Full 20 under 20 List here

Why 20 under 20?
Our list of 20 under 20 is a chance to lift up some of the
awesome young people in Missouri by acknowledging
their hard work, spirit, passion and dedication to social
justice. The nomination process was open for over a
month and a half and was open to community members,
friends, classmates, teachers and students to nominate
the folks they wished to be a part of this great list and our
Youth Leadership Council approved those who made the
list.
This list is not by any means an exhaustive list of all the
great young people in Missouri. There are so many more
young people in Missouri who are 20 years old and
younger doing amazing things. This list is just a snap shot
of some of the great leaders we have in our state.
We encourage others through this project to find small and
meaningful ways to spotlight the work young people do
every day to make Missouri a great place to live an grow.
Make sure to stay connected to the Missouri GSA Network
and start thinking of your nominations for next year’s 20
under 20.
All the good stuff,
Missouri GSA Network Staff
Mya
Mya is 16 years old and goes to school at Parkway
Central High School. Before this year she described
her involvement in social justice as “not involved at
all” and after attending NCCJSTL’s Anytown Youth
Leadership Institute along with the actions of
Ferguson, Mya has become a social justice warrior. “I
just couldn't sit down and do nothing. I began to plan
walk outs, and sit ins at my school, which
eventually led to our school having conversations
about race that challenged my peers to push past
comfort on important issues of privilege.” Mya went to
Jefferson City with Missouri GSA Network this year
and is fierce in her action as an ally, she knows that
being an ally means taking action. Right now her
current plans include organizing a day to clean up her
neighborhoods community's park in North St. Louis.
Madison
Madison, age 12, created the GSA at
DuBray Middle School in St.Peters. She is
currently the leader for the Gay Straight
Alliance and organized the Day of
Silence at her school. Madison is an equal
rights activist and believes that
everyone, no matter their sexuality, gender
orientation, or race, should be
treated with respect and dignity. She has
made it her personal objective to
stop transphobia, homophobia, racial slurs, and to make her school truly a
safe place. The Gay Straight Alliance at DuBray Middle school is the first
middle school in the Fort Zumwalt School District to have a GSA. Madison is also
in the National Junior Honor Society at her school and enjoys competitive fencing
in the Buccaneer Blades Fencing Club.
Charles
Charles is a second year student
studying Psychology at the University of
Missouri - Kansas City. During the past
year, he has become more involved in
LGBTQIA activism. He is the current
president of the UMKC Pride Alliance,
the university's LGBTQIA organization.
As a collective, he and the other
organization officers work together to
create a more inclusive and supportive
campus for the LGBTQIA. He also
serves on the Vice-Chancellor's
LGBTQIA Partnerships Committee,
currently they are working on ways to
distribute information they have received
from a campus climate survey. Within
the next year, he hopes to work with the LGBTQIA Affairs Council, the campus
platform for LGBTQIA organizations to work together to foster a
sense community between students on campus. After college, Charles hopes to
pursue a career as a youth counselor working with inner city and LGBTQIA
youth.
Trevor
Trevor is from Defiance, MO and he is the
president of Francis Howell High School's
GSA. He loves art and music and advocating
for Human Rights. After attending Missouri
GSA Network’s Youth Leadership Camp last
summer, this school year, Trevor, built his GSA
from the ground up. This is something to be
very proud of because it had all but totally fell
apart in years past. Francis Howell High
School’s GSA has helped raise over 800
dollars for a local animal rescue in the St.
Charles area and Trevor is leading this club
with so major style.
Zoey
Zoey is 16, and a high school sophomore at
Crossroads College Preparatory School. In the
past year, Zoey has become increasing involved
in the Missouri GSA Network and is currently
serving on the Youth Leadership Council. In
addition to involvement in the Network, Eleanor (a
school friend) and Zoey started a GSA at our
school this year, the first GSA at Crossroads in a
few years. Together, along with an amazing group of middle and high-schoolers,
we have been able to provide a brave space for LGBTQ+ and ally young people
to advocate and educate each other and the community through Q & A sessions,
teacher presentations and a pride week leading up to Day of Silence and even
trained staff at their school. Outside of GSA, Zoey has tried to be as present as
possible in the Black Lives Matter movement, sparking dialogue amongst peers
and going to protests whenever able. Zoey is also part of the push for the
Missouri lawmakers to pass Medicaid Expansion and believe in the power of
building at the intersections of our identities. “I have been so fortunate to
surround myself with incredible justice advocates my entire life, and I am excited
and humbled to be on a list with so many passionate and influential young
activists. I hope that in the next year we are able to bring even more change to
Missouri now that we have all been connected.”
