The Youth Advisory Council (YAC) serves as a liaison between youth nationwide and The Trevor Project, as it relates to young people and the issues surrounding suicide, sexuality and gender identity.  The YAC submits recommendations to The Trevor Project in an effort to increase Trevor visibility and best serve the LGBTQ youth population.

The YAC is a program of the Trevor Project comprised of 18 young people ages 16-24, (to convene monthly via conference call) that will advise the organization on outreach and programmatic efforts targeted at LGBTQ youth.  Participants in the YAC will have the unique opportunity to have their voices and opinions heard and implemented into the strategies of a national organization. 

TO APPLY:

Please submit your completed application to:
Genevieve Sublette, Program Intern
The Trevor Project
Genevieve.Sublette@TheTrevorProject.org

FOUNDING MEMBERS

Isaac Ahn, 20, Gardena, CA
Isaac is 20, gay and a junior at the University of Southern California.  He is studying Creative Writing and Communication and hopes to find success and a career in the entertainment industry.  He jumped at the opportunity to join the Youth Advisory Council because he loves the mission and work that The Trevor Project does.

*Aiden Aizumi, 21
Aiden Aizumi is a 21 year old Female to Male Transman who is currently studying to become a Firefighter-Paramedic and to also obtain his Bachelor's Degree. He has a strong passion for music and movies of all types and a new love for swimming. Aiden is an active member of PFLAG, and is currently a member of the Pasadena PFLAG Executive Board. He participates in Informative Panels with PFLAG to better inform local High Schools and Colleges about the LGBTQ Community. He is proud to be part of The Trevor Project Youth Advisory Council and can't wait to see what the future holds.

*Devon Bearden, 17, AR
Devon Bearden is currently 17 years old and a senior at Little Rock Central High. She formerly served as the president and founder of her school's Gay Straight Alliance. She is at present trying to reconstruct the GSA after the teacher who served as the sponsor moved. She works constantly with the largest non-profit organization centralized around LGBTQ advocacy and social justice work in Arkansas, Center for Artistic Revolution, as well as its youth group, Diverse Youth for Social Change. Devon is a passionate artist and writer and loves to read. Activism is a huge part of her life and she's thrilled to be working with the Trevor Project's YAC.

Kyle Boyer, 21, Kalamazoo, MI
Kyle is a 21-year-old youth advocate from Kalamazoo, Michigan. Both his upbringing and work in the TBLG community are colorful and comprehensive - life experience that has given him an understanding of the diverse needs of TBLG youth in Michigan and the surrounding Great Lakes region.  One of his primary goals with his appointment to the Trevor Project's Youth Advisory Council is to use this understanding to bring attention to the needs of often marginalized and overlooked populations in the Midwest.

Ayanna Bryant, 16, Alpharetta, GA
Ayanna is 16 years old and the president of both her school’s GSA and the Young Democrats of America Club. She loves going to concerts and listening to everything from 70s Punk to Hip Hop. She is attending local photography classes in and out of school and when she is not shooting photos, she heads to the movies with plans to major in cinematography with a minor in film history in college. For the past year she has been an active team member of GLSEN’s Jumpstart Team and is excited to be apart of The Trevor Project’s YAC and can’t wait to see what’s in store for the future!

Abigail Carpenter-Winch, 17, Cambridge, MA
Abigail Carpenter-Winch is a 17-year-old activist from Cambridge, Massachusetts.  She currently works with a number of regional LGBT organizations, including the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition and the Boston Alliance of GLBT Youth.  She is also a student coordinator on the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network's national Jump-Start Leadership Team.  Abigail enjoys chocolate ice cream, biking, and travelling across the country on trains.  She graduated from Cambridge Rindge & Latin School in January 2009.

Andrew Coate, 21, Bar Harbor, ME
Andrew (Andy) is 21 and originally from Los Angeles, California.  He is currently a senior at the College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, ME where he is majoring in Human Ecology, like every other student at his school.  He currently runs Spectrum, the LGBTQ group on his campus and is a member of the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition's Youth Committee; over the summer he interned at BAGLY, the Boston Alliance of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Youth.  He's really excited about working with other LGBTQ youth leaders, and can't wait to find out what everyone is doing in their communities!  Outside fighting for LGBTQ rights, Andy loves traveling, reading, and long walks on the beach.  He is currently employed as a website designer and administrator.  Also, he's a made of awesome nerdfighter.

