Art is beautiful. It manages to tell stories that words couldn’t describe. They bring us to alternate universes and make us picture life through someone else’s life. A Gen Z artista who is doing just that is Aisha Coello, an artist from New Jersey. She paints stunning images and takes us to her world. We got the chance to speak with her about her art, and how she’s painting all the colors of the wind!

It takes a very skilled, and patient person to be able to paint. Aisha has been doing art for a while now. She told us, “I was always aware that I enjoyed being inside the realm of creativity. I poured my heart out dancing to every rhythmic beat, I explored writing poetry in rhymes to match my emotions, and lastly acting and partaking with any form of theatrics. There was one form I never really touched upon was the talent I would never take for granted. Drawing and Painting was my newest form of expression and it all started with practicing anime characters. My closest friend Yailin was drawing anime at the same time which jumps started my efforts to try. Informing me of the basics. From there I decided to move on to a variety of art mediums.” Art is a beautiful thing, and it has paved the way for so many famous stories. Stories like Van Gogh, and even Frida Kahlo. Artists come from greatness and Aisha is just getting started!

Aisha has done so many paintings that she must have a favorite! She told us, “My favorite creation has to be one of my recent drawings during the quarantine. As I was listening to The Weeknd’s new album After Hours and the idea struck to do my interpretation of his album. Drawing this creation felt like a revival within my soul because I haven’t done the hobby I adored in awhile. Those three days putting all my fixation towards the colors, proportions, and concepts that can coexist.” She has painted phone cases, murals and so much more! We can’t wait to see what else she has in store for us! In the future, she wishes to study law or political science. She mentioned, “I would love to keep my art as a side hustle for sure. As of right now, I have plans of studying Law or Political Science. I believe that Justice or Peace hasn’t been restored in many aspects of society and I would love for change to happen. The change starts with us.” What an incredible role model!

Every artist has their inspirations. For Aisha, she stated, “My inspirations would be those close to me. My grandmother who recently passed. I keep her clearly in my heart as I paint. Seeing her smile as I evolve as an artist. She would be proud of the recent and future works to come. Another inspiration is my sister's friend Jeremy who I inspired as well. He told me one day as I was viewing his artwork, ‘You know your drawings were the reason why I started doing art.’ Looking at how genuine he was saying this made me feel important on his journey and be so honored. He inspires me further that I am planting seedlings for the evolution of many more upcoming artists. Pushing me to new limits in the world of art.” A Gen Z artist who can paint and build bridges for more people like her. It is never easy to draw. It takes strength, and a keen eye to be able to create images with hands. Aisha is just getting started in showing the world that her art is transformational.

In her hometown, she got the chance to create a mural outside of a restaurant. She said, “This painting was a blessing in disguise. I describe it like this because this painting is what lifted me up from a scary abyss I was encountering personally. With college coming next year, the recent loss I had, self-depreciation that I cannot do much due to a pandemic. I questioned a lot, I was really hitting the rocks. Being asked by the owner ‘Aisha would you like to paint the back of our patio that will be soon renovated?’ When I tell you my spirits felt lifted and I thought about one thing: painting. Those days and hours working on my mural it feels like a million stars staring back at you saying ‘you're doing amazing kiddo.’ Every time in the back of my mind I thought of my Abuela as she would have sat back at that table admiring how far I’ve come. I personally dedicated that to her as my way of finishing the painting I wanted to give her. I truly cannot thank the owner of Piccolino’s enough for this opportunity to share my imaginative mind into his world.” You can visit the mural itself at Piccolino’s in New Jersey. The painting got a lot of recognition and it is so great that she got the chance to be able to display her creation!

Aisha Coello is going to do amazing things with both her art and her intelligence. In the future, she wishes to keep art close with her. Aisha said, “When I am asked about my future with art, I haven’t ruminated enough but I believe I’d like to make an impact on many more as I have with Jeremy. I’d love to have my creations be seen for a younger audience to discover the talent they never knew they had. I would also love to do more art pieces for the community. Seeing residents and their eyes beam with awestruck as they are surrounded by the vibrancy of colors and ideas. This was the same exact feeling I had about Bayonne's artwork surrounding me. I would love for others to feel lo mismo of amor and unity in the neighborhood they live in.” We are so proud of you, and we hope you continue every aspect of life with a paintbrush in one hand and your spark of creativity in the other. Continue doing you Aisha, the world is your canvas!
 
