OUR STAFF

Through her decade-long journey in educational programming, Lauren has noticed that the most common (and important) question that young people ask in a classroom is why are we doing this?  Her experience has taught her that the most impactful and revolutionary educational experiences come when programming and curriculum are intentionally designed with this question in mind.  She was drawn to Generation Citizen because of its focus on making the democratic process relevant and accessible to all students, particularly those who have historically been silenced or ignored. A longtime follower of American political debate, Lauren is also happy to be able to bring that passion and knowledge to her work.

Lauren is a fifth-generation Californian, and a graduate of both the University of California, Los Angeles, where she earned her B.A. in English, and the University of California at Berkeley, where she earned her California Teaching Credential and M.A. in Education with a focus on Language, Literacy, and Culture.  Prior to GC, Lauren spent 3 years at Year Up, a workforce development non-profit, where she trained, counseled, and supported more than 150 young people to start new careers. Before that, she spent 4 years as a 9^th grade English and History teacher at Oakland Technical High School, where she and her team revamped existing curriculum into a more relevant, thematic, and rigorous student experience.

After a childhood in the agricultural San Joaquin Valley and a few years in Los Angeles, Lauren has been a proud East Bay resident since 2010 and has no intention of leaving anytime soon. In her spare time, you can find her writing personal essays and short stories, reading good books, perusing fancy grocery stores, walking around Lake Merritt, and planning her next international trip.

Megan came to Generation Citizen in 2018 straight out of the classroom, having taught 9th grade Social Studies at Colorado River Collegiate Academy, an early college high school in Bastrop, TX. She played an integral role in GC coming to her campus after learning more about the program through a 2016 civic workshop held at the White House. Through her time working as a GC teacher, she saw her students truly understand the important role they play in their local community. Serving as the civic education leader in her district, she provided students additional opportunities to be active changemakers through partnerships with the University of Texas and the Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life. A few of her career highlights include being awarded the 2016-2017 Bastrop ISD Secondary Teacher of the Year, receiving the first-ever TX GC Teacher Change Maker award in 2017, and watching her well-deserving students receive the 2017 GC Class Change Maker award.

Megan’s passion lies in providing underrepresented youth with opportunities to lead and succeed, working with one of her GC class projects on starting a youth advisory council with the City of Bastrop. She feels that GC opens doors for students who may have historically had them closed and she’s excited to bring her civic and classroom knowledge to her Regional Program Manager position.

She has lived in Iowa, Tennessee, and Texas, currently residing in the Dallas area. She received a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice Administration, and a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology, both from Middle Tennessee State University. Megan also has 8 years of community college teaching under her belt, working in both TN and TX. She enjoys spending time with her husband and 2 rambunctious daughters (Sophia & Chloe), hunting for new flavors of kombucha, and planning her next international adventure!

Daniela Hernandez first came to Generation Citizen as a Democracy Coach and Chapter Director for the St. Edward’s University chapter in 2017 where she served her chapter for five semesters. While her time there she worked to ensure our Democracy Coaches felt prepared and supported to go into the classrooms. She then joined the Central Texas as a Program Associate after graduating with her Bachelors in 2019.

While completing her undergrad, Daniela worked with various organizations to protect the most vulnerable communities. Through this she developed a passion for civics, education, and policy, wanting to change the systems that were in place that were hurting the most vulnerable communities. This led her to the Texas State Capitol where she worked on education, healthcare, immigration, and social welfare policy.

Daniela was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. She loves her communities and where she comes from, which is why she so excited about working with youth and helping to elevate their voice. She also enjoys embroidering, hiking Texas’ beautiful trails and parks, and spending time with her dog, Roosevelt.

​Arielle developed a love for civic engagement early in life when her high school offered civic action opportunities inside and outside of the school day. She was personally empowered and realized the importance of youth voice but saw that many youth did not have access to these experiences and when they did were often marginalized from having real decision-making power. Arielle believes that our schools have a civic mission to fulfill to teach young people how to be life-long civic actors. Arielle is particularly excited to be part of Generation Citizen because of its dedication to high quality programming​​ and its voice in the national movement to see action-based civics in every classroom.

