Youth Voices Amplified

Episode 19 - Youth Leadership Across Borders

The Community Enrichment Project Episode 19

What could we accomplish if borders did not exist? Meet Anthony and Saundarya. They are high schoolers with a keen interest in giving back, and their dedication and commitment to service spans various local and global communities. 

Anthony lives in Arizona. 

Saundarya lives in India. 

They come from different cultures and countries, but they believe that borders are not obstacles, challenges, or hindrances to their work with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The borders that, for some, would seem to separate the two youth are actually differences that have helped bring them closer together. 

Tune in to listen to their stories and the advice they have for other youth around the globe who are ready to take action in their communities. 

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Anthony Dyjak is the president and founder of his high school’s UNA chapter. He has competed in many speech and debate competitions and is the Treasurer for his school's Amnesty International organization. He is also a member of his school’s Future Business Leaders of America club. He has won various geography competitions and olympiads, and has a great passion for geography, politics, and history. He has visited the United Nations Headquarters and is an advocate for fair elections, climate legislation, women's rights, LGBTQ rights, and minority rights in his local community.

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Saundarya Nair serves on the Teen Advisory Board at Girl Up Leader and as the Vice President of her school club, Flames of Justice. Her passions include advocating for gender and climate justice, the financial independence of rural women, xenophobia, and sports for a purpose. She has contributed to pilot programs on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Sports Innovation Labs, and was selected from representatives of over 120 countries to serve as a YOUNGA delegate in 2022. She has won awards at national-level debates and Model United Nations (MUNs), participated in the 2022 International Human Rights Art Festival (IHRAF) Youth Anthology, and was an honoree of the Girl Hero Awards 2022. When not engaged in activism and volunteering, she can be found reading, buried in the latest sports news, procrastinating on assignments, researching random historical trivia, and practicing Kathak or Taekwondo.