Two Seniors Embark on Emerging Leadership Program
Seniors Kaya Equevilley and Grace Ripley were accepted to the prestigious United Nations Association of the National Capital Area’s (UNA-NCA) Emerging Leaders program. They were selected for their demonstrated interest in and impact championing human rights and global issues. The Emerging Leaders program provides youth leaders with tools and support for developing their advocacy skills. As Emerging Leaders, Grace and Kaya will have the opportunity to connect with mentors, gain professional development skills, get published on UNA-NCA platforms, and advance their knowledge of sustainable development and the UN agenda.
In November, Kaya served as a chat moderator at the UN75 Consultation on Child Marriage. Discussion focused on the state of child marriage globally and domestically. The consultation resulted in the creation of recommendations to the UN about how to eliminate child marriage.
I have an interest in helping the world,” Kaya said. “I don’t exactly know how I want to help yet, but it is something I want to do.” After graduation, Kaya will attend Johnson & Wales University’s College of Culinary Arts. She imagines partnering her passion for cooking with humanitarian efforts, such as making education on nutrition and healthy meals more accessible to neighborhoods troubled with poverty and food insecurity.
Grace has long held an interest in social justice and world change, seeking ways she can personally make an impact. “I’ve always felt I was an advocate for change,” Grace says. But the effects of the coronavirus outbreak and the riots after George Floyd’s death shifted her from advocate to activist. “I really started paying attention to the fact that I have some privileges as a White female. Now, I want to find ways I can use my privilege to help others.” Grace feels the Emerging Leaders program will guide her to opportunities where she can initiate change. She hasn’t decided which college she’ll attend next year but is leaning toward a major in international studies and/or political science. She desires to travel the world and focus her efforts on ending discrimination and making the world more united. “Even if it is only a few people that I touch,” she says, “I think I can really make a difference in our world today.”