THE 2025

CIVIC FELLOWS

Meet the three young leaders who are currently developing and implementing 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 are currently engaging in a structured fellowship, where they are utilizing media, art, and storytelling to boost the participation of their peers under 25 in community and civic life, and are receiving 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.

WHAT THEY'RE DOING

Participating in Structured Meetings

From August 2025 to October 2025, fellows will participate in structured meetings to share their progress, receive feedback, and learn from industry experts on topics such as project management, advocacy, and media storytelling.

Implementing Their Own Civic Project

Fellows will develop and implement their own civic project using media, art, or storytelling to drive civic engagement.

Leading Presentations

Fellows will serve as leaders in events, including a final showcase where they will present their projects to an audience of their peers, mentors, and DoSomething staff.

Receiving Personalized Coaching

Civic Fellows will engage in regular progress reporting and receive personalized coaching to help them refine and execute their projects.

THE 411

Fellows Will Receive:

‣ $1,150 total compensation for their participation.
‣ Live training sessions with renowned artists, storytellers, and civic leaders to help develop their skills and amplify their work.
‣ The opportunity to showcase their projects at a final presentation, with visibility on DoSomething.org and within our broader network.
‣ A community of like-minded changemakers and mentors that support their journey.

The Civic Fellows are:

‣ NYC residents aged 17-25 who are all committed to civic engagement, with a passion for using media, art, or storytelling to inspire change.
‣ Individuals with a clear concept of a civic project they wanted to pursue, or those who have already begun such work in their communities.
‣ Availability to participate in all program activities.

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

Make a difference in your community and add your vision to the future of our democracy

Join DoSomething

Contribute to the Youth Agenda