2022/2023 California Youth Leadership Summit Archive
Watch the entire event, or the separate panel discussions and entertainment:
- Entire 2022/2023 California Youth Leadership Summit
- Part 1: Introduction
- Part 2: Panel – Racial & Gender Equity
- Part 3: Performance: Ava August performing “Ghost of You”
- Part 4: Panel – Adapting to a New Normal
- Part 5: Performance: Ava August singing the 2022/2023 CYLS Theme Song “Living Room”
- Part 6: Norm Mineta & Thelma Press Awards
- Part 7: Sister City Activities in California
- Part 8: Panel: World Peace & Cooperation
- Part 9: U.S. – Japan Joint Panel with the UN-endorsed Local Conference on Youth Japan
- Part 10: Panel: International Forum
- Part 11: Closing
California Youth Leadership Summit Guest Moderators
Guest Moderator
Ava August
The youngest singer/songwriter to ever appear on American Idol and The Voice
Ava August
The youngest singer/songwriter to ever appear on American Idol and The Voice
Ava August is a 17-year-old singer/songwriter from Southern California. Ava August achieved international fame after appearing on two nationally televised singing competitions, while being the youngest person ever to appear on each show (American Idol and The Voice). Ava August was the youngest ever to become a TOP TEN FINALIST on American Idol. Ava August has performed before sold-out crowds at professional sporting venues in Los Angeles including The Los Angeles Rams, The Lakers, Dodgers, LA Kings, LA Angels and LA Galaxy. Ava August just released her new hit single - LIVING ROOM - which is streaming on all platforms.
Guest Moderator
Sakura Kokumai
2020 U.S. Olympian: First American to qualify for karate in the Olympics
Sakura Kokumai
2020 U.S. Olympian: First American to qualify for karate in the Olympics
Sakura is not only an Olympian, but she became the first American to qualify for karate in the Olympics and the only female athlete that represented Karate from the US at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Sakura Kokumai started karate at the age of 7 in Honolulu, Hawaii and she made the U.S. Junior National Team when she was 14. Since then, she won the gold medal in the women's individual kata event at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru and is a 8-time Senior Pan American Champion, 4-time Junior Pan American Champion, World Combat Games Bronze Medalist, and 8-time USA National Champion. She is a graduate of Doshisha University and went on to pursue graduate studies at Waseda University in Japan.
Guest Moderator
Veerabhadran Ramanathan, Ph.D.
University of California at San Diego Distinguished Research Professor in Climate Sciences
Veerabhadran Ramanathan, Ph.D.
University of California at San Diego Distinguished Research Professor in Climate Sciences
Dr. Veerabhadran Ramanathan, is Distinguished Research Professor in Climate Science at University of California, San Diego and a Cornell Climate Solutions Scholar at Cornell University. Known simply as “Ram,” he discovered the greenhouse effect of halocarbons in 1975. Along with climatologist Roland Madden, he predicted in 1980 that global warming would be detectable by the year 2000. He is a distinguished professor at the University of California at San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and oversees a University of California initiative for all 10 campuses to become carbon neutral by 2025. His proposal — that the mitigation of short-lived climate pollutants such as black carbon, methane, ozone and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) will slow global warming significantly this century — has been adopted by the United Nations and 30 countries. Dr. Ramanathan believes that while science and technology are needed to solve global warming, the underlying solution is to change people’s attitudes toward nature, and to make this happen a religious leader is required. This belief led him to serve on Pope Francis’ Council for the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.
Guest Moderator
Ché L. Abram
University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health: Chief of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging
Ché L. Abram
University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health: Chief of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging
An Oakland native, Abram has 20 years of experience in higher education with a commitment to community engagement. She considers herself a culture shifter by moving race and equity initiatives forward, a transformational leader by centering the needs of her partners in decision-making, and a changemaker as a longtime advocate for K-12 BIPOC students in the Oakland Unified School District. She brings the lens of intersectional identities and restorative practices to her work, engaging people at all levels of the university in race and equity initiatives.