Arielle​has been working in the nonprofit and civic engagement field for ten years. She ​earned her master’s degree in Education from Harvard Graduate School of Education and her bachelor’s degree in psychology from The George Washington University with a minor in ​​human ​services. Early in Arielle’s career, she worked with nonprofits in Boston and Washington DC addressing issues of food insecurity, homelessness and ex-offender workforce re-entry. It was ​t​here she realized the importance of ​underrepresented voices taking ​political action ​to create long-term change around ​issues that affect them. She has since worked in ​K-12 ​schools and universities promoting youth voice and civic action ​both domestically and in the U.K.
When she is not working, Arielle enjoys walking her dog, playing soccer, listening to This American Life, and traveling​.

Keith Chappelle comes to Generation Citizen after working for Democracy North Carolina, the North Carolina Democratic Party, and Children’s HealthWatch at Boston Medical Center. As a former Community Organizer and Policy Analyst, Keith gained experience in advocacy at the grassroots and grasstops on a variety of issues ranging from fair and accessible elections and increasing the Massachusetts Earned Income Tax Credit to improve the health of families in Massachusetts.

Keith is thrilled to be part of Generation Citizen because he believes getting students excited and involved in the civics process will develop new leaders, strengthen our democracy, and improve the well-being of the nation.

Keith was born and raised in North Carolina and graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. When Keith is not working, he is out walking his dog, at a record store or bookstore, or trying his hand at a new recipe.

Carra has always understood education to be a vehicle for social justice, and she is thrilled to apply that ideology to her work in actions civics. A former teacher, Carra loves that her role as MA Program Manager at Generation Citizen allows her to exercise her passion for the empowerment of young people and still lets her focus on curriculum development and meaningful, student-centered learning.

Before joining Generation Citizen, Carra spent five years teaching English literature and one semester as a program manager at the nonprofit Tutors for All, which aims to defeat the achievement gap in Boston public schools. While teaching in a large, diverse high school in the greater Boston area, she also spent two years coaching Model Congress students beyond the classroom and into civic engagement. Carra was continuously awed by what her Model Congress students accomplished when they combined passion with thoughtful action. Working at GC means expanding these efforts, beyond those students with a natural proclivity for political action, to all students, especially those who don’t see a place for themselves in civic engagement.

Carra is originally from central Connecticut and received both her BA in Secondary Education and English Literature and Ed.M in Curriculum and Instruction from Boston College. When she’s not pondering the future of our democracy, you can find her with her nose in a book, on her yoga mat, or walking her dog Scout on the beach.

As a former high school educator, Jason deeply cares about underrepresented young people receiving more meaningful and purposeful educational experiences. He believes students transform their lives when they are given spaces to engage their passionate voices through project-based learning. Too often, Jason witnessed our most vulnerable young people lacking opportunities to take charge of their own learning through topics that mattered to them, and he thinks this is where the real learning and growth occurs. He is very enthusiastic to be part of Generation Citizen because he believes when students have a chance to genuinely and actively engage in civic issues in their school and community, then young people are empowered to strengthen our democracy and develop their capacity for self-actualization.

For over a decade, Jason taught at Brockton High School and Cambridge Rindge & Latin School prior to becoming Program Director at Generation Citizen. He has earned his master’s degree in the Language and Literacy program at Harvard Graduate School of Education and his master’s degree in English and education at University of Massachusetts–Boston. Since the beginning of his career in education, Jason has stressed the importance of students feeling excited, challenged, and deeply-involved in their learning. He believes Generation Citizen will play an integral role with providing more students with these types of experiences in school.

When Jason is not working, he enjoys hiking and traveling with his wife and daughter, playing guitar, and having moments to just sit and be still with a good book while listening to his eclectic taste in music.

