2025-2026 Youth Advisory Council

Contributors: Erica Bouris, Senior Director, JFF; Ikeia Miller, Senior Manager, JFF | 5-min read | October 17, 2025

This year, the ASA Center for Career Navigation at JFF is proud to welcome a new Youth Advisory Council (YAC), a mighty group of young people selected through a highly competitive process. The council brings together fresh voices from across the country who are passionate about improving career exploration and education pathways for their peers.

Last year’s council set a high bar. Members shared their perspectives with JFF teams across multiple projects and took the stage at Horizons, JFF’s national conference on the future of work and learning. Their participation helped bring youth voices directly into conversations with educators, employers, and policymakers.

Now, this year’s YAC is ready to build on that momentum. Ranging in age from 18 to 24, these council members represent a mix of students and early-career professionals, each with a unique perspective to share. They will receive stipends for the work they do in this advisory role.

Read on to meet this year’s Youth Advisory Council members and hear, in their own words, how they’re shaping the future of career navigation.

“Every young person should have access to as they navigate their career journey is guidance, whether through mentorship, resources, or opportunities, that helps them see beyond limitations and step confidently into their potential.”
– Kiarah Powell, undergraduate, Spelman College, and Clinical Medical Assistant and Patient Care Technician

YAC members

Tonanziht Aguas

Tonanziht Aguas (toe-NAHN-see a-GOO-as) (she/her) is a Policy Analyst at New Jersey Policy Perspective, where she focuses on economic security and conducts research to advance policies that strengthen stability for New Jersey families. Wraparound supports that address their whole-person wellness needs. While career programs focus on skills training and resume building, young people—especially parents, first-generation students, or those from underresourced backgrounds—need comprehensive support addressing food insecurity, mental health, and community resources. These supports don’t replace traditional career development; they make it possible. When we ensure young people have stable foundations, they can actually focus their energy on building meaningful careers rather than just surviving.

Zara Holland

Hello! My name is Zara (‘zar-uh’) Holland! I’m a twenty-year-old woman who is exploring her career options after being a full-time caregiver to my late parent. I believe that in order for a quality-based, complex and thriving career ecosystem for all to survive we need the insights from people of all walks of life, including those who are in stages of rebuilding and re-imagining. As Maya Angelou once said, “I can be changed by what happens to me, but I refuse to be reduced by it.” I believe that every young person should have a clear access point of practical, unbiased information that enlightens them about all options and opportunities available so that they’re able to explore and grow into their fullest potential.

Christopher Hendrix

Christopher Hendrix is a Site Supervisor at SBCC Thrive LA and a Master of Social Work student at California State University, Fullerton. Rooted in Los Angeles and community based federalism, he is passionate about youth empowerment, equity-centered public administration, and strategic urban development. Through serving on advisory boards, special projects, and supporting cross sector initiatives, he brings lived experience and a grounded nuance to contemporary social science.    I believe every young person should have access to mentorship and networks of support. While education and training are important, it’s often the guidance of trusted mentors and the connections they help foster that open doors, build confidence, and provide the clarity needed to navigate a career journey. Through these avenues, career navigation turns into a shared commitment of social capital, guidance, and intergenerational stewardship. I wish for more programs to practice this model.

Kamya Neal

My name is Kamya Neal, and I am currently a nursing major at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. I am passionate about advancing in the medical field with a plan to pursue nursing, and I am dedicated to both academic and professional growth. I believe that one thing every young person should have access to as they navigate their career journey is mentorship. Guidance from experienced professionals can provide clarity, encouragement, and valuable insights that help shape future opportunities and success.

Michaela Nazareno

Hi! My name is Michaela Nazareno, and I am a Freshman at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, California. Additionally, I intern for a nonprofit in Los Angeles. Every young person should have access to educational resources that promote civic engagement and community involvement. While academics are a stepping stone into career pathways, producing individual change for the community can reframe one’s perception of their place in society and how they can contribute on a greater scale.

Kiarah Powell

My name is Kiarah Powell, and I am a First-Year student at Spelman College, majoring in Health Science, while also certified as a Clinical Medical Assistant and Patient Care Technician. One thing I believe every young person should have access to as they navigate their career journey is guidance, whether through mentorship, resources, or opportunities, that helps them see beyond limitations and step confidently into their potential.

Jordan White

My name is Jordan White, and I currently work primarily in healthcare while also doing freelance, community-based work similar to this advisory council. I am also in the process of enrolling in nursing school. I believe every young person should have access to career opportunities that are actually accessible. Many career opportunities are presenting themselves as available, but, more often than not, they have unrealistic requirements for inexperienced young people which most times eliminates the opportunity leaving many to fall continuously without a job in their career field.

Gael Yagcier-Rodriguez

My name is Gael Yagcier-Rodriguez, and I am a sophomore at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign majoring in Finance. One thing I believe every young person should have access to as they navigate their career journey is an accessible, unconditionally supportive counselor and/or counselor adjacent figure.

Chioma P. Okoro

Chioma P. Okoro is a junior Economics major at Tuskegee University, minoring in Philosophy, and serves as an Executive Board member of the National African Students Association (NAfSA). She has led cross-continental projects on economic inequities in the Niger Delta, urban planning collaborations with the University of the Witwatersrand, and is globally affiliated with the World Bank, Women’s Foreign Policy Group, and the Black Venture Capital Consortium. Passionate about reshaping development economics and global policy, Chioma believes every young person should have access to mentorship and equitable career navigation resources—tools that not only guide them through choices but also empower them to see themselves as capable of transforming their communities and the wider world. 

Takunda Chikuvire

Takunda Chikuvire is a senior undergraduate student at Cornell University studying Biological Sciences with a concentration in Neurobiology and Behavior. He is a research fellow, youth advocate, and systems thinker with experience in translational research, health equity, and access-to-education initiatives. As someone who navigated the challenges of applying to college from rural Zimbabwe, Takunda believes that every young person should have access to mentorship that meets them where they are—not just in information, but in language, culture, and lived experience. He is passionate about creating tools and systems that help youth pursue careers guided by clarity, confidence, and purpose.

Amy Sarker

My name is Amy Sarker, I am an undergradate student at New York University, studying biology. One thing I believe every young person should have access to as they navigate there career journey is internships.

Samantha Nieves

I am a third year student at Whittier College, majoring in sociology and a self designed major. I am also a Young Adult Consultant for Los Angeles County’s Department of Youth Development.   I believe every student should have a support network in the form of a Community Based Organization (CBO) as they navigate their career journeys. Through CBOs, the potential of a young person exploring their career options are vast and safeguarded by the networks cultivated by the CBOs.

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