Abram’s career began in higher education admission and recruitment. Most recently, she held the role of Associate Director of Diversity at Samuel Merritt University (SMU). In that role, she focused on implementing systemwide diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies, providing impactful programming to address the social and structural determinants of health, and retaining and promoting BIPOC identities.
Abram received the SMU Dr. Cornelius Hopper Diversity Excellence Award in 2015 for her diversity leadership and strong advocacy for students. In 2020, she was named Staff of the Year by the Samuel Merritt Student Body Association for her commitment to inclusive excellence for all members of the SMU community.
In her personal life, Abram can be found organizing around the educational needs of students within the K-12 sector, hosting a podcast series and creating programming for the nonprofit organization BlackFemaleProject, and motivating youth to pursue their dreams by exposing them to various creative and career opportunities. She received her BS in business management and MBA in management and leadership from Holy Names University. Abram is a mother, thrives on stand-up comedy, and her most sacred self-care practice is spending time near water.
California Youth Leadership Summit Panel Moderators & Panelists
Racial & Gender Equity Panel Moderator
Guadalupe Carrillo, Ph.D.
Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Director
Guadalupe Carrillo, Ph.D.
Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Director
Dr. Guadalupe Carrillo is the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion director for the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability where she oversees recruitment and inclusion initiatives for the school, including the NSF REU summer internship program SURGE for undergraduate researchers. She has facilitated workshops on inclusive mentorship and unconscious bias and also published for Springer Nature on creating partnerships with minority-serving institutions. Lupe has a B.A. in English and Political Science from UC Berkeley and a PhD in English from Stanford University and has taught classes on 20th and 21st century American literature. Lupe is also a California-native and daughter of Mexican immigrants who brings her personal experience of navigating higher education as a first-generation college student to her work as a DEI director.
Racial & Gender Equity Panelists
University High School Charter
Liliana D’Aguiar: Los Angeles, CA
University High School Charter
Liliana D’Aguiar: Los Angeles, CA
Name: Liliana D’Aguiar
School: University High School Charter
City: Los Angeles, CA
PennWest University, California
Nora Berisha, Sonora, CA
PennWest University, California
Nora Berisha, Sonora, CA
Name: Nora Berisha
School: Pennsylvania Western University
City: Sonora, CA
Amador Valley High School
Gauri Chawla: Pleasanton, CA
Amador Valley High School
Gauri Chawla: Pleasanton, CA
Name: Gauri Chawla
School: Amador Valley High School
City: Pleasanton, CA
Ernest Righetti High School
Carlos Gonzalez: Santa Maria, CA
Ernest Righetti High School
Carlos Gonzalez: Santa Maria, CA
Upland High School
Michael Syavong: Upland, CA
Upland High School
Michael Syavong: Upland, CA
Name: Michael Syavong
School: Upland High School
City: Upland, CA
University of Southern California
Tomiko Younge: Los Angeles, CA
University of Southern California
Tomiko Younge: Los Angeles, CA
Name: Tomiko Younge
School Name: University of Southern California
City: Los Angeles, CA
Adapting to a New Normal Panel Moderator
Ava August
Southern California Singer/Songwriter: American Idol and The Voice
Ava August
Southern California Singer/Songwriter: American Idol and The Voice
Ava August is a 17-year-old singer/songwriter from Southern California. Ava August achieved international fame after appearing on two nationally televised singing competitions, while being the youngest person ever to appear on each show (American Idol and The Voice). Ava August was the youngest ever to become a TOP TEN FINALIST on American Idol. Ava August has performed before sold-out crowds at professional sporting venues in Los Angeles including The Los Angeles Rams, The Lakers, Dodgers, LA Kings, LA Angels and LA Galaxy. Ava August just released her new hit single - LIVING ROOM - which is streaming on all platforms.