Angela is from Miami, FL and is a child of Peruvian immigrants. Having grown up surrounded by an incredibly diverse set of experiences, learning from difference was a critical part of her childhood and adolescence. Now, as a queer Latina, she advocates for the importance of equity and inclusion not only for herself, but for the students who see themselves in her. As such, Generation Citizen’s commitment to teaching skills for advocacy and action to all students is one that she is deeply connected to and passionate about.

Angela comes to Generation Citizen having graduated from Harvard College (’19) where she studied Anthropology with a minor Women and Gender Studies. Apart from her academic endeavors, Angela’s involvement in myriad student communities shaped her experiences as an undergraduate. Participation in peer mentoring, departmental pedagogical initiatives, and public service organizations gave her opportunities to contribute to those communities and to grow into her identities as a young adult. She credits her time interning for the Right Question Institute, an inquiry-based education non-profit, and her experiences as a summer school teacher in Cambridge with cementing her dedication to finding ways to improve K-12 education.

When she’s not working, Angela enjoys finding new music to listen to, cooking food that reminds her of home, and dreaming up new adventures to go on with her partner.

Ellie comes to GC from working with various urban education-based non-profit organizations, including three years at Jumpstart as a Corps Member and a Team Leader, where she led a group of college students in providing targeted and intentional supplemental curriculum to preschool children. After graduating, she invested a year of service with City Year Boston, where she spent a year growing and fostering various initiatives at a first-year turnaround elementary school in Dorchester, MA. As a Corps Member, Ellie created, delivered, and evaluated a wide array of services to students in an effort to support their academic success and inhibit the high school dropout crisis.

Ellie is inspired by Generation Citizen’s mission to provide urban youth with the adequate resources to engage with the democratic system, so that they can become active citizens and leaders. Her passion stems from her experiences with education as a low-income youth from a primarily Latino/a community in Los Angeles. She firmly believes that our democracy can grow, benefit, and change for the better through empowering youth to become advocates for their communities.

Ellie hails from El Monte, CA. She graduated from UCLA where she earned a B.A. in English Literature. In her spare time, she likes to check-out local breweries, play rugby, and spend hours trying to figure out what to watch on Netflix.

DeNora is a native New Yorker and passionate advocate who over the last decade has fought to improve our democracy at the national, state and local level.

Like many of GC’s students, she was in high school when she had her “light bulb moment” about the importance of being a strong advocate and how to mount an advocacy campaign to seek change.

DeNora attended John Jay College of Criminal Justice and Fordham University School of Law. She cut her teeth working on local democracy and government reform for former New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn. Throughout her career, DeNora has shaped state and local policy on a host of reform issues, including as Campaign manager & Legislative Counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, Policy Director for then-Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, Policy Director at Citizens Union, Legislative Director at the New York State Trial Lawyers Association, and Legislative Attorney for the New York City Council’s Governmental Operations Committee. She has worked to modernize state voting and campaign finance laws; increase government accountability and transparency; improve New York City’s education and social welfare systems; and enhance police accountability and oversight. During her democracy and social justice travels, DeNora has contributed to the New York Times’ City blog, Huffington Post, the Des Moines Register, Newsday, and Gotham Gazette.

DeNora values giving back to her community. She serves as a board member of Union Settlement and Planned Parenthood NYC Votes. She also volunteers with the New York Junior League and with the Greater New York Chapter of the Links, Inc., where she works to improve outcomes for and provide opportunities to underserved young adults.

DeNora is a mother of three who lives on New York’s Upper West Side with her husband, Mark. In her non-existent free time, DeNora enjoys traveling to relaxing beach destinations, reading, and trying random fitness classes.

Dairanys Grullon-Virgil is from the Dominican Republic who came to New York at the age of 13 years old. She is passionate about gender equality, education and the arts. She is a nonprofit professional, community organizer and social entrepreneur with a background in international studies and non-profit management. As part of her passion for music, she founded Mi Gente! Latinx Music Festival.

