dominican Republic and has lived in Brooklyn, New York since he was nine years old. He participated in Columbia University’s Freedom & Citizenship program the summer of 2023 and graduated from Thomas A. Edison CTE High School in 2024. His favorite reading in F&C

Matthew is a 2024 graduate of Lowndes High School in Valdosta, Georgia. During the summer of 2023, Matthew participated in Valdosta State University’s Knowledge for Freedom program. Matthew’s favorite reading during this program was “Leviathan” by Thomas Hobbes. Matthew currently attends the Georgia Institute of Technology where he plans to

Thanh Ta was born in Soc Trang, Vietnam and she came to the United States when she was only two years old. Thanh participated in Loyola University of Chicago’s Speak Up Democracy program in the summer of 2023 and she graduated from Senn High School in Chicago in 2024. She

Susana de la Torre was raised in Norwalk, California and graduated from Norwalk High School in 2024 with the highest honors. Susana participated in the Read Well Live Well program at Biola University in the summer of 2023. Her favorite text was Aristotle. Susana currently attends California State University, Long

Andrew Whittingham was born and raised in Bay Shore, New York, and graduated from Brentwood High School in 2024. He participated in the Academy of Civic Life program hosted by Stony Brook University in the summer of 2023. His favorite text was Plato’s Republic. Andrew now attends Stony Brook University