Adapting to a New Normal Panelists
Summit Denali High School
Kaitlin Briones: Santa Clara, CA
Summit Denali High School
Kaitlin Briones: Santa Clara, CA
Name: Kaitlin Briones
School: Summit Denali High School
City: Santa Clara, CA
College of the Canyons
Manaal Hasan: Stevenson Ranch, CA
Canyon Crest Academy
Melissa Hua: San Francisco, CA
Canyon Crest Academy
Emily Khossravi: San Diego, CA
Canyon Crest Academy
Emily Khossravi: San Diego, CA
Name: Emily Khossravi
School: Canyon Crest Academy
City: San Diego, CA
West Ranch High School
Grace Sun: Santa Clarita, CA
West Ranch High School
Grace Sun: Santa Clarita, CA
Name: Grace Sun
School: West Ranch High School
City: Santa Clarita, CA
San Diego State University
Ryan Tomita: Redwood City, CA
San Diego State University
Ryan Tomita: Redwood City, CA
World Peace & Cooperation Panel Moderator
Zaib Shaikh
Consul General of Canada in Los Angeles, acclaimed actor writer & director
Zaib Shaikh
Consul General of Canada in Los Angeles, acclaimed actor writer & director
Zaib Shaikh began his mandate as Consul General of Canada in Los Angeles in December 2018. He is the Government of Canada’s senior representative in Southern California, Arizona and Nevada. He comes to the posting after an extensive career in the media and entertainment industries having worked as an actor and producer in theatre, film and television. His work includes acting roles in Deepa Mehta’s film Midnight’s Children, as well as starring in the CBC comedy series Little Mosque on the Prairie, which has been seen in more than 80 countries. Mr. Shaikh co‐produced the special Long Story Short: CBC Turns 75 and co‐wrote, directed and co‐produced the film Othello: The Tragedy of the Moor. He also co-founded and served as an artistic producer of the Whistler Theatre Project in British Columbia.From 2014 until his appointment in 2018, Mr. Shaikh was the Film Commissioner and Director of Entertainment Industries for the City of Toronto. In that role, he oversaw and grew the city’s screen, music, live festival, sporting event and tourism sectors, helping to double the value of film production in Canada’s largest city which surpassed $2 billion in 2016.Mr. Shaikh has served as a board member for the Institute for Canadian Citizenship, the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion, and most recently, on the board of AFC (formerly the Actors Fund of Canada). He has served on juries and committees for the Gemini Awards, ACTRA Awards, Ontario Arts Council, and Theatre Ontario Youth Program as well as an ambassador for the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and for Amnesty International Canada.Mr. Shaikh is married to Ms. Kirstine Stewart. They have two children.
World Peace & Cooperation Panelists
University of California, Berkeley
Alana Basmajian, Los Angeles, CA
University of California, Berkeley
Alana Basmajian, Los Angeles, CA
I am living in Germany for a year on the Congress Bundestag Youth Exchange Vocational Scholarship as a gap year between high school and college. I enjoy learning new cultures, reading, cooking, and connecting with other people, especially this year as a citizen diplomat.
I want to work for the UN as a consular officer
to combat youth sex trafficking.
