Ira is a driven scholar, community leader, and aspiring physician. With a strong academic foundation and a passion for research, she has explored topics ranging from molecular pathways in ALS at Barrow Neurological Institute to computational modeling of CAR T-cell therapy. Her work extends beyond the lab, as she has also investigated disparities in HIV education through research and presented her findings at major symposia, demonstrating both intellectual curiosity and a commitment to public health. Her commitment to promoting research is seen in her work as the Arizona State Director of The Unity Network, where she mentors highschoolers on their research endeavors.  

Her entrepreneurial spirit is exemplified through her founding of BreakingTheCycle, a nonprofit organization aimed at addressing the lack of accessible education surrounding Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). What began as a podcast and small discussion groups evolved, through reflection and adaptation, into a school-based organization focused on peer-led education and community engagement. By redesigning her approach to prioritize accessibility and relatability, she expanded the initiative’s reach to over 300 individuals in person and more than 120,000 online, while raising over $6,800 for PCOS research at Boston Children’s Hospital. She further extended this impact by creating a youth advisory board for a reproductive health startup, ensuring that teen perspectives shape how health information is communicated.

She’s President of STEAM Society, where she transformed a large but inactive club into a structured, impact-driven organization. Under her leadership, the club has launched STEM education programs at a Title I elementary school, organized donation drives raising over $900, and hosted “STEAM Knight,” the school’s largest science event, drawing over 200 attendees. She leads with intention, focusing on empowering others, fostering accountability, and building sustainable systems for growth. At school, she also enjoys competing and leading her peers in Speech and Debate. 

Her commitment to service is equally profound. As President of The Athena Project’s Arizona chapter, she has led over 25 community art events and has helped volunteers contribute more than 600 hours to hospitals, libraries, and schools. Through initiatives like a youth-led mural at St. Joseph’s Hospital, she has created spaces where patients, families, and volunteers can connect through creativity, transforming environments that often feel isolating into ones of collaboration and expression. Additionally, as a Junior Ambassador at St. Joseph’s Hospital, she mentors new volunteers and supports patient interactions, emphasizing empathy and human connection in healthcare settings.

Ikeoluwa Esan knows that meaningful service often looks unremarkable from the outside. Rather, it is sustained attention, careful listening, and the willingness to keep showing up. She kept this principle in mind when revitalizing her school’s mock trial program, relaunching it with just seven students and growing it into a thriving organization of nearly 40 members. She implemented structured practices, clear round rotations, and feedback systems to strengthen both team performance and student development. Her passion for civic engagement extends beyond the classroom through her work as Arizona Co-Founder and National Director of Operations for the Justice Education Project, a nonprofit dedicated to educating young people about the law, their rights, and how to navigate the legal system.

Ikeoluwa is deeply involved in student leadership and service. As Student Body Vice President, she led a successful fundraiser that raised more than $10,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. However, her work did not stop there. She then created a comprehensive guide to help future student leaders improve efficiency and build on past successes. Ikeoluwa serves on the Arizona Governor’s Youth Commission as a Community Impact Officer, and is President of her school’s French National Honor Society. Her commitment to global connection and empathy is instrumental in her work tutoring Ukrainian students through the ENGin program, as well as her participation in international law and advocacy initiatives. She has also used her voice to engage in broader conversations and wrote an open letter to The New York Times addressing political issues in Nigeria.

Ikeoluwa’s approach to leadership is grounded in intention, empathy, and a deep investment in the growth of others. She prioritizes creating supportive environments where individuals feel seen and empowered, and believes in the power of consistency, listening, and a willingness to step beyond one’s comfort zone. She is particularly passionate about fostering connections across communities and advocating for those who may be overlooked or underserved. As a child of immigrants, Ikeoluwa uses her platforms to elevate diverse voices and perspectives. Her dedication to service and leadership has earned her the Outstanding Superintendent’s Citizenship Award for the 2025–2026 school year. 

Looking ahead, Ikeoluwa plans to attend a university with the goal of studying English or political science before pursuing a career in law, with a focus on criminal justice, civil law, or immigration. 