​Every artist has their inspirations. For Aisha, she stated, “My inspirations would be those close to me. My grandmother who recently passed. I keep her clearly in my heart as I paint. Seeing her smile as I evolve as an artist. She would be proud of the recent and future works to come. Another inspiration is my sister's friend Jeremy who I inspired as well. He told me one day as I was viewing his artwork, ‘You know your drawings were the reason why I started doing art.’ Looking at how genuine he was saying this made me feel important on his journey and be so honored. He inspires me further that I am planting seedlings for the evolution of many more upcoming artists. Pushing me to new limits in the world of art.” A Gen Z artist who can paint and build bridges for more people like her. It is never easy to draw. It takes strength, and a keen eye to be able to create images with hands. Aisha is just getting started in showing the world that her art is transformational.

In her hometown, she got the chance to create a mural outside of a restaurant. She said, “This painting was a blessing in disguise. I describe it like this because this painting is what lifted me up from a scary abyss I was encountering personally. With college coming next year, the recent loss I had, self-depreciation that I cannot do much due to a pandemic. I questioned a lot, I was really hitting the rocks. Being asked by the owner ‘Aisha would you like to paint the back of our patio that will be soon renovated?’ When I tell you my spirits felt lifted and I thought about one thing: painting. Those days and hours working on my mural it feels like a million stars staring back at you saying ‘you're doing amazing kiddo.’ Every time in the back of my mind I thought of my Abuela as she would have sat back at that table admiring how far I’ve come. I personally dedicated that to her as my way of finishing the painting I wanted to give her. I truly cannot thank the owner of Piccolino’s enough for this opportunity to share my imaginative mind into his world.” You can visit the mural itself at Piccolino’s in New Jersey. The painting got a lot of recognition and it is so great that she got the chance to be able to display her creation!
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Zenerations was started in Hudson County by Sophia Delrosario, an amazing writer, and artist. Lilly Marsh has been working with Zenerations since the beginning. She told us how working with Zenerations has been such a rewarding experience. “It's amazing! I discovered my love for digital art during quarantine and I thought that my drawings would never leave my Ipad. Zenerations allows my art to have an incredible impact.” Her work is incredible. She also told us, “The process is pretty simple. Sophia will either give me a photo of the person in the article, the topic, or any ideas she has for the graphic and then I will draw it. I've been doing it every day for the last three months so I am getting pretty good at executing her vision.” When asked why she enjoys she said, “I love it because it gives my art meaning. If a drawing I create just sits on my iPad, it has no impact. But when something I created is seen by millions of people and educates or helps them, it is the best feeling in the world.” Be sure to visit Zenerations on Instagram @zenerations. 

As stated before, being an entrepreneur isn’t easy. Despite challenges Lilly truly shows that Gen Z is more than just TikTok videos and social media. She proves that starting a business can be anyone's turf. Her biggest advice to those trying to start a business is, “If you want to create something, now is the time. Because we are so young, we don't have to worry about making enough money to pay for a house, taxes, etc. There is no stress, so you can just enjoy the experience and have fun.” Her future is as bright as the sun. Speaking of her future, she told us that she hopes to bring more of her designs in local stores. She said, “A couple of years ago I got the opportunity to have some of my jewelry in the Washington General Store in Hoboken. I loved seeing my products in a store and I had planned on trying to get into more stores in my community but because of the pandemic, I have had to put that plan off to the side. However, I am planning on making that happen as soon as I can! I am also looking forward to making new collections and helping more and more people.” Lilly Marsh, you are an entrepreneur extraordinaire, take your journey and run with it! ​

“To command is to serve, nothing more and nothing less.” - Andre Malraux
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Being a flight commander in a military program comes with responsibility and a lot of work. However, fifteen-year-old Alondra Rosas strives for the stars when it comes to her assignments. This amazing young woman from New Jersey is one who will dazzle the sky. She is dedicated to a program called Civil Air Patrol, CAP for short. During the pandemic, she has even worked with her family to make hundreds of masks. She is also a Steminist and loves woodworking. Alondra is also taking part in her school’s apprenticeship for manufacturing and design. Read more on our girl in uniform.