Olivia Manning, Chair
2024 California Youth Leadership Summit High School Chair (South High School, Torrance)
Olivia Manning, Chair
2024 California Youth Leadership Summit High School Chair (South High School, Torrance)
Name: Olivia Manning
School Name: South High School
City: Torrance, CA
Aiden Park, Chair
2024 California Youth Leadership Summit College Chair (University of California, Berkeley)
Aiden Park, Chair
2024 California Youth Leadership Summit College Chair (University of California, Berkeley)
Name: Aiden Park
School: Stockdale High School
City: Bakersfield, California
Oceana High School
Sagar Rajan: Brisbane, CA
Oceana High School
Sagar Rajan: Brisbane, CA
Name: Sagar Rajan
School: Oceana High School
City: Brisbane, CA
Vista Murrieta High School
Grace Roussett: Murrieta, CA
Vista Murrieta High School
Grace Roussett: Murrieta, CA
Name: Grace Roussett
School: Vista Murrieta High School
City: Murrieta, California
Miramonte High School
Jarret Zundel: Orinda, CA
Miramonte High School
Jarret Zundel: Orinda, CA
Name: Jarret Zundel
School Name: Miramonte High School
City: Orinda, CA
Climate Change & Sustainability Panel Moderator
Sharnie Fenn
Mixed Model, Actress & Lawyer
Sharnie Fenn
Mixed Model, Actress & Lawyer
Sharnie is a mixed model and actress, who has worked internationally and represented Japan on TV shows such as Asia's Next Top Model. Born to an Australian father and Japanese mother, Sharnie was born in Sendai, Japan but grew up on the Gold Coast, Australia. She is very vocal about Asian representation on social media and co-hosted the podcast 'A Side of Rice' which focused on the Asian-Australian diaspora. In addition, she is also passionate about women's rights and violence against women, which led her to study at law school and being admitted as an Australian lawyer in 2022. Sharnie was also selected as a delegate for Japan to attend and participate in the 2022 One Young World Summit. Sharnie is currently working on her first book, 'For a Rainy Day' to be published by Olympia Publishers in 2023.
Climate Change & Sustainability U.S. - Japan Panelists
Joint panel between the California Youth Leadership Summit and the Local Conference on Youth Japan.
University of California, San Diego
Pearl Koven: San Diego, CA
University of California, San Diego
Pearl Koven: San Diego, CA
Name: Pearl Koven
School: University of California, San Diego
City: San Diego
Upland High School
Ted Lê: Upland, CA
Crossroads School
Meazi Light-Orr: Santa Monica, CA
Crossroads School
Meazi Light-Orr: Santa Monica, CA
Meaza Light-Orr is a senior at Crossroads School for the Arts and Sciences in Santa Monica. Meazi is an avid reader, equestrian, and lover of knitting, crocheting, and all things arts and crafts. Issues that she is passionate about and worked actively on are education equity and diversity of thought in change-making dialogue. In her pursuit of increasing education equity and access, she hosted an art auction, raising over $120,000 to build a middle school in her rural birth village of Kololo, Ethiopia. Additionally, she spent a semester in Washington D.C. writing writing policy recommendations presented at the Department of State and speaking with many leaders in a variety of different fields about their varying careers and the responsibilities of ethical leadership and commitment to integrity. She is invested in the communities she is a part of and is excited to further engage in actionable change and dialogue in her second time at the California Youth Leadership Summit.
Shibuya Kyoiku Gakuen Makuhari Senior High School
Yuna Otsuki : Tokyo, Japan
Shibuya Kyoiku Gakuen Makuhari Senior High School
Yuna Otsuki : Tokyo, Japan
Name: Yuna Otsuki 大槻優奈
School: Shibuya Kyoiku Gakuen Makuhari Senior High School
Position: YPFP Tokyo
City: Tokyo, Japan
International Christian University
Ayako Takao: Tokyo, Japan
International Christian University
Ayako Takao: Tokyo, Japan
Name: Ayako Takao
School: International University Japan
Position: Vice President Climate Youth Japan, City: Tokyo, Japan
U.S.-Japan Council Tomodachi Initiative Intern
Aika May Talavera: Fukuoka, Japan
U.S.-Japan Council Tomodachi Initiative Intern
Aika May Talavera: Fukuoka, Japan
Name: Aika May Talavera
Position: U.S.-Japan Council Tomodachi Initiative Social Media Intern
City: Fukuoka, Japan
International Forum Moderator
Kate Mackintosh
UCLA School of Law Promise Institute for Human Rights Executive Director
Kate Mackintosh
UCLA School of Law Promise Institute for Human Rights Executive Director
Kate Mackintosh is the inaugural Executive Director of the Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law. The Promise Institute was founded in 2017 with a $20 million gift to create a center on the West Coast for international human rights scholarship, training, and advocacy.
Mackintosh has worked in the fields of human rights, international criminal justice, and the protection of civilians for over two decades. She was involved in the development of international criminal law in its fledgling years and contributed to defining many elements of this new area of law, such as the elements of rape as an international crime, the definition of protected persons, and the scope of complicity for international crimes.