Brooke is a compassionate, determined young leader who believes in the power of building strength, self-confidence and resilience at an early age.  As the founder of Building Beauty, a nonprofit she started in eighth grade, Brooke partners with the Phoenix Union High School District to provide 50 young girls with a prom dress, a prom ticket, and the chance to simply enjoy being a kid. At a time when economic hardships, insecurities and self-confidence struggles are more rampant than ever among young people, Brooke is on a mission to promote both inner and outer beauty, as well as cultivate empathy and compassion.

She learned perseverance throughout her journey of launching the nonprofit. She faced many challenges and roadblocks, from facing rejection because of her age to navigating delays and multiple setbacks. However, Brooke pushed through, and now enjoys hearing stories of gratitude and hope from girls who have faced homelessness, family deportation, and financial hardship. She also enjoys working with local business owners to create community events that support low-income students and build self-esteem. 

Brooke’s dedication to service extends beyond Building Beauty. She volunteers supporting both patients and staff at HonorHealth in both the NICU and PACU. She serves on the District’s Superintendent’s Advisory Board and is an active member of the Honor Society. She tutors students, and participates in Saturday Scrubs, a program that exposes high school students to careers in medicine. Brooke also sits on the teen leadership board of Friendship Circle, helping cultivate connections and friendships within the special needs community. She understands the value of stepping outside of comfort zones and realizes that even modest efforts can create meaningful change.

Looking ahead, Brooke plans to attend the University of Miami to study psychology and potentially pursue a pre-med track.

Anayareni leads by example in a multitude of ways, always striving to inspire, support and empower those around her. As vice president of the Interact Club, she helped organize a donation drive to collect female hygiene items and create wellness kits. Anayareni, however, didn’t stop there. She took initiative and worked with leaders from local organizations who could deliver the items to those in need. She also helped lead a “Nest Event” on campus to recruit incoming freshmen to join The Interact Club, a testament to her talent for cultivating community and bringing people together.

In addition to her work with The Interact Club, Anayareni is captain of the Rio Rico High School Swim Team, and head of the Campus Beautification Committee for her school’s chapter of National Honor Society. 

Outside of school, she volunteers with her local Rotary Club, interned in the Santa Cruz County Emergency Management Department, and served as a junior counselor for the 2026 Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA)  camp in Prescott. The unique leadership camp empowers students through challenging courses, inspirational presenters, and enrichment activities. At times, the leadership role can feel overwhelming. However, Anayareni says seeking support and taking the journey one step at a time help build the confidence needed to keep going. She is also a certified lifeguard and enjoys working with children, and their families, teaching swim lessons. 

Anayareni’s passion for helping others truly shines in her work with Mariposa Community Health Dental Department, where she volunteered more than 30 hours shadowing dentists, patient consultations and procedures. This type of networking is a direct result of her willingness to get outside of her comfort zone, meet new people, and learn from them.  She continues to seek out similar opportunities as she works toward her goal of not only becoming a dental surgeon, but also providing dental services in underserved communities.

Anatasia has demonstrated a lifelong passion for science, leadership, and community service. From the very beginning of high school, chemistry captured her imagination. She found a way to combine science and communication through illustrating eight books in the Nurse Florence international children’s book series and editing the Nurse Dorothea series, which help teens understand mental health concepts. 

Her commitment to leadership and service is equally impressive. Since 2021, she has volunteered nearly 415 hours with the Teen Court program in Pima County, progressing from juror to teen attorney. In this role, she hones skills in active listening, empathy, and guiding peers toward fair and balanced decisions, demonstrating that effective leadership is rooted in service to others.

At school, she serves as president of the Sahuaro High School Book Club, where she expanded the club’s mission to include community service. Under her leadership, the club collected and donated approximately 800 books, valued at $5,000, to the children’s units at a local hospital promoting literacy and supporting the well-being of young patients. She also co-founded Humanity United, a student organization that organizes donation drives for homeless shelters across Tucson, and serves as president of the Sahuaro Cosplay Club and was unanimously voted by staff and teachers to be the school’s first vice president of the National Honor Society junior year, facilitating community service and engagement among peers.

In addition to service, she has contributed nearly a decade as a reporter for Bear Essential News, interviewing community members to raise awareness of local issues. 

Beyond academics, she has pursued a wide range of technical and creative skills, including certifications in software and app design, cybersecurity, and IT, participation in Girls Who Code and the Arizona Cyber Bootcamp, and musical training in violin and voice. Through tutoring peers in Ukraine and Belarus and serving as an ambassador for the Sandra Day O’Connor Institute, she fosters learning, civic engagement, and global connection.