Her sister was a part of the Civil Air Patrol and before Alondra could join, she would attend the weekly meetings at the age of ten. She was officially a part of it two years ago. Throughout the program, she told us she has, “...gone to encampment which is a military boot camp style week-long activity which takes place on the Air Force base in NJ. I’ve volunteered at air shows both on and off base to help out and ensure the safety of those attending. I have also attended the North East Regional Cadet Leadership School which aims to educate officers (higher-ranking cadets) in leadership, professionalism, courtesies, e.t.c. Lastly, since CAP is a part of the Air Force, we were called upon to assist in disaster relief for the COVID-19 pandemic. Although these missions included helping at food banks, helping at testing sites, and demobilizing the testing sites I was unfortunately too young to participate. Instead, I participated in the at-home mask sewing mission.” CAP is, “a civilian auxiliary of the Air Force that offers adolescents and adults the opportunity to learn skills in leadership, aerospace, and emergency services. We hold many of the Air Force’s core values and provide a military-based experience without actually enlisting in the military.” Alondra and many others have taken time out of their lives to give back to the community! 

CAP gave her a learning experience and motivated her. In this program, she is a Cadet Flight Commander of her squadron. When asked about being a commander she said, “I am entrusted with prospective cadets and the new cadets who join our squadron. I teach them specifics about the program, basic drill, the core values, and help them ease into the squadron. It’s a really fun thing to do because, in the process of the cadets learning about the program, I learn about the cadets as individuals to try and make their time in the program easier and more enjoyable.” She knows the difficulty and responsibility of the job and does what she can to make sure newcomers feel welcome. She told us about what she has learned from the program and stated, “Being a part of CAP is being a part of something bigger. Since this program is nationwide, I have met so many amazing people with the same love I have for this program. On top of that, the program has taught me discipline, how to manage my responsibilities, and create a routine. Lastly, CAP has given me a second family, outside of my day to day life. The memories and experiences I have created with my peers are ones I will always hold close to my heart, as cheesy as that sounds…” Not cheesy at all! It is so important to learn those lessons early in life because of the substantial difference they will make in adulthood.

​She and her family have made over 500 masks for children and adults since the end of March. When asked about this experience she said, “From cutting the materials to marking the pleats to finally sewing the masks together, it can be a very time-consuming task. However, it is a very fulfilling mission to be a part of. Since the masks are made through CAP they are all donated to those in need such as essential workers and immunocompromised patients. When the pandemic hit hard in NJ I was thankfully one of the few who were not so severely impacted by all of the new restrictions or conditions in the state. So this mission was, to me, a way to give back and do my part to help during a pandemic. Even if it may just be a little thing, being able to help meant a great deal to my family and I. On the days where it was getting to be a bit too much I would just jokingly say to myself, ‘for the doctors, nurses, and all essential workers, just do your part.’ It did help to keep me motivated, especially when school work piled up on top. On top of that, I also had a very good line of communication with the commanding officer for the mission which made receiving the materials and handing off the completed masks 100x easier.” It’s amazing to see how much she’s accomplished. Alondra has made a huge impact on herself, and the world around her!

When it comes to education and learning, Alondra pushes through with both eagerness and strength. This Summer she was accepted into her school’s Design and Fabrication Apprenticeship. When questioned about the apprenticeship, she said, “The D-FAB ExPand Pre-Apprenticeship program was a welcome surprise to me when it was first announced. I’m asked a lot what I want to do as a career, especially now as a rising junior. I know many people don’t mean any pressure behind that question but there is an underlying message that by this age we’re supposed to have our lives planned out...” 

She goes on to tell us that, “...upon being accepted into the D-FAB major at High Tech I grew to be interested in woodwork. It is a very hands-on job that intrigues me. There are so many things that you can do with wood, the possibilities are endless if you can conjure up some ideas. So after taking Wood Tech I freshman year, then Wood Tech II as a sophomore I chose Wood Tech as my major for my Junior year. I knew it would be fun and I was super excited. Then when I heard about the Pre-Apprenticeship program my interest seriously piqued. I read through the flyers attached to the emails and the information provided about the program and decided to apply. This program would help further my education in the manufacturing industry by partnering with companies such as Eastern Millworks. This program also seemed like a good way for me to still enjoy and do woodworking while also learning skills outside of the trade which could be transferred over to other jobs in the future. All in all, I thought of the ExPand program as an opportunity to find my career path and grow through the experiences while enrolled in it.” Alondra will do everything she can to do what she wants, and that is truly inspiring. Due to the pandemic, it has been postponed until the Fall. She has also begun taking Pre-Calculus virtually this Summer. Which means she will be among a few taking Calculus next year as a Junior. 