Dairanys graduated with a Master’s in Public Administration and Nonprofit Management from the Marxe School of Public and International Affairs at Baruch College (CUNY). As an undergraduate student, she volunteered for two years as an AmeriCorps member at Grant Street Settlement and in 2012 received the Obama AmeriCorps Award of the year. As a Program Coordinator at generationOn, the youth and family division at Points of Light, Dairanys helped manage multiple campaigns and initiatives to inspire youth to get involve and bring positive changes to their community.

Dairanys believes that more than ever youth need access to tools and resources to help them become strong community-minded and active civic leaders. She believes that Generation Citizen provides a tangible opportunity for young people to take action and make the changes that they want to see happening in their community.

Dairanys loves traveling as it is for her the best way to educate yourself about the livelihoods of different cultures and see the world from a different perspective.

Prior to joining Generation Citizen, Martin spent seven years in the classroom as a middle school Social Studies teacher in The Bronx.  During his time there, he was an advocate for his students and believes that every child deserves an education that provides them with the skills, experiences, and knowledge to create a better future.

Through his work in the classroom and a special focus on the connection between education and social justice, Martin fostered youth engagement in politics and in their communities.  Outside of work, he has channeled this passion into an involvement in advocacy work with Organizing for Equity, NY (OFENY), a community-organizing group which aims to create a more equitable education system for the children of New York City through political and social action.

As a teacher, Martin used his classroom as a student-centered place to connect the past to many issues facing his students and the world today. He is excited to expand upon his work within and for the New York school system in his role at Generation Citizen.

A graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, Martin is originally from Atlanta but has called New York his home for the past seven years.  When he’s not in the office, you can find him eating his way around New York City, going to concerts, and exploring the city by bike.

Jessica was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. She lived in North Carolina for undergraduate school, where she attended Bennett College. During her time in both high school and college her interest for youth education and advocacy grew. As a college student, she learned the importance using her voice to empower and uplift others to take action. From registering voters in primary and national elections to attending campus town hall meetings.

After undergrad, Jessica became an Americorp Success Mentor to students in the same school in which she had graduated from years ago. Her passion for youth advocacy and social justice stems from her parents, who have always advocated for change in their community. They encouraged her to know who her local and state stakeholders were and how to collaborate with others to create a more equitable community. Through Generation Citizen, Jessica hopes to educate and inspire young people to believe in their voices to make a lasting impact.

Jessica loves the arts! She can often be found singing,or dancing to your favorite songs. She loves to travel, paint and spending quality time with family and friends.

Lo joins the Providence RI team by way of her hometown, Chicago IL, where she spent the past few years teaching at a private academy & preschool working with 2-5 year old future leaders of America. Prior to that, her initial introduction with working in a school atmosphere was through a work-study program at a historically black boarding high school she attended called The Piney Woods School. Her positions were the assistant and receptionist to the Vice President and Provost as well as preschool caregiver. This led to what would be 10+ years working with students from cradle to career.

During her Undergrad career she worked at the Center for Transformative Learning as senior office staff focusing on events, workshops, presentations and overall student support. Outside of that she was a creative writing TA with the English Department. As Event Coordinator she realized students and community members had a strong desire to learn more about how to publish or work in the publishing industry on an independent level which lead to Lo creating the first independent publishing conference at her college, and, later co-founding Bobtown Arts, a non-profit Artist in Residency where artists from the Appalachian region have access to the land and its facility to create independently and collaboratively with other artists through fellowship. Overall, Lo has a passion for ensuring underprivileged groups have access to resources and avenues that will contribute to their passions, beliefs, growth, career path and overall personal journey.

Lo attended Berea College where she double majored in English with a concentration in Creative Writing and Communications with and emphasis in Documentary Film. During this period in her life she was introduced to civics engagement, social entrepreneurship, an activism through a fellowship program EPG (Entrepreneurship for the Public Good) and organizations like the BSU (Black Student Union), PULSE (Pride, Unity, Love, & Social Equality) and The Harvey Milk Society. She will be serving as a Brown VISTA Fellow with the Providence RI team and looks forward to being an asset as well as learning how to better support Democracy Coaches as they delve into action civics engagement with our partnered schools.

