Welcome to today's episode of the Path Forward Podcast! Nyla is a senior at Walter Payton and an executive board member and co-founder of Resilient Intelligent Sisters Enterprise (R.I.S.E.), a student run organization that is dedicated to creating and maintaining a celebratory affinity space for Black women by providing weekly lesson plans and community building opportunities. Outside of R.I.S.E., Nyla is on the Black Student Union Leadership Team, and Student Advisory Committee. For fun, Nyla enjoys learning Spanish, painting and drawing, and leading other clubs!

#18: R.I.S.E.-ing Up: A New Generation of Activists (Ft. Nyla bowers)

Welcome to today's episode of the Path Forward Podcast! Today, we feature Chloe, a junior at the British International School of Chicago. She is a passionate intersectional environmentalist and the Co-Executive Director of Eco Circle International, a non profit working towards providing education on the environmental crisis and mobilizing youth to organize sustainable initiatives around the globe. She also holds various other roles in organizations such as Amnesty International, the Illinois Youth Climate Movement and Untold 365 Magazine. Ultimately, her interests lie and the nexus of human rights and sustainability, and she is dedicated to making tangible change in order to create an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable future.

#12: Intersectional Environmentalism (ft. Chloe Young)

Welcome to today's episode of the Path Forward Podcast! Today, we feature Sara Cawley, who is a junior at Walter Payton who founded and currently runs Positive Mental Health Association there. PMA is a club working to create widespread equity in mental well-being. Sara is also a member of the Mayor’s Youth Commission where she works in mental health and education issues, and she has also been published in The American Prospect for an essay she wrote on eviction and housing equity. Sara is also on Payton’s swimming and water polo teams!

#13: Positive Mental Health and Community (ft. Sara Cawley)

Welcome to today's episode of the Path Forward Podcast! In this episode, we feature Emma Zubak, a senior at Walter Payton College Prep who co-founded Ambitiously Empowered Voices, an international women’s empowerment organization that inspires young girls to be leaders through presentations on feminism, equity, and leadership. Emma’s commitment to women’s empowerment led her to join and work her way up to the Board of Directors of SheVotesIL, a political action committee focused on educating voters about female candidates and getting more women elected to office.

#14: Ambitiously Empowered Voices Pt. 1 (Ft. Emma Zubak)

Welcome to today's episode of the Path Forward Podcast! In this episode, we have Armelle Balogun, a senior at Walter Payton College Prep, and a co-founder of Ambitiously Empowered Voices, speak about this organization focused on equipping young girls with the tools to be strong leaders and agents of change in their communities.

#15: Ambitiously Empowered Voices Pt. 2 (ft. Armelle Balogun)

Welcome to today's episode of the Path Forward Podcast! Today we feature Sareena Shah, a sophomore at Walter Payton and co-founder of The Re-Write It Project. The Re-Write It Project is a youth-driven organization combating educational inequities around the city by distributing essential learning resources to underserved youth institutions. She’s very devoted to interrogating the systemic influences that impede access to vital services and fostering tangible reform. Apart from her organization, she loves the outdoors, leading other clubs, and spending time with her grandmother!

#16: Rewriting Equity in Education (ft. Sareena Shah)

Welcome to today's episode of the Path Forward Podcast. Today we feature Ava Penn, a junior at Whitney Young. She founded Chicago Teen Mentors in February to support CPS students with free educational resources. Ava works with the organization’s board of teens and compassionate, committed mentors who are offering free tutoring and outreach events for CPS students. She also loves STEM and is on her school’s robotics team, math team, and aerospace team. For fun, Ava plays water polo, reads about the origins of our universe, and sends letters to her friends!

#17: The Meaning of Mentoring (ft. Ava Penn)

The Path Forward is a podcast created by teens introducing the leaders of today and tomorrow to a global audience. Based in Chicago, IL, we invite inspirational youth from all backgrounds to discuss fresh perspectives on leadership in a rapidly-changing world. 


If you would like to feature on the show, or if you have any comments, questions, suggestions, etc.,  please email us at pathforward.podcast@gmail.com

The Podcast Team: Brandon Cheng, Andre Nandi, Savi Smith
Instagram: @thepathforward.podcast

The Path Forward

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