Lindsay
Lindsay, 17, is the President and Creator of Ozark High
School's Gay Straight Alliance. She began this club last
school year after resisting much hate from the local
community. She also partners with GLSEN for Day of
Silence as a Street Team member. She takes part in
Speech and Debate as well as Theater and the IB
Certificate program. She focuses on raising awareness and
hopes to spread confidence to LGBTQ+ youth. No matter
where someone is and the challenges they face, Lindsay
believes that it can always get better. She is a self
proclaimed Pansexual that knows how uncomfortable and
awkward explaining sexuality can be. Therefore, she
spends a great deal of time making sure that the LGBTQ+ youth in her area
know that they are never alone.
Reimi
Reimi goes to Clayton High School, is 15, and
is a multi racial black person of color. Ze got
involved in the network recently reached out to
about joining a group Missouri GSA Network
started called “The Sisterhood”,that works with
transwomen of color and building power within
the community. Reimi had been involved in the
lgbtq community since ze was 12 and have met
many fierce folks all throughout that time. Since
last October, Reimi have been working with the
black lives matter movement and has held
space in many protests, black brunches and
other demonstrations in zer school. One of the
things Reimi worked to organize in
collaboration with The Sisterhood and the St Louis Metro Trans Umbrella Group
was a Valentines Day Action were many of ze’s friends were arrested. Reimi has
been a part of raising over $2000 for the Sisterhood. Reimi has not only learned
language, life lessons, leadership skills, and built relationships, ze has also
learned a lot about zerself in the process of doing the work to organize with peers
that ze never even recognized, specifically being a person of color. “I’ve always
been mixed but I never realized before joining The Sisterhood and the network
how big of a role that played in my life. I never understood it when people would
ask what my race was and because I also usually pass as white I had no idea
how much it mattered to be a person of color.”
Isabel
Isabel is a 9th grade student at Parkway South High
School. They are very involved in their school's GSA
and feminist club and hope to be in official positions of
leadership within these clubs in the future. They are a
participant in Planned Parenthood's Teen Advocates
for Sexual Health and a fierce advocate for
comprehensive sexual health education in Missouri.
They recently started a St. Louis area trans/gender
nonconforming teen clothing swap, which will debut at Missouri GSA Network's
Youth Leadership Camp this summer.
Asher
Asher is one of the coolest guys ever. He is a
17 years old, he is a Junior at Parkway West
High School where he runs the GSA there.
Parkway West GSA has been doing pretty
awesome stuff this school year including a
trans clothing drive and organizing a queer
and trans day at the St Louis Zoo. Along with
being part of Missouri GSA Network, Asher
also spends his time trying to educate his
peers and teachers, along with himself while
advocating for social justice in his school and
community by participating in events at Planned Parenthood as a member of
Teen Advocates for Sexual Health T.A.S.H. and participates in Teen Voice For
Change each week.
Jo
Jo is a high school senior and co president of
their GSA at Metro High School. They balance a
Full IB curriculum with involvement in the Missouri
GSA Network’s Youth Leadership Council,
Planned Parenthood’s Teen Advocates for Sexual
Health, and the St. Louis Art Museum. Through
everything, they carry a passion for social justice
and aim to educate whoever will listen. Next year,
they will begin pursuing Illustration at the
University of Kansas and are looking forward to
working with KQYN as well as being involved with
social justice on campus!
Sarah
Sarah is currently a senior at Rosati-Kain High School in St.
Louis, MO. Sarah’s passion is helping people in need,
whether it is someone struggling just to get through the day,
or someone who is hungry and needs a meal. This year
Sarah has started up the “Stay Strong Saturday” program.
Stay Strong Saturday, or SSS, is a day in which Sarah uses
to create awareness about self-harm, suicide, and eating
disorders. “I would like those around me to see others and
life in a different light, the light of hope, and to encourage
them to stay strong through whatever struggles they may
have.” If anyone is interested feel free to check out SSS on Facebook. Sarah’s dream
for the future is to study Psychology and become a therapist. She wants to be able to
give therapy to anyone, regardless of their ability to pay and hopes that in the future the
program, Stay Strong Saturday, will grow in numbers and scope, one day reaching all
across the world.
Melanie
Melanie has been passionate about working in the
community since she can remember. She is
currently the president of her GSA at Clayton High
School, as well as a member of various other
social justice clubs at her high school. She was on
the Youth Leadership Council and helps support
the Missouri GSA Network, including being one of
only a couple representatives of Missouri at the
National Gathering of GSAs Networks in
Minneapolis, Minnesota last summer. In addition to work in the Marginalized
Orientations, Gender Alignments and Intersex (MOGAI) community, Melanie has
volunteered on many occasions to be a tutor for middle school and younger-aged
students in underserved communities. She loves helping out those with less
privilege than her, and hopes to continue her passions as she grows older.