Kristina is a licensed social worker in Rhode Island with over seven years of nonprofit and youth development experience.  She has dedicated her educational goals and career path to providing youth with an array of advocacy, career, and educational opportunities through leadership development and mentorship.

After earning her B.A, in Sociology from Bryant University, Kristina dedicated a year of service through the City Year program, mentoring and tutoring in a sixth-grade classroom at DelSesto Middle School in Rhode Island. She then went to Boston University and earned her Master’s in Social Work with a focus on macro practice.

She continued her passion to elevate the power of youth voice working as a youth community organizer in Boston, MA advocating for summer youth employment opportunities, environmental justice, and affordable public transit.  She then spent three years working for Year Up Providence, supporting young adults on their journey into the corporate workforce by providing social services, access to community resources and mental health counseling.

In joining Generation Citizen in Rhode Island, she is excited to continue to foster these community relationships and uplift the youth voice through Action Civics.  In her free time, she loves trying new foods, playing soccer and running.

Scott is the Chief Executive Officer of Generation Citizen. He co-founded the organization at Brown University with fellow student Anna Ninan during their senior year, working with students in the local Providence community. From that starting point in 2008, Scott has grown Generation Citizen to become one of the preeminent civics education organizations in the country, promoting Action Civics across diverse geographies through best-in-class programming and concrete policy change. Scott has served as a Social Entrepreneur in Residence at Brown University and Tufts University, and published a book in 2019, Generation Citizen: The Power of Youth in Politics.

Scott was named an Echoing Green Fellow in 2010, and a Draper Richards Kaplan Fellow in 2012. He continues to write on subjects ranging youth political engagement to African politics to sports, and has been published and featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, the Christian Science Monitor, Education Week, the New York Daily News, Huffington Post, San Diego Union Tribune, Sports Illustrated, Philadelphia Inquirer, and the Providence Journal.

Scott’s passion for the importance of youth political engagement stems from his experience growing up abroad. After his father joined the State Department, Scott lived throughout Latin America and Africa, learning about diverse cultures and peoples. In 2002, Scott served as an observer in the first truly democratic elections in Kenya’s history, where he began to recognize the transformative potential of democracy. He also witnessed a coup in Ecuador in 2005, and met with opposition members during run-off elections in Zimbabwe in 2008. These experiences persuaded Scott of both the fragility and power of democracy, a lesson he attempts to apply everyday as he builds and improves upon Generation Citizen’s work.

Josh has over 15 years of nonprofit management experience working with national education and youth development nonprofits, including Teach For America, Youthbuild USA, and Peace First. He led the launch of a national fellowship program for young leaders at Peace First, scaled up Teach For America’s alumni giving and volunteerism programs, and managed technical assistance to over 100 YouthBuild programs.  Josh received his BA from Williams College and his MBA from the Yale School of Management.  Josh was also chair of the Young Nonprofit Professional Network’s national board during a period of rapid expansion, and led the Development and Search Committee for The Food Project.

A lifelong follower and debater of politics, nationally and locally, Josh is excited to support Generation Citizen’s mission of engaging young people in fashioning solutions to community challenges in partnership with local and state government.  His experience working with youth from diverse backgrounds in each of his roles, and seeing how their voices broadened the conversation, grounds his commitment to ensuring that our civic institutions are representative and responsive to all of their constituents.

Josh grew up in Guilford, Connecticut and lives outside Boston with his wife and newborn son. In his free time he enjoys hiking, coffee snobbery and wine tasting.

Andrew Wilkes serves as Generation Citizen’s Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy, where he leads GC’s thought leadership, coalition building, and policy initiatives as a part of the national leadership team. Andrew comes to this role with nearly ten years of experience in public policy, advocacy, and community organizing, particularly among congregations and community-based organizations. Prior to joining GC in 2017, he served as the executive director of the Drum Major Institute, a social change organization founded by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In that capacity, he executed public affairs events in Dallas, TX and Washington D.C. to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act; established the Beloved Community Initiative, a national resource on spirituality and social justice for faith communities; and relaunched the nationally renowned Marketplace of Ideas Forum – a forum for bringing policy ideas to an audience of changemakers, policy professionals, and nonprofit leaders.

