Youth Advisory Board

The Washington Ethnic Studies Now (WAESN) Youth Advisory Board (YAB) is made up of students from Washington State who meet monthly to share their work and ideas around supporting Ethnic Studies and racial justice in Washington Schools, helping advise the WAESN Executive Team’s steps for expansion.

We have a unique opportunity as the WAESN Youth Advisory Board to speak our goals and dreams into reality. As a new organization, we have the flexibility and power to create a better future for minoritized students.

Want to join the YAB? Click here.

Ainslee Nguyen

she/her

Garfield High School, Seattle

Ainslie Nguyen is a 9th grader at Garfield High School. She plays in ultimate frisbee and wants to support her local community by promoting the appreciation and understanding among different races. Ainslie wants to achieve social equity at her school. She has knocked on doors before to spread awareness on the labor abuse occurring at Driscoll Berries’ farms.

Alexis Mburu

she/her

Foster High School, Tukwila

Alexis Mburu is an 11th grader at Foster High School in Tukwila, WA. She is a part of the Black Student Union leadership team at FHS, a member of the Washington State NAACP Youth Council, and on the Tukwila Children’s Foundation Youth Grant making Board.

Tara Ryan

they/them

Henry Foss High School, Tacoma

Tara Ryan is a senior at Henry Foss High, and seeks opportunities to be dedicated to organizations and movements creating greater societal change and building community. They’ve found their passions lay at the intersections of applied math, data science, and equity. These have led them to WAESN, the Mayor’s Youth Commission of Tacoma, The Washington Bus, and the Washington Student Math Association. They joined WAESN to push for ethnic studies curriculum in Tacoma and collaborate with students and educators across the state and nation on loving, joyous, anti-racist, and student of color centered education.