Partnerships Committee
The Partnerships Committee is in charge of all communications and relationships with partner organizations. They develop resources for campaigns in partnership with other organizations, and help mentor smaller youth-led civic organizations.
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Chief Officer of Partnerships
Phillip Nguyen (he/him) is a high school senior at Bolsa Grande High School in the Garden Grove Unified School District. Phillip's interests in advocacy began when he learned about the GENup-led Take a Seat Campaign's effort to establish a student board member position in his school district. He served in the Garden Grove GENup chapter as a Director of Strategic Partnerships and then became a Partnerships Director for the GENup Executive Team. Now a Co-Chief Partnerships Officer at GENup, he extensively collaborates with various GENup departments and external stakeholders to develop policy coalitions and maintain meaningful relationships that amplify students' voices. In addition to his work in GENup, Phillip served as an inaugural Young Senator for Senator Thomas J. Umberg in State Senate District 34. Outside of advocacy, Phillip enjoys studying Mandarin Chinese and currently has an Oral Proficiency rating of "Intermediate Mid" in the language. In the summer of 2023, he studied Mandarin Chinese abroad in Kaohsiung, Taiwan with a full National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) scholarship from the United States Department of State. He also serves as an Alumni Representative for the NSLI-Y Alumni Association, providing professional networking and global service opportunities for more than eight thousand alumni. Phillip is a proud Questbridge National College Match finalist. When he has time, Phillip loves to study history, create Spotify playlists, and obsess over his favorite Taiwanese bands.
Chief Officer of Partnerships
Sheila Menon (she/her) is a junior at Canyon Crest Academy in the San Dieguito Union High School District in San Diego, CA. From observing instances of racial and social-based hate within her own community, and police brutality nationwide, Sheila became passionate about advocating for social justice and equity work within the education system. As President of her district’s chapter of Diversify Our Narrative, she has worked to incorporate representative curriculum and diversity, equity, and inclusion resources within k-12 schools, in order to educate and dismantle internal biases in youth at a young age and promote continuous inclusion practices. Through her work in DON she has led numerous initiatives focused on social justice and educational advocacy, including the development of original curriculum lesson plans focused on Stereotypes & Prejudice, Asian American History, Microaggressions, Feminism and Women’s History. She and her club have presented to over 200 students since 2022 and continue to lead presentations with more students district wide. In addition to social justice advocacy, Sheila is a strong advocate for mental health and suicide prevention. She has been assisting with a PhD student’s research on childhood depression at the Gabrieli Lab at MIT since summer of 2022. Sheila is excited to begin work as a Director of Partnerships for GENUp: she hopes to bring her experience and passion for effective communication and collaboration to enact lasting change within the educational system, specifically focusing on work that supports marginalized student populations. Outside of advocacy, Sheila loves to read, listen to music, ice-skate, and watch a variety of tv shows.
Director of Partnerships
Avery Im (she/her) is a freshman at Crean Lutheran High School. Ever since she was little, she has been working to promote equity and inclusion within schools and society through journalism and communication with administration. Avery strives to create equality in an unjust world through her efforts in advocacy and her fight for racial justice. She has served in student leadership for a total of 5 years and has involved herself in countless school clubs and nonprofit organizations that seek to build opportunities for the voiceless. Avery also uses her small businesses to empower minority communities and raise awareness for prevalent societal issues. Currently, Avery engages in political policy and works to diversify unjust systems through action and advocacy.
Director of Partnerships
Aashi Jhawar (she/her) Hi! My name is Aashi, and I'm so happy to be part of GenUp's Partnerships Team. Along with GenUp, I am also the California Co-State Lead for Voters of Tomorrow and in my free time, enjoy reading, singing, baking, spending time with friends/family, and trying new foods! I hope to become a health lawyer and policymaker in the future.