FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

21st Century Leaders Announces Winners for 2020 Youth Leadership Awards Top 21 High School Students of 21st Century Leaders Selected for Outstanding Leadership

(February 17, 2020) , GA – 21st Century Leaders, a Georgia-based non-profit youth leadership and talent development program for high school students, announces the top 21 youth leaders selected for its annual signature event, Georgia Youth Leadership Awards, to be held on Saturday, March 28, 2020 at the Theatre. This year’s event also kicks off the organization's fourth decade of service to the state of Georgia.

21st Century Leaders (21CL), in partnership with the event corporate sponsors and partners, brings together business and civic leaders to raise support for 21st Century Leaders' year-round leadership programs while also recognizing 21 outstanding high school students throughout Georgia who have made a significant impact on their schools, communities and beyond.

21CL serves over 800 students annually and this year’s top 21 includes non-profit founders, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, app developers, and community advocates who truly represent the diversity of Georgia with students from Atlanta to Columbus to Twiggs County to Clinch County – all in high school. The nominated students were carefully chosen by a 23-member selection committee comprised of Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 40 under 40 members, 21CL Board of Directors, 21CL corporate volunteers, and 21CL alumni and student peers. You can view the full selection committee below.

21st Century Leaders is proud to announce the following 21 outstanding youth leaders for the 2020 Georgia Youth Leadership Awards:

1. Aylah Birks, Twiggs County High School 2. Luisa de Macedo, Chattahoochee High School 3. Emily Demps, North Atlanta High School 4. Michael Fu, PACE Academy 5. Kiran Gadde, Westminster Schools 6. Keith Harris, Westlake High School 7. Freddie “DJ” Haythorne, Clinch County High School 8. Kelsey Henderson, Westlake High School 9. Shalin Jain, Duluth High School 10. Maahi Jain, Milton High School 11. Nitya Jella, Gwinnett School of Math, Science & Technology 12. Jaden Joiner, KIPP Atlanta Collegiate High School 13. Conner Kanaly, 14. Madison Kenney, Georgia Connections Academy 15. Jacob Lee, Kennesaw Mountain High School 16. Cody Nelson, St. Pius X Catholic High School 17. Sarah Oburu, Etowah High School 18. Aakash Pothu, South Forsyth High School 19. Camisha Smith, Henry W. Grady High School 20. Ciera Walker, Hardaway High School 21. Alvin Wright, Clarkston High School

The students will be honored at the Georgia Youth Leadership Awards on Saturday, March 28, 2020 at the Buckhead Theatre in Atlanta. Through corporate sponsors, each youth leader will be presented with a grant, with one student awarded the WarnerMedia Student Leadership Award – the event’s top award which includes a $1,000 grant. Students are also paired with GYLA Coaches who mentor the students leading up to the event and present the award to them on stage. GYLA Coaches are members of Atlanta Business Chronicle's 40 under 40 alumni, maintaining a partnership that was established with ABC 40 under 40 in 2008 when 21st Century Leaders first launched this event.

This year's event is being led by GYLA Co-Chairs and 21CL Board of Directors, Corey Dortch, Ph.D. of Emory University's Goizueta Business School and Danette Johnson of Dot & Lace: A People & Culture Boutique. For more information about the Georgia Youth Leadership Awards or to purchase a ticket to the event, please visit www.21stcenturyleaders.org. All proceeds from the event will support 21CL’s ongoing efforts to provide youth leadership and talent development programs for high school students across Georgia.

GYLA Selection Committee All nominations were reviewed by our 23-member GYLA Selection Committee, comprised of Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 40 under 40 members, 21CL Board of Directors, 21CL corporate volunteers, and 21CL alumni and student peers. Committee members included Asia Anderson, SHRM- Atlanta; Monique Bell, Bobby Dodd Institute; Chadwick Boyd, Lovely & Delicious; Adriana Embus, Samuel A. Ramirez & CO., Inc., 21CL Alumni & 21CL Junior Board; Chandra Farley, Partnership for Southern Equity; David Felfoldi, SHERPA Global; Marty Fleischmann, AERO, 21CL Board; Kareem Hall, K Hall Consulting; April Jackson, SunTrust; Jordan Jackson, 21CL Youth Ambassador & Former GYLA Recipient; JP James, Libreum International, 21CL Board; Cherene Johnson, Mercedes-Benz USA; Dr. Shaneeta Johnson, Morehouse School of Medicine; Jared Kozel, Moxie; Chance Mack, Diverst, 21CL Alumni & 21CL Junior Board; Amanda Mewborn, Navicent Health; Tamira Moon, Georgia Department of Public Health; Marguerite Pressley Davis, Pressley Davis Strategic Consulting; Dr. Adriane Randolph, Kennesaw State University, Coles College of Business; Dr. Jyoti Sharma, Piedmont Hospital, 21CL Alumni; Maria

Thacker Goethe, Georgia BioEd Institute; Kayla Weeks, 21CL Youth Ambassador & Former GYLA Recipient; Laura Whitaker, Extra Special People, Inc..

About 21st Century Leaders Since 1989, 21st Century Leaders has served more than 15,000 diverse high school students from over 250 Georgia high schools. 21st Century Leaders’ mission is to connect, transform, and inspire high school students across the state of Georgia to leverage diversity, explore career opportunities, and become leaders in their school, community, and ultimately the workforce.

21st Century Leaders is currently accepting student applications (until March 1st and March 15th) into their leadership and development program and for their four summer leadership institutes for the 2020 summer. The summer leadership institutes are one-week residential programs on college campuses hosted by our corporate partners and business professionals. 21CL accepts rising sophomores, juniors and seniors. For more information about 21st Century Leaders, visit www.21stcenturyleaders.org/student-programs.

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For media inquiries, please contact: Kate Hewitt Executive Director, 21st Century Leaders [email protected] | 404.373.7441

www.21stcenturyleaders.org