New National Advisory Board Includes 18 Student Leaders, Helps to Lead More than 350 Students Demand Action Chapters Across the Country
NEW YORK – Students Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, part of Everytown for Gun Safety, today announced its 2020 National Advisory Board, made up of 18 dedicated student leaders and gun violence survivors from across the country. Students Demand Action is a grassroots movement, created by and for teens and young adults, to channel the energy and passion of high school and college-aged students into the fight against gun violence. Students Demand Action has more than 350 chapters across the country and active volunteers in every state.
“When we first started the Students Demand Action pilot program at my high school in 2016, I never expected it to grow so quickly,” said Roni Weissman, a member of the Students Demand Action National Advisory Board who started a Students Demand Action chapter at her high school in Berkeley, California, as a pilot project in 2016. “With more than 350 student groups across the country, Students Demand Action is truly a testament to the dedication and determination of young people, and I can’t wait to see what this incredible new board will do.”
The 2019-2020 National Advisory Board Members are:
- Juliana Simone Carrasco, a high school senior in Miami, Florida, and co-founder of the Miami chapter of Students Demand Action, one of the first Students Demand Action chapters.
- Neuteyshe Felizor, a junior at George Mason University, and a leader with the Washington, D.C. chapter of Students Demand Action.
- Liv Freundlich, a high school senior in New York City, and co-founder of her school’s Students Demand Action chapter.
- Sari Kaufman, a survivor of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where she’s currently a senior, and a leader with the Broward County chapter of Students Demand Action.
- Taylor King, a senior at the University of Michigan, and a co-founder of the University of Michigan chapter of Students Demand Action.
- Nidhi Krishnan, a first-year student at Washington University in St. Louis, and founder of the Students Demand Action chapter in her hometown of Bloomington, Indiana.
- Alanna Miller, a first-year student at Duke University, and founder of the Southlake, Texas, chapter of Students Demand Action in her hometown.
- Yousuf Munir, a high school junior from Cincinnati, Ohio, where he serves as co-leader of his school’s chapter of Students Demand Action.
- Ryan Pascal, a high school senior from Los Angeles, California, and founder of her school’s chapter of Students Demand Action.
- John Peterson, a first-year at Georgia State University, where he co-founded the Georgia State University chapter of Students Demand Action.
- Mitchell Pinsky, a sophomore at The Ohio State University, and the founder and group leader of Students Demand Action at The Ohio State University.
- Jenna Swetland, a first-year student at Syracuse University, where she’s a Maxwell Leadership Scholar, and a co-founder of the Syracuse University chapter of Students Demand Action.
- Peren Tiemann, a high school sophomore in Oregon, and founder of her school’s chapter of Students Demand Action.
- Joshua Turner, a student at the Community College of Baltimore County, and co-founder of Baltimore Students Demand Action.
- Marco Vargas, a first-generation college student, and a sophomore at Dartmouth College, where he founded the Dartmouth College chapter of Students Demand Action. He also founded the Students Demand Action chapter in his home community of South Central Los Angeles.
- Roni Weissman, a first-year student at the University of California, Berkeley, and co-founder of Berkeley High School Students Demand Action, which she started as a pilot project in 2016.
- Elliot Widd, a first-year student at Wayne State University in Detroit, and co-founder of the Wayne State University chapter of Students Demand Action. Elliot also founded the Oakland and Macomb, Michigan, chapter of Students Demand Action.
- Seo yoon Yang, a high school junior in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and a leader with the Chattanooga chapter of Students Demand Action.
Students Demand Action National Advisory Board members grow and strengthen their leadership skills through training, mentorship and public speaking opportunities. National Advisory Board members lend their voices and passion to the gun violence prevention movement, shaping the strategy and direction of Students Demand Action and Everytown. Members of the National Advisory Board train and mentor leaders of local Students Demand Action chapters across the country, drawing on their own leadership experiences.
Young people have grown up in the midst of a gun violence crisis, and they’re rising up and organizing in their schools, universities and communities. Gun violence is the second leading cause of death for American children and teens overall, and the first leading cause of death for Black children and teens. And every day, 100 Americans are shot and killed and hundreds more are wounded.