She has held multiple roles at international criminal tribunals, working as a lawyer with the judges; prosecution appeals counsel; co-counsel for the defense and finally as an administrator, responsible as Deputy Registrar for the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia’s court operations, witness protection and support services, legal aid scheme, detention facility, communications and outreach, languages services and archives.
For eight years, Mackintosh worked with Doctors without Borders, providing legal and policy advice to operations in over 30 countries around the world, and leading advocacy in support of some of the world’s most vulnerable populations. During, and building on, this experience, she developed a body of work around the practical application of IHL and humanitarian principles to contemporary challenges, ranging from critiques of the impact of counter-terrorism law and policy on humanitarian action to the scope of humanitarian actors’ legal obligation to testify and the legitimacy of humanitarian protection.
Mackintosh was part of post conflict human rights field operations in Rwanda – working to rebuild the justice system after the genocide – and Bosnia, where she collaborated with Bosnian lawyers on strategies to use the courts to support economic and social rights. She has lectured and authored numerous articles and reports on the principles of humanitarian action, international criminal justice and the protection of civilians, and is currently thinking about the application of the Rome Statute to cyber warfare, and how international criminal law can protect the environment
International Forum Panelists
Bangladesh
Jannatul Ferdaus: Adamjee Cantonment College, Dhaka
Bangladesh
Jannatul Ferdaus: Adamjee Cantonment College, Dhaka
Name: Jannatul Ferdaus
School Name: Adamjee Cantonment College
City: Dhaka, Bangladesh
Japan
Toshiki Nozawa: Keio University, Ota-ku, Tokyo
Japan
Toshiki Nozawa: Keio University, Ota-ku, Tokyo
What is your hobby?
My hobby is to read books that were written by successful people in any kind of fields
What is your favorite place to visit in your hometown?
I love to go to a Chinese restaurant that is 10 minutes away from my house.
What is the most interesting location you have ever traveled to and why?
Last year, I traveled to a small town called Kuruman in South Africa to teach Mathematics to the local students.
Where would you most like to travel?
Hong Kong, as I love watching Jackie Chan movies.
What are you the most passionate about?
I am especially passionate about learning new theories in business and economics.
What are you the most curious about?
I am very curious about how theories in Business and Economics could be used to solve issues the world in facing right now.
What is your dream job?
My dream job is to be an international businessman.
California Youth Leadership Summit Musical Performer
Ava August
The youngest singer/songwriter to ever appear on American Idol and The Voice
Ava August
The youngest singer/songwriter to ever appear on American Idol and The Voice
Ava August is a 17-year-old singer/songwriter from Southern California. Ava August achieved international fame after appearing on two nationally televised singing competitions, while being the youngest person ever to appear on each show (American Idol and The Voice). Ava August was the youngest ever to become a TOP TEN FINALIST on American Idol. Ava August has performed before sold-out crowds at professional sporting venues in Los Angeles including The Los Angeles Rams, The Lakers, Dodgers, LA Kings, LA Angels and LA Galaxy. Ava August just released her new hit single - LIVING ROOM - which is streaming on all platforms.
www.avaaugust.com
For INSTAGRAM, TIKTOK, TWITTER, YOUTUBE:
Ava August (@avaaugust)
Opening & KOTODAMA Presentation
International Panel: Racial & Gender Equity and Education for All
California & international high school & college student 6-member panel. Brought to you by The Akademeia 21st Century
KOTODAMA Presentations and Art Awards
Musical Performance Special Guest: ATARASHII GAKKO!
International Panel: Climate Change & Sustainability and World Peace & Cooperation
California & international high school & college student 6-member panel.
Brought to you by SoCal Gas
Art Awards and Closing
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2022 California Youth Leadership Summit
For youth by youth
Online panelists will include youth (high school and college students) participating from the State of California, as well as from countries where California’s 356 sister cities around the world are located. There will be 4 high school and college panels followed by an international forum. There is no charge to attend.