As a Senior Grants Manager at The American Red Cross of Greater New York, he worked with elected officials, public agencies, and community stakeholders to administer a $45 million budget for Superstorm Sandy recovery in New York state and Connecticut. Before that, he worked at Habitat for Humanity – New York City, where he mobilized 140 faith communities across the city to serve, donate, and advocate for affordable housing.

Andrew is a graduate of Hampton University, Princeton Theological Seminary, the CORO public affairs fellowship, and is a doctoral candidate in political science at the Graduate Center, City University of New York. He also serves on the board of directors for the Labor-Religion Coalition of New York State and Habitat for Humanity – New York State.

Isa joined Generation Citizen in 2017 as Finance Manager. She spends her time building and refining GC’s financial management systems, from budgets to audit and beyond. Prior to GC, Isa worked in operations at Venture for America, a nonprofit startup where she wore many hats – finance, HR, amateur IT support, and more. She got her start as a campus organizer with the California Student Public Interest Research Group, recruiting and training students to run campaigns to promote clean energy and increase youth voter turnout. Her time as a community organizer cemented her passion for youth civic education, and she’s excited to be part of building GC’s operational infrastructure as the program scales.

Isa grew up in Vermont and received her B.A. in politics from Pomona College. When not buried in a spreadsheet, she can be found hiking, camping, and exploring new neighborhoods in the city.

Megan came to Generation Citizen in 2018 straight out of the classroom, having taught 9th grade Social Studies at Colorado River Collegiate Academy, an early college high school in Bastrop, TX. She played an integral role in GC coming to her campus after learning more about the program through a 2016 civic workshop held at the White House. Through her time working as a GC teacher, she saw her students truly understand the important role they play in their local community. Serving as the civic education leader in her district, she provided students additional opportunities to be active changemakers through partnerships with the University of Texas and the Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life. A few of her career highlights include being awarded the 2016-2017 Bastrop ISD Secondary Teacher of the Year, receiving the first-ever TX GC Teacher Change Maker award in 2017, and watching her well-deserving students receive the 2017 GC Class Change Maker award.

Megan’s passion lies in providing underrepresented youth with opportunities to lead and succeed, working with one of her GC class projects on starting a youth advisory council with the City of Bastrop. She feels that GC opens doors for students who may have historically had them closed and she’s excited to bring her civic and classroom knowledge to her Regional Program Manager position.

She has lived in Iowa, Tennessee, and Texas, currently residing in the Dallas area. She received a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice Administration, and a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology, both from Middle Tennessee State University. Megan also has 8 years of community college teaching under her belt, working in both TN and TX. She enjoys spending time with her husband and 2 rambunctious daughters (Sophia & Chloe), hunting for new flavors of kombucha, and planning her next international adventure!

As Generation Citizen’s Talent Manager, Dana supports GC employees in turning the basic principles of GC’s mission inward, ensuring employees at all levels and across all identities have the resources to feel empowered, developed, and engaged.

Prior to joining GC in January 2019, Dana worked as a writer and college instructor, and most recently comes from Education Pioneers, where she worked for four years in a variety of human resources, executive support, and operations roles.

Dana believes that equity and inclusion must be a part of the fabric of a team’s systems and operations in order for an organization to achieve long-term, sustainable impact and reach its full potential, and believes that a diverse team is critical for innovation and effectiveness. Through that lens, she brings a deep commitment to supporting GC employees in creating a high-performing, equitable, diverse and developmental workplace that they are proud of (and excited to come to!) each day, as well as ensuring GC attracts and retains the talent needed to carry out its mission.

Dana received her BA in Psychology from Rutgers University and her MFA in Poetry from Sarah Lawrence College. Outside of work, Dana trains Muay Thai, Googles everything, and tries to live by the words of the poet Frank O’Hara…”Grace/to be born and live as variously as possible”.