TJ
TJ is currently a sophomore at Parkways
Central High School and is involved in leading
the schools GSA. TJ has been a part of training
staff in trainings around Gender and is a
member of the Missouri GSA Network’s Youth
Leadership Council. TJ is passionate about
issues around the school to prison pipeline and
school push out and along with being a member
of GSA plans to start a Black Student Union
(BSU) at the school next year. mainly do things
centered around the Missouri GSA Network as
well as their school's GSA, Helping out to
fundraise for CAMP this year is something TJ is
currently a part of right now and is looking
forward to an awesome time at CAMP.
Ramon
Ramon is16, he is a leader at McKinley
Classical Leadership Academy High School in
his GSA and he is Mexican American. He is
gender fluid or identity as a non-binary gender
and is a human right activist fighting for
PoC(people of color), lgbt+, women and children
to show for those who don't have a voice and
fighting for those causes. Ramon is hoping that
he is more involved in the youth of lgbt+
community to assist awareness and resources
to help others. He is a fashion designer and has
participated in multiple fashion shows such as
Naughti Gras and RAW St.Louis in the
subculture of pinup woman. He is planning to go
to F.I.T ( fashion institute of technology) in 2017.
Ramon loves putting all of his artistic time and effort to get his point across, such
as equal rights and help people understand what art is.
Gabby
Gabby ,15 year old, is a gender neutral
teenager who goes the Hannibal High
School in northern rural Missouri. Gabby is
has been an active member of their schools
GSA, and while the group has had set
backs, Gabby is working to get to get the
club back up and running. Throughout
Middle School Gabby was made fun of for how they spoke and dressed until they
were able to fill their mind with facts about these “issues” and started to set their
peers straight. “No matter how many time I was faced with hate for who I was, I
kept marching forward to make it to where I am today. This is me.”
Zilch
Zilch, 17, Work in Progress.
Likes: helping people feel better, practicing group
sessions of self-care, taking pictures, being out
and about in nature, listening to people talk about
what they’re interested in, free samples, making
music & art (even if they’re not “good” at those
things yet. “it’s all about the journey, man.”) and
brainstorming about various things.
Dislikes: Oppressive power structures, people who
make others feel bad about uncontrollable aspects
of themselves, the fact that they’re lactose
intolerant.
General personality: Kinda dorky, but always
genuine about what they’re feeling. As honest as
possible, although a little unaware.
Haley
Haley is 18 years old and in running
for president of Lindbergh’s GayStraight Alliance, felt it was the
natural next step in their involvement
with the club. From its debut in 2013,
Haley was one of the most involved
member and now the current president. Through Haley’s involvement with their
high school's GSA they have helped PROMO (Missouri's statewide organization
advocating for LGBT equality) in its endeavor to prohibit discrimination based on
sexual orientation and gender identity in the workplace, Planned Parenthood,
and The Trevor Project. Haley was excited to be able to donate over $200 to the
Trevor Project, after having raised the the money from leading the GSA in
caroling for a few hours. Haley led my members in meeting with the school board
to change their school’s nondiscrimination policy; which now includes protection
against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The GayStraight Alliance at Lindbergh provides both an avenue for advocacy and a haven
of support for students.
Claire
Claire is 18 years old and identifies as pansexual/
panromantic female Senior at Mehlville High School. She has
been a part of Mehlville’s GSA all for years of highs school
and has volunteered packaging can goods for the Salvation
Army and toys for Toys for Tots. Claire have recently been
featured in her school’s newspaper about gender identity and
sexualities and how one might recognize someone’s identity.
She is a feminist and huge gay rights activist and will love to
educate others. Claire went to the Missouri State House with other GSAs from
around the state to lobby for LGBTQ and Ally Youth Empowerment Day and has
actively participated in distributions for Day of Silence materials at Mehlville. She
also helped promote MHS GSA through public awareness in 2012 and 2013 in
the Mehlville Homecoming Parade.
Sarah
is 13 years old in this past year has be a part of starting
the Ladue Middle School’s GSA. Sarah was nominated
by her sister Phoenix who is a member of the Ladue
High School GSA. Sarah is also involved in her
school’s diversity committee and loves to create video
to do education and create awareness on social justice
topics.
Hattie
Hattie is 20 years old and a student at Webster
University. Originally from the Kansas City area,
Hattie got involved in community organizing
through an Queer Youth Organizations called
EQUAL where she led peers and work to create
change. Since moving to St. Louis for school Hattie
drove full force into the work of progress on school
her schools campus by being a part of the he
campus’s LGBT Alliance and Feminist Collective
before getting involved in the Ferguson movement
this past year. As a member of the Jails Support
Team and active participate in protests and
demonstrations Hattie has been honing her skills
as a community organizer and leader. After an
activist trip to Honduras to help insure voters right
Hattie did an internship with the Interfaith
Committee on Latin American. She is working at the intersections of multiple
identities and welcomes you to join her.