Being a young Latina woman, struggles and obstacles are sure to pass by. Despite that, Alondra pushes through each one with elegance and poise. Her advice for young Latinas trying to pursue a career in STEM would be, “The best piece of advice I can provide to anybody is to push yourself. If you cannot push yourself to do things that will help you in the long run or even short term, what good is it to have others push you? Even though the struggle and work you put in now may seem grueling, as you grow older you’ll be thankful for the work ethic that you have instilled in yourself. What you learn as an adolescent and how you deal with struggles now will help you with the struggles you may face going into the STEM field.” How wonderfully said! It’s that determination and tenacity in her advice that so many people need to hear. 
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Alondra Rosas is an amazing role model for young girls and boys everywhere. Whether it be taking extra math classes in the morning, or making masks, she is ready for anything! In the future, she wishes to be, either a lawyer or someone in the manufacturing industry, however, she still wants to figure out her paths. Alondra is what Gen Z is all about, helping out the community, and doing what they want to. We can’t wait to see where her path leads her! 
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Care to Cure focuses on raising funds for research on DIPG and educating the public on the condition. When asked what the mission was behind Care to Cure, Mona responded, “Our mission is to be able to give every DIPG patient a chance at life beyond the tumour, and to eradicate DIPG.” She then proceeded to go into further depth on the condition, “DIPG stands for diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, and it is a pediatric neurological cancer occuring in the brain pons that spreads out in a butterfly form, therefore making it impossible to operate on. Due to its quickness of spreading, DIPG patients tend to only live up to two years, with a less than one percent chance survival rate within the first five years.”
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Change does not start until there is a conversation. Gen Z has contributed more to the conversation of how the black community has received ignorance and injustice from police and the country they live in for hundreds of years and how it needs to stop. When asked about her favorite poem she has ever written, entitled “Talking Animals and All the Magic In the World,” she mentioned what it was about and how it contributed to that conversation. “[It] talks about being a young black female in today’s society. [...] We don’t talk about it a lot and I want to open up that conversation. I am proud of myself for being able to write it and get out a lot of the feelings that I have suppressed.” Being a black woman in this country holds its hardships, however, it is truly inspiring to see a Gen Z black female contribute to this world with an astounding voice and charisma. ​

​Growing Font Femme has taken a lot of time and hard work to expand the magazine’s social media presence and readership. By holding countless meetings with their management team, they ensure tasks are being completed on time and that all content is up to par with the magazine’s standards. Throughout this process, Ariana learned the importance of negotiation to successfully secure a multitude of partnerships, sponsorships, and connections with people who help contribute to the nonprofit’s mission.
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​Ariana’s favorite part about Font Femme is the people she meets and works with, her amazing and driven writers, and the fact that it is an all-female opportunity. She explains, “Our magazine would not have been able to come this far without the help of the management team, and what really makes our magazine is the amazing content our writers post.” All young women are free to apply as a writer to introduce even more women to STEM and make a global impact. ​

Register for Font Femme's upcoming makeathon at https://www.fontfemme.com/makeathon.

 

Learn more about Serena and United Under Arts: 

​https://www.unitedunderarts.org/
instagram.com/unitedunderarts

On average, 40% of children in Western India are illiterate, and when literacy rates have a direct correlation one’s standard of living as well as overall economic success, these statistics raise alarming concerns. 
 
 As a teen, Justin Witt aspired to bring social change through innovative means. At 19 years old, Justin runs Storybox books. It is an organization that aims to improve literacy rates, by providing underprivileged kids with access to reading materials.

When asked what inspired him to make his organization Justin responded, “Reading was a huge part of my childhood and I grew up with the privilege of having access to many books at home.” “Yet I have always been aware this same opportunity is not available to many children,” he continued. Aware of the correlation between literacy and success, Justin sought out and successfully established a team in order to kick off his organization.