Ernesto Dominguez, 20, Portland, OR
Bio Forthcoming

Mackenzie Ellis, 16, Daly City, VA
Mackenzie is a senior in high school and will turn 17 in February. Mackenzie is President of her school’s GSA and is a passionate LGBTQ rights activist as well as a dedicated vegan and animal rights activist. She hopes to attend NYU in the fall to study acting and French. Mackenzie is very excited to be part of the YAC and would love to participate in outreach activities.

*Samantha Gerson16, Los Angeles, CA
Samantha Gerson is 16, lives in Los Angeles, CA and goes to a private school in West Hollywood. She identifies herself as bi, with mostly lesbian tendencies. She is a soccer player, thespian, and loves to write. One day she hopes to end up at New York University majoring in Social Work and/or Psychology. She also hopes to write an Award Winning novel, and maybe even open up a youth shelter/home for homeless gay youth. Although she doesnt have any prior experience in working with the Trevor Project, she is excited to be apart of the Youth Advisory Council, helping fellow GLBTQ all over the nation and spreading the voice of the Trevor Project.

Mikey Gonzalez, 19, Leavenworth, KS
Mikey is 19 years old and lives in Leavenworth, KS. Mikey has been out since he was 14 years old and is an “Army brat.” He got involved in Activism shortly after a suicide attempt at the age of 17. He first was a Jumpstart Student Organizer for GLSEN Nationals, then went on to started his own LGBTQSA youth organization in Kansas City in 2007 called Empowering Queer Activist and Leaders (EQUAL). The group will have their 3rd annual Empowering Summit on Feb 21, 2009. Mikey was a board member for GLSEN Kansas City, Student Of Color Organizer (SOCO) and in 2008 got two State Representatives in his area to sign on to the HR3131 for the Safe School Movement. Mikey hosted the Respect Awards in NYC this past May, and is now the President of his college’s GSA. He is in college for a Doctrine of Clinical Psychology Specializing in LGBT Affairs. He truly loves helping and talking to people. Mikey says, “I am a very down-to-earth country half Puerto Rican gay man!”

Sami Hagerman, 17, Costa Mesa, CA
Sami identifies as bisexual with lesbian tendencies. She is a senior at Back Bay High School and a very artsy person. Sami took choir and theater for four & a half years. She considers herself to be an artist on the side, who loves to draw and paint in watercolor. Sami will be attending Cal-State Fullerton in fall 2009 and plans to be an animation major. After college, she wants to be an animator for Pixar. In regards to the LGBTQ community, Sami has been co-president for Costa Mesa High School's GSA for about two years and I would love to be of more service to the community in anyway that she can.

Jonathan Harris, 22, Cottonwood, AZ
Jonathan is 22 years old and was raised in Evans, Georgia. He was very active in the ROTC Program there until graduating in 2005 and moving to Sedona, Arizona. Since then he has been an active member of the Gay Pride effort in Sedona. He plans on helping the YAC reach the youth of Arizona by going to local colleges and high schools and providing support to youth undergoing the process of coming out. Jonathan has many passions, the most important being music, the outdoors, and most importantly helping young LGBTQ people to understand that there is always someone there for them.

Leah Matz, 16, Saint Peter, MN
After beginning her career in social justice at the age of 12 with the creation of her junior high school Gay-Straight Alliance, Leah has been faithfully stomping her way along the path of social justice. In the last four years, Leah has worked with such organizations as OutFront Minnesota, Lutherans Concerned/North America, Family and Children's Services, Rainbow Families, The Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network (GLSEN), and, now, the Trevor Project. When not directly working for equality, Leah spends her time as a slam poet, drag performer, and Women's Studies/Philosophy student at both Minnesota New Country School and Gustavus Adolphus College in Saint Peter, MN.