As Impact Manager, Liz leads program evaluation, research, and knowledge management to inform internal and external organizational development strategies. Prior to joining Generation Citizen in 2018, Liz completed her Master’s in International Development Planning from NYU Wagner, during which she supported social justice projects at the World Bank, 100 Resilient Cities, and Women’s World Banking. She brings a range of experience collaborating with diverse stakeholders to translate strategy and learning objectives into data driven initiatives and tools.

An urban planner with a background in gender equity and community development, Liz is passionate about advancing holistic and participatory systems change strategies that address inequality and build local resilience. Liz began her career in grassroots philanthropy at The New York Women’s Foundation, including serving one year as an AmeriCorps VISTA Fellow. Her commitment to supporting locally authored solutions and inclusive development is grounded in her experiences in mediation and deliberative democracy work. Having seen firsthand the power of community led change, Liz is excited to be supporting youth agency through Generation Citizen’s Action Civics program.

A native Midwesterner, Liz graduated from Indiana University with a B.A. in Communications and Culture, and Political and Civic Engagement. Liz has called New York home for the past five years and in her free time can be found baking, reading, and organizing with her Feminist Urbanist group.

Brandon is the the Vote16USA Campaign Manager at Generation Citizen. In this role, he leads the initiative to lower the voting age, including supporting youth-led campaigns, publishing resources for advocates, and leading a Youth Advisory Board comprised of activists from around the country. He joined Generation Citizen in 2015 to support the launch of Vote16USA. He also contributes to the organization’s work to advance Action Civics education through state level policy nationwide. He is inspired every day by young people working to strengthen their democracy.

Brandon fondly remembers collecting his first petition signature as a second grader upset about a proposal by Major League Baseball to eliminate his favorite team, and has had a taste for political action ever since. In his free time he enjoys good books and running along the Charles River. He graduated from American University with a B.S. in Public Health.

Bonnie first joined Generation Citizen in 2016 as a NYC Program Associate recruiting, training and supporting Democracy Coaches. She also contributed to curricular resources by co-creating and authoring a post-election 2-day lesson packaged entitled “Beyond the Ballot” to help equip and motivate students to stay involved after elections. Bonnie currently works as a Manager of National Program Development expanding Generation Citizen’s national programming through the creation and implementation of teacher professional development, curriculum updates, and supporting new partnerships for teacher-led and remote programming.

Bonnie first developed her passion for student action driven education programs while in college studying Secondary Education Social Sciences at Auburn University in Auburn, AL. (War Eagle!) Her studies focused on utilizing the social sciences to help students become analytical thinkers who apply their knowledge to participate proactively in their communities. Prior to GC, Bonnie spent 5 years as a public school teacher in Nashville, TN educating high school seniors in American Government and Politics and coaching students in mock national and international governments through Model United Nations and Youth in Government. Watching young adults develop their own world views and civic identities as well as discover their power and role in the political process was inspiring and a motivating factor for Bonnie in coming on board with GC.

In addition to her passion for civic engagement, Bonnie enjoys reading historical fiction, taking road trips, cooking pad thai, and drinking bubbly water. #Lacroix4Life. Bonnie works remotely from her hometown of Nashville, TN and frequently competes with her co-worker/dog Gracie for employee of the month.

Juanita joined Generation Citizen in 2017 after teaching 8th grade Social Studies for five years. She taught GC classes for three years at Roger Williams Middle School, which was known for their strong GC projects, polished Civics Day presentations, and being the winningest school in the state. Juanita’s classes brought home awards every Civics Day, and in a single semester, she earned both the coveted Class Change Maker and Teacher Change Maker awards. Her passion for GC led to an invitation to the Rhode Island Board, which she continues to serve on, and collaboration on several curriculum-based projects. Officially joining the GC team only seemed natural!

Juanita is highly versed and trained in project-based learning, culturally responsive teaching, activities-based learning, and question formulation techniques. Through Generation Citizen, her students founded a Student Council, met with district officials to discuss strategies for increasing teacher diversity, and testified to the Superintendent and School Board about closing the achievement gap between English Language Learners and their peers. What has made Juanita truly most proud is the long-lasting impact GC has made on her students.