Storybox Books has been a nationwide success, collecting eight thousand books for kids across nine states, since 2015. By working with schools in the countries, Storybox Books has already impacted children in places like Kenya and Greece. But it will not stop there because Witt is focused on broadening the organization’s reach.

When asked where Justin saw his organization in a few years, he explained that, “In the coming years, of course, our goal is to continue to expand Storybox Books literacy-related projects to every community that we can.” He continued with, “We firmly believe that our goal of achieving educational equity is best served by building a network of passionate youth to support it.” 

Aside from Storybox books, Justin Witt is a student at the University of Notre Dame. When he isn’t studying, Justin spends his free time pursuing his passion for reading, and he enjoys traveling when he is able to.

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“Be fearlessly authentic” were the three words Hailey Rodgers began to embrace in her second year of university. 

Hailey Rodgers is currently a third-year Commerce student at Queen’s University. In December of 2019, she published her first book, See Me, at age 20. See Me addresses the importance of living authentically as a young adult. This book serves as a tool to help readers stay true to who they are amidst the pressure to conform to societal norms. It aims to inspire young adults through guiding principles and the encouraging stories of others who consistently work to lead an authentic life. 

In high school, Rodgers was a quiet, timid girl who never showed others who she truly was. “I was compelled to be someone I was not, believing that was the only route to gain societal acceptance,” said Rodgers. Neglecting her social life in favor of earning high grades, she struggled with extreme depression and anxiety and did not know who she was or where she fit into the world. Even after acceptance into one of the most competitive university programs in Canada, Rodgers still experienced extreme unhappiness and the same hopeless craving for success.

Midway through her first year of university, she started writing for Her Campus, a platform for young women to publish articles. She began to realize it was easy for her to share who she truly was through writing. Suddenly, writing authentically began to translate into other aspects of her life, and Rodgers began to live authentically, in turn, becoming happier and achieving more of her goals.

Rodgers also became active in Step Above Stigma, a Canadian nonprofit formed at Queen’s University aiming to improve the accessibility of mental health care across Canada. Through fundraisers, sock sales, and other events and initiatives, Step Above Stigma has worked towards educating the public on the importance of mental wellness and donated 100% of their profits to mental health organizations across Canada. Rodger’s work with Step Above Stigma augmented her passion and love for mental health advocacy and encouraged her to share her personal experiences with mental health and how they contributed to her journey of healing.

In January of 2019, her close friend, Julia Sun, introduced her to Creator Institute, an organization looking for passionate writers to create books. Rodgers was doubtful she could balance schoolwork, working part-time, participating in various extracurricular activities, and writing an entire book in less than a year, but chose not to succumb to self-doubt.

She began to contemplate the question she had asked herself earlier in university: “Why can’t we be authentic now at this young age?” Rodgers decided to write a self-discovery book for young adults, providing her insights on how they can lead and why they deserve an authentic life. Incorporating her own experiences and stories from twenty other individuals, the goal of her book was to inspire authentic living in young adults because everyone deserves to feel confident in who they genuinely are.

Rodgers self-published and has sold hundreds of copies of See Me. Significantly surpassing her goal of inspiring a single reader, she has received much positive feedback. In early April, she gifted 100 copies of the eBook version of See Me, and amongst the COVID-19 pandemic, people have felt, “this is exactly what I needed right now.”
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Through writing her book, Rodgers has realized that she wants her life to revolve around this core mission: helping and serving others. In the future, she hopes to start a podcast to continue sharing her message about the value of authentic living and interview those who she believes are truly authentic. In the next 1-2 years, Rodgers hopes to become a certified life coach.

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Aria Young was raised in Shanghai, China, growing up in a home with strong women and irresponsible men. When she was a toddler, her father used to tie her hands and feet together so she could grow up to become a "disciplined" and "obedient" girl. After he walked out of her life, Aria's mother raised her to become a strong + independent woman without needing to rely on men in her life. 

With an upbringing like that, it was time for Aria to become a feminist. 

