Youth
Leadership Academy

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Max has been advocating for and working with Youth since 2017. He dedicated a year of his time with Americorps and served with the Colorado I Have a Dream foundation as a school based mentor. After that year of service Max continued his work with that same class of students working as a 5th grade teacher. In 2019 Max then moved into the role of Extended Learning Director back with The Colorado I Have a Dream Foundation continuing to transition with that same class of students into Middle School, while developing an extended learning program that not only provided after school programming but 360 degree wrap around support systems for students and families in South West Denver. Max is deeply passionate about youth voice and leadership and is hungry and motivated to continue the momentum already begun by YLA’s efforts. In his off time you can find Max climbing, hiking, or spending time with friends and family.

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Hey! My Name is Lauren Schrader and I am a senior at Nederland Middle-Senior High School. I joined YLA in 2023 because of my passion to drive change in a town that means so much to me. I believe it is incredibly important for youth in our community to have a platform to speak out and be catalysts of change. YLA is something that strengthens these platforms and I am overjoyed to be a part of it. I am a strong leader in my senior class, passionate member of my high school student council, and president of the National Honors Society. I strive to make impactful contributions in my community! In my free time, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, playing sports, and being outside.

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Hi, my name is Amelie Bodnar, and I am currently a student at Nederland Middle-Senior High School. I recently joined YLA in the summer of 2022, and I'm excited for this opportunity to amplify youth voices. I believe that now more than ever, it is important for youth to speak out and advocate for our needs, but it isn't always easy. Organizations like YLA are important because they offer platforms and tools to youth in order to help improve communication and empathy. Throughout high school, I have also worked on the Youth Board, which is what led me to join YLA, and I'm very grateful for both of these opportunities. In my free time, I love to listen to music, read, and hang out with my friends and family. 

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Gideon Emery is currently a junior at Nederland High School who joined YLA in September of 2023. He was born in Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean and moved to Nederland in the 3rd grade, where his extended family resides. 
I joined YLA because I'm interested in participating in town government and getting an inside look at how to problem solve and how decisions actually get made. Gideon enjoys watching the Premier League and is a Arsenal and Denver Nuggets fan. He plays soccer, basketball, and runs track. In the winter you can find Gideon skiing and in the summer, river rafting.

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Gray Schlosser is currently a junior at Nederland Middle-Senior High School and just joined YLA in the middle of April 2024. Gray is an active member of the student council, treasurer for the National Honors Society, and a leader in his junior class. Gray takes pride in his school community as well as the town he lives in by participating in many community events like clean-ups of Barker Reservoir and past festivals like Frozen Dead Guy Days. Gray hopes to build a deeper connection with the youth and the town of Nederland through physical projects throughout the town in hopefully the near future. In his free time, Gray loves spending time outdoors fishing and skiing as well as playing multiple sports for his high school!

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Eliza Brundege is a high school student at NMSHS, and she has been in YLA since November 2022. She has been part of other groups in middle and high school such as middle school 360 leaders and student council. She enjoys drawing and reading in her free time. Giving youth a voice in Nederland and helping the community are both important to her. She is very happy to be in YLA.