Civically Engaged Student Webinar Series 

Xypher Pino is a junior at Greensboro College majoring in Biology. He is a 2024-25 North Carolina Campus Engagement Civic Impact Fellow. This presentation will feature current outcomes of his Fellowship Impact Project, which aims to improve the overall civic life of Greensboro College by implementing programs that provide a platform for civically passionate students to engage. Xypher will share how he is achieving a stronger civic life on campus through the addition of a civic workshop during mandatory classes for first-year students, the redesigning and reestablishment of civic projects, and the creation of a civic leadership program for select students. Then, he will offer insights and recommendations for other campuses interested in implementing similar initiatives! 

TJ Hill-Johnson is a junior at William Peace University majoring in Business Administration with a focus in Accounting. They are an accomplished leader and advocate, currently serving as the President of the Black Student Union. With a passion for student engagement and representation, TJ also served as a Primary Member of the NCAA Student Athlete Advisory Committee, where they work to amplify the voices of student-athletes. As the President of DECA, TJ led initiatives promoting leadership and entrepreneurship among peers. Additionally, they have contributed to fostering diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) as a member of the Executive Director Search Committee. Through these roles, TJ has gained valuable experience in advocacy, championing causes that empower underrepresented groups and drive systemic change.

Zainab Adamou-Mohamed is a senior at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro majoring in Studio Art and minoring in Rhetoric & Public Advocacy. She is also a member of the Lloyd International Honors College. Currently, Zainab is a Catalyst Leader with her university’s Office of Leadership and Civic Engagement. In the past, she has held the roles of president of the UNCG Muslim Students Association and Communications Intern with Democracy North Carolina. Zainab’s interests include photography, writing, refugee & immigrant advocacy, and graphic design.

Dual Session

March 26, 2025

“How Women in STEM Can Inspire and Educate Communities”

Speak Out Sisterhood is a global nonprofit elevating young professional women in STEM to address the most pressing barriers to women’s career advancement. Their Generation YES Internship program empowers college women to develop, pitch, and prototype social impact projects that tackle systemic challenges in STEM alongside partner organizations. This presentation showcases how working directly with major organizations for civic engagement and community development has empowered the college women in this program to develop skills that are crucial for career success.

How Women in STEM Can Inspire and Educate Communities

Aynsley Szczesniak is a sophomore at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill studying Biology, Mathematics and Entrepreneurship on the premedical track. As the Founder and CEO of Speak Out Sisterhood, she is passionate about bringing youth voices into critical conversations about women’s career advancement. She is also the youngest member of the Advisory Board of the Carolina Women’s Center at UNC Chapel Hill and the North Carolina State Lead of Million Women Mentors, and has spoken at conferences, webinars, and panels about the power of social entrepreneurship to build skills and strength for success in STEM.

Jailah Lytch is a junior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, majoring in Biology with a minor in Health and Society. She is a dedicated community health volunteer with a strong passion for women’s health and societal well-being. Her interdisciplinary interests lie at the intersection of medicine and sociology, focusing on how people interact and how social structures influence health outcomes. As a young Black woman, she finds empowerment in connecting with others who share her experiences and working together to create meaningful change. Through her volunteer work and academic pursuits, she strives to advocate for equitable healthcare and foster a more inclusive society.

Kassidy McFeeley is a junior majoring in marketing, and a Bonner Leader at High Point University. Through the Bonner Leader Program she assists the City of High Point, developing promotional materials and webpages on urban agriculture and neighborhood associations and is a Site Coordinator for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program. Kassidy is passionate about promoting civic responsibility and community engagement.

Jenny Ngo is a freshman majoring in biology at High Point University and a Bonner Leader. As a volunteer at the Community Clinic of High Point, Jenny helps with general office tasks such as patient phone calls, filing, medical record assembling, data entry, and special events. As a Bonner Leader, Jenny not only serves the community but also promotes racial equity and social justice on campus, and in the community outside of campus.

Iyana Marie Beachem is a Junior at Fayetteville State University studying Race and Public Health with a minor in Chemistry. In her activism career, she has created Federal Policy for Child and Maternal rights and currently prioritizes student advocacy with her NAACP Initiative “It Belongs to Us”.

Aigné (on-yay) Taylor is a recent graduate of North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University with her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Bachelor of Arts in Sociology where she graduated with highest honors, Summa Cum Laude. Throughout her matriculation at her institution, Taylor served and advocated in a plethora of ways. Taylor was a prominent student advocate spearheading voter engagement initiatives and creating a civic engagement culture on her college campus. She is an aspiring Medical Sociologist who eagerly seeks to make life easier for those around her. Taylor is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated and lives by the quote from late Congresswoman, Shirley Chisholm “if they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring in a folding chair.”

Joy Reeves is a is a first-year Master of Environmental Management student at Duke University specializing in Environmental Economics and Policy. Originally from Frederick, Maryland, she is a Presidential Fellow at the Rachel Carson Council, where she studies energy justice in North Carolina and how to creatively engage audiences and stakeholders with climate science. As a trained science communicator, cartoonist, and published author of Growing Up in the Grassroots (2020), Joy is excited to discuss the “art of activism” and all of its creative intersections. 

Kirti Patel is a senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill studying Nutrition and Economics. He has been an EMT for over 3 years, working through UNC’s EMS agency and local county service. Kirti’s love for education and medicine is what inspired him to teach a seminar about healthcare in media and more recently teaching cpr/ first-aid trainings at UNC. He hopes to eventually become a physician.