The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools Welcomes 10 High School Students to Third Cohort of Rising Leaders
The Rising Leaders Initiative is a one-year program that trains exemplary students in civic engagement, education advocacy, leadership development, and public speaking.
The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools is thrilled to welcome the 2024-2025 class of Rising Leaders, the program’s third cohort. Ten charter high school students were selected from more than 130 applicants to grow their leadership and advocacy skills through intensive programming, team building, and opportunities outside their classrooms. As part of the program, students will receive a year of training and mentorship from policy professionals and experts. The program is designed to further develop students committed to service, scholarship, and improving their schools and communities.
The 2024-2025 Rising Leaders are:
- Hannah Massey – Senior at Legion Collegiate Academy in South Carolina
- Siobhán Bass-Adams – Senior at Brooklyn Prospect Charter High School in New York
- Victor Soberanis – Senior at Harmony Science Academy in Texas
- Saanvi Kumar – Junior at Foxborough Regional Charter School in Massachusetts
- Ashanti Nurse – Sophomore at Kairos Academies High School in Missouri
- Jonah Cohen – Junior at Washington Latin Public Charter School in D.C.
- Miller Millea – Junior at East Mountain High School in New Mexico
- Rochelle Jefferies – Senior at Why Not You Academy in Washington
- Nancy Magaly Carrillo Diaz – Freshman at Wonderful College Prep Academy in California
- Jordan Heath – Senior at College Park Academy in Maryland
“We are honored to welcome these ten outstanding students to the program,” says Starlee Coleman, President and CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. “These students have strength, passion, and determination to offer to this movement, and we’re excited to see what the future has in store for them.”
“We are so impressed with this group of students and what they've already accomplished," says Sindy Pierre-Noel, Director of Programs at the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, who leads the Rising Leaders Initiative. "The Rising Leaders Initiative is proud to nurture what each of them already possesses – a commitment to influencing educational progress in public schools, championing student’s rights, and forging a path toward a better future."
Participants will each launch an advocacy club in their school, creating a real-time opportunity to apply what they learn in the program. Rising Leaders can advocate for federal and state legislation, with the guidance and support of the National Alliance, that supports and strengthens public education and charter school initiatives. These exceptional students are committed to civic action, community engagement, and ensuring fellow students have access to high-quality and free public education.
All information about the Rising Leaders Program and the 2024-2025 cohort can be viewed here.
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About Public Charter Schools
Public charter schools are independent, public, and tuition-free schools that are given the freedom to be more innovative while being held accountable for advancing student achievement. Since 2010, many research studies have found that students in charter schools do better in school than their traditional school peers. For example, one study by the Center for Research on Education Outcomes at Stanford University found that charter schools do a better job teaching students from low-income families, students of color, and students who are still learning English than traditional schools. Separate studies by the Center on Reinventing Public Education and Mathematica Policy Research have found that charter school students are more likely to graduate from high school, go on to college, stay in college and have higher earnings in early adulthood.
About the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools
The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools is the leading national nonprofit organization committed to advancing the public charter school movement. Our mission is to lead public education to unprecedented levels of academic achievement by fostering a strong charter sector. For more information, please visit www.publiccharters.org.