Juanita lives in Providence with her two fantabulous kids, Lydia and Elias, her grandpa, mother, sister, and niece because it takes a village to raise children (plus Benji, an adorably fun-loving adopted Lhasa Apso). As a proud Rhode Islander, she spends time exploring the many gems the Ocean State has to offer with her family and friends. Juanita loves taking walks through historic Roger Williams Park and experimenting with new recipes.

Caitlin joined the team in 2014 as Bay Area Program Director, and now serves on the National team as GC’s Chief of Staff. Having grown up in a family of teachers, public advocates, professors, and military officers, Caitlin discovered a sense of civic identity and responsibility at an early age. She was drawn to Generation Citizen because it is an organization that fundamentally believes in the power and agency of young people, particularly those from historically marginalized groups, to lead change in their communities.

Prior to GC, Caitlin was at the San Francisco Education Fund, learning the ins-and-outs of the San Francisco public school system, designing and leading community volunteer trainings, and building strategic partnerships with teachers, school leaders, and students throughout the city’s southeast neighborhoods. Before moving to the Bay Area, Caitlin spent two years teaching English at a primary school in rural northern Thailand, where she first developed a passion for youth development and education (as well as spicy food and motorbikes).

Caitlin grew up in San Diego, and earned her B.A. in Anthropology and a Certificate in American Studies from Princeton University. She has been a proud Oakland resident since 2012. In her free time, you can find her hanging out in her neighborhood (preferably dog-friendly places) and planning her next trip abroad

Shara serves as the Finance and Operations Associate on GC’s national team. She believes that elevating the voices of underserved populations is vital to a functioning democracy. In college, she worked as a student volunteer in nearby prisons, where she taught incarcerated individuals the basics of public speaking and advocacy. During the summer, she worked with a community organizing nonprofit to help familiarize Buffalo residents with political institutions to help them advocate for themselves in local government.

Shara completed her BS in Policy Analysis and Management at Cornell University, studying econometrics and policy analysis. She is excited to be able to combine her passions for community-based advocacy and spreadsheets in her role as the Finance and Operations Associate.

Amy joined Generation Citizen in 2016 in furtherance of her professional and personal passion for empowering youth and providing opportunities through education. She began her career with Project Transformation, a community oriented summer day camp focused on building literacy among elementary-aged children from Oklahoma’s low-income urban neighborhoods. Long a community volunteer in a variety of capacities, she currently chairs an organization which operates a food pantry and provides no cost eye care (and other services) to Oklahoma City’s working poor.

Amy is proud to be at the forefront of Generation Citizen’s expansion to the Sooner State. Perpetuating the optimism and resilience of her pioneer forebears, she believes teaching Oklahoma’s youth to engage civically will improve their lives and equip Oklahoma with a new generation of leaders.

Amy holds a B.A. in Letters from the University of Oklahoma and a Masters in Religious Education from Oklahoma City University. She enjoys adventures with her husband and two boys, knitting, cooking dinner with friends, and cheering on the OKC Thunder.

Elizabeth joined Generation Citizen in 2017, as Oklahoma Senior Program Associate. She has cultivated her passion for a civically informed and engaged Oklahoma through collegiate teaching, local advocacy, and working the polls. Elizabeth has seen Oklahoma’s low voter turnout first-hand, and believes that empowering young people to speak for themselves and their communities will sustainably strengthen our state.

Because creative problem solving and critical thinking are fundamental pieces of lasting civic engagement, Elizabeth is proud to be a member of and volunteer with a number of Oklahoma City’s arts sector projects. Through professional and personal commitments, she strives to always celebrate human agency by celebrating human diversity and creativity.

Elizabeth holds a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies from Oklahoma Baptist University and an M.S. in Applied Anthropology from the University of North Texas. As an adopted Oklahoman, Elizabeth digs the state’s music, art, food, and long vegetable-growing season.