Organizing Committee
The Organizing Committee reaches out and makes connections with all GENup chapters. They provide a one-on-one line of communication to the GENup Executive Team and are also instrumental in rolling out new campaigns.
Chief Organizing
Officer
Director of Organizing
Daniel Dolan (he/him) is a senior at Del Norte High School in San Diego, California. They have a strong passion for political advocacy and youth leadership, stewarding numerous projects at Del Norte as part of the local GENup chapter & Civics Club. Some of these projects include debates between students on different sets of issues (including domestic & foreign policy), voter registration drives, panels with minorities on campus, and interviews with Congressmen. Daniel also works with their district on advocating for increased CTE-focused policy to open up career pathways for Del Norte students and is in youth leadership as a CTSO state president and commissioner of their student body.
Eric Yue (he/him) is a junior in Leland High School in the Bay Area and is one of the Directors of Organizing for GENup K-12. After attending various political events, Eric realized the societal inequality in our world today, especially in the accessibility of education for many lower-income families. He became more involved in political activism throughout his high school years and joined GENup's K-12 Executive Team to further expand on this passion and interest. As a Director of Organizing, Eric will work closely with other teams within GENup to support local chapters, campaigns, and activism. He is excited to work with youth leaders around the state on issues impacting the educational system! In his free time, Eric is always down to a late-night boba run, watching endless hours of YouTube, or simply chatting with friends online and through voice calls!
Chief Organizing Officer
Sanya Dhama (she/her) is a first-year at Pitzer College in the Joint Medical Program in Claremont, CA, pursuing a major in Human Biology on a path to become a physician. In high school, she represented her peers as class president and student representative on her school site council. It was these experiences and her involvement within the Mayor’s Youth Council that opened up her eyes to the world of advocacy. Since then, she has promoted civic engagement within youth through hosting rallies and conferences in her role as Region 11 President for the California Association of Student Councils and Far South Regional Director for the Empowerment Collective. Her advocacy efforts range from health equity to racial justice to education, and beyond. Deeply passionate about minority representation—both in and out of medicine—, she serves as an intern for the Keck Science Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee and for the United Nations Women USA Los Angeles Chapter, working to promote diversity and gender equity. She even had the opportunity to speak alongside Asm Medina in support of AB 101 for Ethnic Studies at a statewide press conference. As the co-founder of GoToTutors (a free, virtual peer-to-peer tutoring service), she greatly values education and emphasizes community engagement as an avenue towards creating solutions to support those in need. Sanya finds her greatest inspiration from her peers and thus always looks to support and uplift the voices of the leaders of today—aka YOU! On her free time, she loves listening to music (recently into French and Ukrainian music), watching basketball, swimming, and going on spontaneous trips.
Director of Organizing
Ramit Goyal (he/him) is a senior at The Harker School in San Jose, California. His motivation for advocating for reform in the education system comes from his early days in his school's speech and debate team, where he learned about different issues such as residential segregation and its effect on public education. He served as Vice President at his school's Civil Discourse Club with a mission to provide safe environment for everyone to share their views on controversial but relevant topics. To continue his fight for reform in the educational system, he was part of Congresswoman Anna Eshoo's Student Advisory Board and has also interned with a local politician running for Congress. Ramit feels that in order to create a just, fair and wonderful society for the future, we need to start with providing the right to education for every child not only in the United States but in the whole world. With this in mind, Ramit created a non-profit organization, StemVeda, which provides education to underprivileged students globally on topics like robotics, programming, public speaking, managing finances, and stress-management. He also serves as the President of Class Operations at another student-run non-profit, Equal Access Robotics. In his free time, Ramit likes to paint and play the piano.
Director of Organizing
Diane Chau Nguyen (she/her) is a current junior at Hayward High School and has been recently elected to be her school's student board representative for the 2023-2024 school year. Her interest in activism sparked in 2020 during the midst of the pandemic and social injustices finally coming to light. She used her platforms as a way to spread awareness and promote actions that people could do to help. Her drive for activism carried onto her sophomore year being the sophomore representative for her past high school's dress code reform committee. Furthermore, she is also a part of the marketing team for Dear Asian Youth, promoting intersectional activism, solidarity with other marginalized communities, and equality and equity. She is excited to be a Director of Organizing and be able to work with local chapters, campaigns, and activists all around to help support and reform the education system. In her free time, you can find her reading, playing tennis, video editing, or out and about with her friends either wandering around SF or doing community service.
