2022 NYC Votes Youth Ambassadors Announced

08/22/2022

The NYC Campaign Finance Board announces that 19 young leaders have been selected for the 2022 NYC Votes Youth Ambassadors program. The ambassadors will serve as voting experts in their communities and organize voter mobilization events during the 2022 election season. The 2022 class of Youth Ambassadors range in age from 14 to 19 and attend NYC public high schools.

"The young leaders in the NYC Votes Youth Ambassadors program are incredibly motivated to lift up their communities through activism," said Olivia Brady, a youth voter coordinator for NYC Votes. "The Ambassadors will learn how to help the people in their schools and neighborhoods recognize and use their political power to make a difference."

The Youth Ambassadors will host get out the vote events in their schools, places of worship, and local libraries throughout the summer and fall. The 2022 NYC Votes Youth Ambassadors hail from all five boroughs and speak seven different languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Bengali, Arabic, Urdu, and Russian. The Ambassadors will conduct voter outreach in all languages available to them.

The Ambassadors will visit educational sites and hear from guest speakers to learn about how local government works and how to advocate for their communities on key issues. As a capstone to the program, Ambassadors will participate in voter participation research projects for the CFB's Voter Analysis Report. On August 17, the Ambassadors led 4th annual We the Young People meeting of the Voter Assistance Advisory Committee.

“There is no limit to the strength and power our generation holds. The NYC Votes Youth Ambassadors program is step towards inclusion of youth in our city’s decisions.”
– Jessica Isibor, 15, Brooklyn, Bedford Academy Highschool

“This program has been a chance for me to be a part of a larger group dedicated to promoting youth civic engagement. It’s my time to help bring true societal change and bridge the gaps that exist in the political world. Being an ambassador allowed me to embark on an educational experience that’s truly changed me for the better.”
– Tasneem Hussein, 17, Staten Island, Brooklyn Technical High School

“Being an NYC Votes Youth Ambassador means creating tangible civic change through education and empathy-driven leadership. I’m so grateful for this vibrant, driven, utterly kind community and for the chance to learn more about my city’s history beyond the AP US History curriculum and to have the resources to create a future founded on mental health equity, educational justice, and healthcare justice.”
– Elizabeth Shvarts, 17, Staten Island, Staten Island Technical High School

“Being an NYC Votes Youth ambassador has empowered me to use my voice and share knowledge and experiences with those around me. The ambassadors are a community of leaders, each with a unique background and passion to share their wealth of knowledge. I have not only learned about the most pressing issues facing New York City's democracy and government, but engaged in various discussions and research centered around ways in which change can be brought, most of which starts with using one's power to vote.”
– Julia D’Alessandro, 17, Manhattan, High School of American Studies at Lehman College

“As an NYC Votes Youth Ambassador, I have had the opportunity to expand my mind on voting and its benefits. It's such an amazing experience to help increase youth engagement in voting and local elections. Joining this program made me feel that I'm never too young to share my voice and to embrace it. I was able to learn things from a new mindset beyond what would be taught in school. I'm so thankful for this opportunity to learn, change, and grow.”
– Tahira Tariq, 14, Manhattan, The Young Women’s Leadership Academy of East Harlem

"As an NYC Votes Youth Ambassador, I am learning so much about civics which helped me inform my family and communities about the importance of voting. The Ambassador program pushed me to think critically about how systems of oppression are deeply interconnected and how they connect to voting inequities. Most importantly, I've learned how youth and communities can build power through a local level to make voting more equitable. I am very grateful for this opportunity!”
– Sara Ismail, 15, Manhattan, NYC Lab High School

Here is the 2022 class of NYC Votes Youth Ambassadors, listed by their home borough:

Name	Borough	Age	High School
Princes Ahunamba	Bronx	16	Manhattan Hunter Science High School
Danny Hernandez	Bronx	17	Mott Hall Bronx High School
Joseph Morales	Bronx	15	Bronx Engineering and Technology Academy
Victoria Nyamekye	Bronx	16	Marble Hill High School for International Studies
Giah Crespo	Bronx	18	The Cinema School
Rayliz Deis	Bronx	19	Lehman High School
Emely Romano	Brooklyn	16	East Side Community High School
Shaima Alnadesh	Brooklyn	15	Urban Assembly School of Leadership and Empowerment
Jessica Isibor	Brooklyn	15	Bedford Academy Highschool
Julia D’Alessandro	Manhattan	16	High School of American Studies at Lehman College
Tahira Tariq	Manhattan	14	The Young Women’s Leadership Academy of East Harlem
Sara Ismail	Manhattan	15	NYC Lab High School
Sophie Winfield-Pust	Manhattan	15	Columbia Secondary School for Math, Science and Engineering
Redwana Ahmed	Queens	14	Aviation High School
Sarah Mashiat	Queens	17	Hillcrest High School
Tiffany Nieto	Queens	15	Bard High School Early College
Elizabeth Shvarts	Staten Island	17	Staten Island Technical High School
Tasneem Hussein	Staten Island	17	Brooklyn Technical High School
Zara Khawaja	Staten Island	16	Tottenville High School

Young voters in NYC turn out at levels comparable to other age cohorts for presidential elections and in high-profile elections like the 2018 midterms, according to the 2019-20 NYC Votes Voter Analysis Report. However, young New Yorkers participate at a lower rate in municipal elections.