*Blair Mishleau, 19, Chicago, IL
Blair Mishleau is 19, happily gay and a college student. He attends Columbia College Chicago, doing an interdisciplinary major between Interactive Arts & Media and Journalism. His main joys include his MacBook, photography with his Nikon, fair and accurate journalism, and gorging on food. His work in the GLBT community includes being president of his school's GSA, attending conferences such as the National Lesbian and Gay Task Force's Creating Change Conference and the National Lesbian and Gay Journalist's Convention. He is a bit nervous and really excited to work with the YAC!

Kyle Oberlander, 16, New Underwood, SD
Keil is sixteen years old and a sophomore at New Underwood High School. Going to a high school with about 150 students, he is involved in quite a few extracurriculars, some apart from school. These include National Honor Society, Youth to Youth, Choir, varsity basketball, varsity track & field, Pennington County Teen Court, Building Bridges for Peace, and All-State Choir. Keil enjoys listening to music, reading, hanging out with friends, doing the whole outdoors scene (canoeing, skiing, hiking, etc.) and helping people. His passion for helping people began through Building Bridges for Peace, so when he saw the announcement of the Trevor Project YAC on TrevorSpace, he immediately jumped to it. Keil has not done much LGBTQ work due to living in a rural state, but feels as if there's a calling for him to help those who can't find a voice. Keil is extremely happy to be a part of the YAC and looks forward to the experiences it will bring.

Kira Osburn, 23, Manhattan, KS
Kira, 23, is a recent graduate of Kansas State University with a B.A. in Social Sciences with an emphasis in Sociology. She is very excited to be a part of the YAC. She loves to read, as well as listen to music of the rock and pop-punk persuasions, particularly Fall Out Boy. She has several pets, including 4 dogs, 4 snakes, several fish and a gecko. She's considering getting her Master's degree in Social Work or Marriage and Family Therapy, but for now is happy to be managing the video store where she's worked for nearly 4 years, spending time with her boyfriend, friends and family and working hard to make The Trevor Project and the YAC an even bigger success than it already is.

Jordan Ricci, 17, New York City, NY
My name is Jordan Anthony Ricci; I am 17 and a senior at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and The Performing Arts. I'm also a part of the City At Peace Saturday cast where I act, sing, and dance while also doing different activism projects to promote change. Singing and acting are a huge part of my life, and other passions of mine are swimming, tennis and almost every type of music. I plan on attending college in the fall to obtain a degree in nursing and I also plan to minor in musical theatre. I am so excited to be a part of the Trevor Project's Youth Counsel as well as most of my friend are for me and I can't wait to get started making a difference in the lives of other LGBTQ youth through a very well establish organization such as the Trevor Project.

Will Schwiart, 17, Moore, OK
Will hails from Moore, Oklahoma. He is a very outgoing person who likes to meet new people. He is passionate about music and plays both guitar and piano. Will is also an active video blogger on YouTube and TrevorSpace on a range of topics including safe sex, HIV/AIDS, and defamatory language.

Laura Stern, 16, Glen Arbor, MI
Laura is 16, bisexual, and a junior in high school. She is passionate about animals, people, art, and writing. She wishes to major in either psychology or art when she graduates high school. She is very optimistic about the YAC and is excited to meet LGBTQ youth from all over the country.

Andrew Striker, 21, Daytona Beach, FL
Andrew Striker is 21 years old and a junior Homeland Security major at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. Founder and President of the Gay-Straight Alliance and ERAU in 07-08, Andrew is now the President of the Florida Collegiate Pride Coalition and Coordinator for the 2009 Florida Collegiate Pride Conference. Active in the gay community, he is considering taking a position in a gay activist organization upon graduation. He gives a special thanks to all those who have supported him the past few years and is proud to be a part of the Trevor Project's YAC.

Robert “Bobby” Wright, 17, Boise, ID
Bobby is a gay male living in Boise, ID. He attends both Boise High School as a Senior (after skipping his junior year) and is a Freshman at Boise State University. He works as the President and Founder of the Boise High Gay-Straight Alliance. He also runs a small business in Boise doing web design and providing computer repair services for the city. Bobby loves Anime and Manga, and works for Fandemonium! Idaho's largest Fan Convention. He is so glad to be able to work with his fellow YAC members!

*joined the YAC in September 2009

TO APPLY:

Please submit your completed application to:
Genevieve Sublette, Program Intern
The Trevor Project
Genevieve.Sublette@TheTrevorProject.org