After Aria was the first ever Chinese student to be named a Girl Up Teen Advisor, she realized that the Girl Up movement was everything she wanted to fight for. At Girl Up, Teen Advisors are leading their 'for girls, by girls" movement- carrying out advocacy goals, providing feedback on their strategy, and energizing others to take action for girls around the world. Aria's experience as a Teen Advisor has not only given her the most amazing support group, but also empowered her to lead, advocate, and most importantly, to be unapologetically herself. 

However, Aria's activism didn't stop there. Her experience with Girl Up compelled her to co-found Asians Lead, a youth-led initiative that empowers young Asian and Pacific Islander Leaders to bring changes to the world.

​They focus on shattering the myth of 'model minority' and bringing awareness to the long-neglected issues that the Asian American community faces.

They also encourage young Asian and Pacific Islanders to "Redefine, Inspire, Educate, and Create." They highlight the accomplishments of Asian and Pacific Islander students and mobilize more Asian and Pacific Islanders to be proud of their roots and take action against stereotypes and glass ceilings.
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"[lack of] Asian Representation is a serious issue that is not talked about enough," says Aria.
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Growing up with Eastern roots and Western values, Aria often found herself caught in between two cultures and struggled to find her own, unique identity. While youth activism has been gaining momentum in recent years, the Asian/Asian-American community still remains largely underrepresented.

Not only are Asian issues often neglected in the mainstream discussion, Asian Americans are even being labeled “the new white people” or “model minority.” Meanwhile, neo-colonialism is still so deep in culture that many people subconsciously emasculate Asian men and sexualize Asian women.

"For me personally, I aspire to be a theater actress and a journalist, but seeing people who look like me on TV and on stage has been so rare that it is hard for someone like me to even picture myself in arts and entertainment," said Aria, "and I want to change that for future generations through Asians Lead."

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Are you interested in getting involved with Asians Lead? To get involved, simply follow and dm us at @asianslead or email them at asianslead@gmail.com to be part of their team. They are also amplifying the voice of Asians/Asian-Americans during this difficult time as their community is under racist and xenophobic attacks. If you have stories about your COVID-19 experience, or simply want to show solidarity with the Asian/Asian-American community, contact them for a feature on their Instagram page @asianslead. 

When Meg NH was only 17, she was diagnosed with depression. A year later, she lost a family member due to suicide. On top of that, she was also diagnosed with PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder) and anxiety. 

However, she didn’t let this bring her down. 

Ever since then, Meg has been fueled by her setbacks to become a passionate mental health advocate, in hopes of helping others get through tough times- just like she had to go through. 

“I’ve been through a lot,” Meg says.

She has been on medication for the last three years, attending numerous counseling sessions on and off, she’s never had a proper “home” due to her constant moving of houses, and she is a child of divorced parents. 

Ishva Mehta is a high school student on a quest to combat illiteracy in schools through her global nonprofit organization, Write & Co.
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At the age of 16, Ishva founded Write & Co, a cause-driven, movement-working organization to shatter the socioeconomic gap in education.

Schools and children from low socioeconomic backgrounds do not have access to resources available to their counterparts from high socioeconomic backgrounds. Such schools have very high drop out rates, often times lack of teaching faculty at hand, and little to no amenities and resources.

Ishva believes that education is a fundamental right and everyone, regardless of their socioeconomic status, sex, race, or religion has the right to free quality education- which is why she created Write & Co.

​Write & Co creates and donates quality educational worksheets to underfunded schools and organizations across the world and hosts free literacy workshops across the US.

In the 21st century, education enables upward socioeconomic mobility, is the key to escaping poverty, and helps ensure ones safety and security for the present and the future (from Write & Co's website).
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​The goal of Progressing Woman is to improve and progress yourself in anyway. The platform allows people of different backgrounds, communities, and upbringings to come together and benefit from each other. By empowering fellow artists and sharing their work that most of the time, goes unnoticed, Ajay is forging community connections and building a strong foundation of community support not only for these artists, but for her following base as well.

Ajay's platform has inspired her following base to continue practicing habits that stem mindfulness and growth.

​"I've definitely created a small following that are also practicing mindfulness/self-growth," Ajay said.

The platform is currently open to receiving submissions to have creators, activists, entrepreneurs, and more showcase their work through this platform.

Ajay's passion lies in creating works that educate and incite action.

"I believe in the impact of theatre and have devoted my academic years in activism, education, and outreach," she says.