Meet The Young Women Leaders Being Honored By First Lady Jill Biden This Year
The “Girls Leading Change” honorees will be celebrated at a White House reception on Oct. 10.
If you’re looking for your daily dose of inspiration, search no further. On Oct. 10, in honor of International Day of The Girl, First Lady Jill Biden and the White House Gender Policy Council announced the lineup of young women leaders they’ll be celebrating during this year’s “Girls Leading Change” event at the White House.
These Gen Z artists, advocates, founders, and scientists, aged 14 to 17, are being celebrated for their work in shaping a brighter future, Jill Biden exclusively tells Elite Daily.
“Everywhere I travel, I see inspiring girls leading change in their communities,” Dr. Biden says. “These incredible honorees are meeting the challenges they see in the world by developing innovative new technologies, expanding access to education, erasing silence through the power of art and poetry, and more.”
After being inspired by the State Department’s International Women of Courage Award, which celebrates women across the globe, Dr. Biden wanted to create an event that recognizes young girls in the U.S. who are committed to making positive changes. This event marks the White House’s second Girls Leading Change reception.
“It is an honor to celebrate these young leaders at the White House, and I hope that their courage and determination inspires the next generation,” Dr. Biden says.
Below, learn more about the inspiring teenage leaders making changes across health care access, digital safety, disability rights, and more within their communities.
Sreenidi Bala, 16, Farmington, Connecticut
When Sreenidi Bala noticed a gap in STEM education for neurodivergent students in her school, she founded Code for All Minds in 2020, a free online platform with curriculums specifically designed for students with special needs. Now, Code for All Minds has distributed these curriculums to schools across the U.S.
Cheyenne Anderson, 17, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Artist and photographer Cheyenne Anderson, Iztac Citlali (White Star) is working to amplify the voices of underrepresented groups (like those who share her Chicana, Mexica, and Apache heritage) and encourage storytelling through art. Her book South Valley spotlights poetry and artwork by young community members celebrating the diversity of Albuquerque’s South Valley.
Emily Austin, 17, Alcabideche, Portugal
Emily Austin, the daughter of a U.S. Navy service member, serves as the chief of staff at Bloom, an organization that inspires and connects teens from military families. To foster community and peer support within the organization, she started Bloom’s Ambassador program.
Noel Demetrio, 17, Lake Forest, Illinois
Noel Demetrio is the founder of Project Xenia, a nonprofit that encourages students to welcome refugees into their community. The program is also funding scholarships for Ukrainian refugee children in Chicago.
Pragathi Kasani-Akula, 17, Cumming, Georgia
After her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, scientist Pragathi Kasani-Akula created a prototype to detect triple negative breast cancer that’s both less invasive and less expensive than current options. The 17-year-old, who’s passionate about making health care more accessible, teamed up with the ScioVirtual Foundation to teach an online epidemiology class to students across the country.
Serena Griffin, 17, Oakland, California
Serena Griffin is the founder of EmpowHer Poets, a free after-school program in the Bay area that uplifts young girls of color through poetry, songwriting, and storytelling.
Meghna "Chili," 17, & Siona “Dolly” Pramoda, 18, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
Meghna "Chili" Pramoda and Siona “Dolly” Pramoda founded SafeTeensOnline (STO), a nonprofit that educates teens about online safety and privacy. During COVID, they widened their reach and began teaching digital literacy to older members of their community, too.
Kira Tiller, 18, Gainesville, Virginia
After realizing the flashing lights at school fire drills could trigger epileptic seizures, Kira Tiller sprung to action to protect students in similar situations. The 18-year-old founded Disabled Disrupters, a national youth-led coalition that advocates for disability rights legislation in education.
Morgaine Wilkins-Dean, 18, Denver, Colorado
After experiencing three active shooter events — and losing two classmates from these incidents — Morgaine Wilkins-Dean began advocating for gun violence prevention and safe gun storage policies. As a result of her hard work, a new policy went into effect in her community this school year where Denver Public Schools are required to educate families on the risks of having firearms at home.