She will be attending the U of A in the fall and plans to study Medical Pharmacology and Toxicology. 

Aditya Tyagi is a young leader and healthcare advocate committed to expanding access to care for underserved communities. At 14, he founded Connect2Health, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to improving healthcare access and expanding access to essential resources. Inspired by his personal experiences navigating complex healthcare systems, he developed a strong desire to address gaps in access and equity. These experiences shaped his understanding of how challenging it can be for families to obtain timely, reliable care. The organization now partners with 14 groups, including Circle the City and Project CURE, and has launched an international chapter in India.

Through Connect2Health, Aditya has helped serve over 9,000 individuals, raised nearly $10,000, prepared hundreds of emergency food and kindness kits, distributed 5,000 masks to seniors, provided over 750 kindness kits to individuals experiencing homelessness, assembled more than 2,500 naloxone and wound care kits, and sorted over 30,000 medical supplies. He also leads bilingual health outreach and founded EquiPulse, a culturally tailored diabetes education initiative for Latino families.

Beyond his nonprofit work, Aditya is actively involved in civic leadership. He serves on the Scottsdale Mayor’s Youth Council, the Maricopa County Youth Advisory Board, and the SUSD Advisory Board, where he helps guide youth mental health outreach and promotes peer-to-peer support systems. Through these roles, he works to reduce stigma and create safe, accessible spaces where students feel comfortable seeking help and supporting one another.

Aditya has also spearheaded an AI literacy initiative that has reached over 23,000 students and coordinated speaker sessions with representatives from Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, and Grand Canyon University. He was the youngest invited keynote speaker at the 2025 Population Health Innovation Summit and has been recognized through honors such as the Daily Point of Light, Bold Journey, and Shoutout Arizona, along with features in nonprofit and public health newsletters.

In addition to his academic and service work, Aditya is a swim instructor, certified lifeguard, and competitive swimmer on his high school team. He also tutors peers in advanced science, math, and AP research.

Looking ahead, Aditya plans to continue advancing equitable, community-centered healthcare solutions. He is particularly interested in bridging gaps in trust and access by bringing resources directly to underserved populations and building systems that support physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

Adam developed a passion for sustainability during an immersion trip to Navajo Nation, where he saw firsthand the impact environmental degradation has on the families and communities living there. His passion, however, goes beyond working to restore and rejuvenate the world around us. Rather, it is about educating and empowering others to take action and create meaningful change in their own communities. 

When a waste audit at his high school showed compost contamination rates as high as 50 percent, Adam knew his campus community could be doing more to reduce the amount of waste going to local landfills. That waste produces methane gas, a greenhouse gas that is 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Soon after, he and a team at Brophy trained and developed WasteCam – an AI-powered camera that detects and analyzes different types of waste in real time to help staff and students sort compostable utensils, plates, and napkins from his high school’s lunch room.  Thus far, educational initiatives and proper signage have lowered the campus’ compost contamination rate from as high as 50 percent, down to around 10 percent, and he hopes to eventually implement WasteCam which could bring rates down to 5%. While WasteCam is still in the testing phase, Adam’s goal is to eventually implement WasteCam nationwide. He also organized a prayer service dedicated to environmental activism from a Catholic lens, highlighting his unique ability to brainstorm creative, impactful solutions in a variety of spaces. 

When it comes to success, Adam recognized the value of teamwork early on. He characterizes the start of WasteCam as a collaborative effort among mentors, friends and others who provided feedback and support. He thinks all young people should seek out and learn from those who are more experienced, and stay open to constructive feedback.

Whether collecting and re-distributing used clothing, leading immersion trips to the Navajo Nation, or re-distributing books to Native American, refugee and Title 1 students through the Driving Empowerment, Action, and Learning (DEAL) Club, Adam believes in the power of open-mindedness, compassion and adaptability. He strives to take advantage of the experiences the world has to offer, and feels learning about people, issues or places outside of his comfort zone makes him a better person.

In addition to his acts of service, Adam is a member of the Cross Country Team, sings with the prestigious traveling Pueri Cantores choir, the official student choral organization of the Catholic Church, and recently started an internship as an Applied Sustainability Research intern at Circular Earth. He hopes to one day work in the climate tech industry.