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Director of Organizing
Carter McKinzie (he/him) is a sophomore at Laguna Beach High School, CA. His interest in educational activism sparked when he discerned inequity in his community regarding equal access for all and No Child Left Behind. As an advocate of mental health, Carter plans on working at the community level on improving the resources available to students. In addition, he serves as a coordinator for Laguna Beach High School's Model United Nations program which strives to educate students about pressing UN issues such as gender inequality, nuclear regulation, climate change, and fair sustainable development. In Carter's free times, you will find him playing water polo, spending time with friends, or reading a classic novel.
Director of Organizing
Director of Organizing
Sahngwie Yim (she/her) is a sophomore at The Harker School in the Bay Area. She is mainly interested in the intersection between policy and health, especially topics concerning equity and diversity. She has always been interested in politics and the long-lasting, widespread impact it can have on our community. At school, she is an officer in various science and political clubs and is a member of her varsity debate team. In her free time, she enjoys ice skating, reading historical fiction books, crocheting stuffed animals, visiting new restaurants, and eating good food.
Director of Organizing
Esperanza Booher (she/her) is a first-year student at American River CC pursuing a major in Physical Sciences/Mathematics in Sacramento, California. She plans to transfer to a four-year university to pursue a degree in Astronomy and Astrophysics. She became interested in student civic engagement through participation in speech and debate, being an ambassador for the CA State Seal of Civic Engagement, and being a member of her high school district’s Student Advisory Council and current college’s ASB. Through these activities, she was able to learn about the flaws in education, especially those against marginalized and underrepresented communities, and learned that students have the ability to advocate for themselves and have their voices heard despite what they have been made out to believe due to their age. She joined GENup as an avenue to gain civic and political literacy. and to be a part of a team where she knows that what she does has an impact. Outside of civic engagement, she loves music, astronomy, fashion, and community service and either leads or participates in several groups that suit her interests (such as Circle K, band, color guard, and more)! She is always excited to serve GENup by supporting and connecting chapters, and cannot wait to see what more students across the nation can do for educational reform!
Ella Kraynak (she/her) is a junior at Palisades Charter High School in Los Angeles, California. Her passion for activism began as a child through witnessing injustices while volunteering in her community. Later, after the United States government made the heartbreaking decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, Ella continued her quest for change through the My Body My Choice club she founded at her school. Through raising money and educating her community about the importance of abortion rights, Ella began delving into other issues inside her community. Spending time working with underprivileged youth at Camp Hollygrove, creating backpacks for the homeless with the Giving Spirit, and delivering meals to older individuals through Meals on Wheels, Ella learned the importance of equitable access to education and the effect it can have on ones’ future. Joining the organization as one of the Directors of Organizing for GENup K-12, Ella strives to advocate for equivalent access to education for all, as she believes education should be a right, not just a privilege. In her free time, you can find Ella on the soccer field, spending time with friends and family, or reading on the beach.
Director of Organizing
Aryan Batada (he/him) is a senior at Lambert High School in Suwanee, Georgia and is a Director of Organizing in the K-12 Organizing Department. He’s been involved in climate advocacy since his freshman year of high school, organizing protests in downtown Atlanta and channeling youth energy into a push for change. Outside of climate action work, Aryan is involved in several advocacy groups, through which he’s increased political participation in marginalized communities throughout Georgia. He’s excited to bring his experience to the GENup team, working to build collective action towards policies that support, strengthen, and modernize our education system.
Director of Organizing
Sarah Lee (she/her) Sarah Lee is a sophomore at Troy High School, MI. Her interest in educational activism sparked when she realized the inequity in her community regarding equal access for education. She founded a student-run nonprofit called The New Page Project where she's donated over 14,000 books to schools in need. She hopes to increase literacy levels in areas with majority POC members. She recognizes the educational gap between different races of people and wants to continue bridging the gap. She places a lot of emphasis on her Korean identity, translates for her church, and is extremely active in the Korean community. She also is a big advocate of seeing representation in media and advocates for more diverse literature curriculums to be placed. In her free time, you will find her taking a nap, playing the cello, or scrolling through WEBTOONS.
Director of Organizing
Sophia Shah (she/her) is a sophomore at The Harker School in San Jose, California. Her journey is marked by a deep commitment to women’s equality, climate activism, and an unwavering dedication to making a positive impact on her community and beyond. As a Youth Commissioner for the last four years, she actively engages with her local community. She was selected to the advisory council of the National Charity League, where she creates training programs for over 240 chapters. She has advocated the San Jose City Council for free feminine hygiene products for girls in public libraries and has personally created over 500 packs for unhoused girls. Sofia is an avid debater, and involved in several school clubs, including founding Fem Club. In her free time, Sofia enjoys dancing in diverse styles from modern jazz to tap to ballet.