California Youth Leadership Summit Event Organizers
Lori Nalbandian, Past Chair
2022/2023 California Youth Leadership Summit College Chair (University of California, Berkeley)
Lori Nalbandian, Past Chair
2022/2023 California Youth Leadership Summit College Chair (University of California, Berkeley)
Lori Nalbandian is the California Youth Leadership Summit College Chair. Lori is a senior at the University of California, Berkeley studying Public Health with an emphasis on Leadership in Community Health. She strives to use her knowledge and skills to generate sustainable solutions to increase health literacy and combat health inequities. Lori is a Campus Ambassador for UC Berkeley, Cal Armenian Student Association member, UC Rally Committee member, and a federal work-study student at the Berkeley School of Public Health. Outside of school, Lori’s interests include traveling, listening to music, discovering eateries, volunteering, and spending time with family and friends.
Meazi Light-Orr, Past Chair
2022/2023 California Youth Leadership Summit High School Chair (Crossroads School for the Arts and Sciences, Santa Monica)
Meazi Light-Orr, Past Chair
2022/2023 California Youth Leadership Summit High School Chair (Crossroads School for the Arts and Sciences, Santa Monica)
Meaza Light-Orr is a senior at Crossroads School for the Arts and Sciences in Santa Monica. Meazi is an avid reader, equestrian, and lover of knitting, crocheting, and all things arts and crafts. Issues that she is passionate about and worked actively on are education equity and diversity of thought in change-making dialogue. In her pursuit of increasing education equity and access, she hosted an art auction, raising over $120,000 to build a middle school in her rural birth village of Kololo, Ethiopia. Additionally, she spent a semester in Washington D.C. writing writing policy recommendations presented at the Department of State and speaking with many leaders in a variety of different fields about their varying careers and the responsibilities of ethical leadership and commitment to integrity. She is invested in the communities she is a part of and is excited to further engage in actionable change and dialogue in her second time at the California Youth Leadership Summit.
Steven Trinh, Founding College Chair
2021 California Youth Leadership Summit College Chair (Stanford University)
Steven Trinh, Founding College Chair
2021 California Youth Leadership Summit College Chair (Stanford University)
Steven Trinh is a Sister Cities International Southern California Chapter Young Professional and the California Youth Leadership Summit College Chair. Steven is a junior at Stanford University studying Product Design. He strives to use his skills and knowledge in design engineering to develop impactful solutions for problems that hurt lower socio-economic communities. Outside of school, Steven’s interests include basketball, hip hop, fashion, and sneakers.
Steven’s involvement in Sister Cities began in the summer of 2016, when he served as a student ambassador to the Anaheim-Mito sister city exchange program. In the following summers, he has hosted Japanese students in this same program, where he has developed many meaningful relationships that last to this day.
Maya Al-Jamie, Founding HS Chair
2021 California Youth Leadership Summit High School Chair (Orange Lutheran High School)
Maya Al-Jamie, Founding HS Chair
2021 California Youth Leadership Summit High School Chair (Orange Lutheran High School)
Maya Al-Jamie is a Sister Cities International Southern California Chapter Youth Ambassador and the California Youth Leadership Summit High School Chair. Through her involvement as a SoCal Sister Cities Youth Ambassador and a volunteer helping to host students from overseas as well as guide students from California on a tour of Tokyo, Maya was inspired to volunteer for the California Youth Leadership Summit.
Maya is currently a junior at Orange Lutheran High School. Prior to the pandemic, she played on the Villa Park High School water polo and swim team as well as participated on the mock trial team as an expert witness. Currently, she is the President of the Orange County, California Chapter of High School Democrats of America and the Vice President of the Orange/Anaheim Chapter of Dear Asian Youth. Her plans for the future are to study neuroscience and women’s studies on a pre-med track. After college, she plans on attending medical school to become an OB-GYN and help give women of color and lower socioeconomic status access to better quality health care.
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