THE 2025

CIVIC FELLOWS

Meet the three young leaders who developed and implemented their own projects using media, art, or storytelling to drive civic engagement in their communities.

#Civic Engagement

THE CIVIC FELLOWS PROGRAM

The 2025 Civic Fellows Program is designed to empower and equip NYC youth to become leaders in civic engagement through innovative approaches that center community engagement.

Three young leaders from New York City engaged in a structured fellowship, where they utilized media, art, and storytelling to boost the participation of their peers under 25 in community and civic life, and received hands-on training, mentorship, and expert support to launch their projects addressing a need in their communities.

MEET THE 2025 CIVIC FELLOWS

These civically engaged young leaders are using their creativity to amplify the voices of others.

Carolyn Thomas | 2025

By day a Litigation Assistant at the Legal Aid Society, Carolyn pairs frontline criminal-justice work with multimedia storytelling that spotlights historically excluded voices, most recently through her award-screened short film For My Daughter and a Spring 2025 storytelling fellowship with The 50 Percent.

Jonathan Lam | 2025

A seasoned youth organizer for immigrant justice, Jonathan coordinates Amnesty International USA’s Refugee & Migrant Rights Task Force, supports clemency campaigns with Mekong NYC, and leads statewide education-justice advocacy at the ACLU of New York.

Wardah Rahman | 2025

Wardah hosts and produces the “Persist for Passion” podcast, publishes equity-focused research, serves as a poll worker, and holds campus leadership roles, all aimed at uplifting Asian-immigrant and first-generation youth.

Loading video...

THE CIVIC FELLOWS SHOWCASE

In this extended-recap, you’ll see how youth-led ideas can spark conversation, build community power, and make civic participation more accessible and creative. From bold storytelling to innovative media projects, these Fellows prove that young people are already shaping the future of democracy.

Be a Changemaker for Good

PAST CIVIC FELLOWS

These young civic leaders launched their own community initiatives that addressed various issues young people are experiencing, using media, art, and storytelling to get their peers engaged.

A smiling individual with long, wavy hair, wearing a teal blouse. This image promotes community engagement and civic leadership through volunteerism and service opportunities.

Felicia Gambino | 2024

Felicia is the founder of "The Magician's Project," a movement dedicated to breaking the stigma on mental health to prevent suicide in young people through advocacy, education, and social media. As a Civic Fellow, Felicia created a social media series called "The Magic Reset" with the hashtag #ResetTheStigma.

A smiling individual with long dark hair and clear glasses poses in front of a light-colored textured background, wearing a black coat over a red shirt. This image represents community service and civic leadership initiatives, emphasizing volunteer opportunities.

Azul Balderas | 2024

Azul has focused her Civic Fellows project on empowering women to share their personal stories through a creative blend of photography and poetry. Azul created a mixed-media platform that showcases women's experiences and societal challenges from their point of view.

A smiling individual with long dark hair, wearing a black blazer, stands against a softly lit background featuring columns. This image promotes volunteer opportunities and community service initiatives.

Sonja Aibel | 2024

Sonja’s Civic Fellows project combined arts and data science as she worked to advance ranked-choice voting (RCV) and deepen civic engagement among teens in NYC. She looked at unused data from RCV and CUNY about how young people get involved in their communities and used that information to create eye-catching visuals that tell the story of Gen Z’s engagement.

A smiling individual wearing a black hoodie and a cap stands in an urban setting. This image represents the spirit of community service and volunteer opportunities.

Arnold Ludd | 2023

Arnold, one of our inaugural Civic Fellows and Futures Ball honoree, strategized about how to scale his program, Jiggabyte, Gloves Up Guns Down, a youth-led solution to counteract the gun violence he and his peers face in their community.

A person with a serene expression, wearing a light-colored top and a colorful headband, poses against a minimalistic background. The image represents the spirit of volunteerism and community engagement, highlighting opportunities for service and leadership.

Isoke Senghor | 2023

Isoke, one of our inaugural Civic Fellows, used media and storytelling to deepen the impact of The Village House Pantry, an organization that she created to eradicate food insecurity in New York City.

GET INVOLVED

Take action to make a difference in your community today

Take Action