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Nicole (she/her) is an advocate in training for everyone to have the chance to take part in sports, and to eliminate bullying in school. Nicole loves to play sports, she excels in running and loves playing basketball. Nicole enjoys spending time with her family, dog and her cats. She once ran 209 miles (the distance across Michigan) in a week to promote transgender rights in sports and raise awareness of bullying in our schools. Let all girls play!

Jay (all pronouns) is a high school student currently located in northern Colorado. Living in Chicago for eight years and being influenced throughout his life by unpredictable chronic illness, Jay utilizes his experiences with discrimination to himself and others to lead advocacy in his community. Motivated in LGBTQ+ engagement both locally and legally, Jay currently works with county government and inter-state programs to plan events and develop legislation.

In their free time, Jay enjoys taking care of his plants, which are rapidly growing in number, reading Russian classics, spending time with friends, and going to terrible hardcore shows.

Hello, I’m Adelaide- a nonbinary student! I have spent my time living in Michigan, enjoying the sun and sand of our great lake beaches. I love the company of my two dogs, as well as the time I get to spend with my 3 siblings. I am looking forward to attending MSU College of Science and Engineering in the fall! I am currently working towards a career in software engineering- I am obsessed with everything computer.

I have been given the wonderful opportunity to volunteer at an elderly care facility (9 years and counting!). I am also a member of the National Honors Society. I love contributing to my community and am passionate about advocating for human rights. Exploring gender has been a long and rewarding journey for me; I am grateful to my LGBTQ+ family at Stand with Trans for helping provide insight through my moments of inquisitiveness.

My name is Anthony, I’m a 17 year old trans man from Georgia, and this is one of my first experiences with any sort of trans youth program. I am also the eldest child to 3 younger sisters. I got involved with the YAB because a friend at Free Mom Hugs heard about it and thought that it would be a perfect opportunity for me. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know everyone, so now here’s the chance for people to get to know me!

Some of my interests are music composition, insects, reptiles, and online gaming spaces. I play several different instruments including flute and piano, as well as participate in my school’s marching band. I hope to minor in composition. I enjoy listening to music about as much as writing it, and some of my favourite artists are Laufey, Sumia, Peach Pit, Radiohead, and Pierce the Veil.  I have taken a huge interest in insects, and I hope to major in college as an Entomologist, or a Herpetologist,as  getting to work with insects and/or reptiles for the rest of my life sounds like a dream come true. I currently own a good variety of bugs, such as darkling beetles and mantids, and I currently have one crested gecko, Bruno, along with several cats I care for. I like to find myself within communities, I play a lot of Pokemon and Splatoon, and have gotten myself involved in a lot of online game spaces to fill my interests during my free time.

Currently my goals/motivations are to not only get my own voice out there, but to help other trans people, especially youth, do the same. I think with everything going on both inside and outside of people’s personal lives, having a community like the YAB is a great way to do just that. I also hope to motivate people to take action, and hopefully make sure everyone knows they are not alone.

Alyssa (they/them) is a nature enthusiast and nonbinary high school student based in Michigan with a passion for learning and discovery. Their goal is to contribute to forming a place where people can unapologetically be themselves without fear of shame or judgement. The freedom of self-expression is most important to Alyssa and they hope that their involvement in Stand with Trans will help them reach a wider audience to promote equality, freedom, and justice for the trans community and other minorities. They are active in their school’s GSA (Gender-Sexuality Alliance), a club which aims to create a safe space for LGBTQ+ youth. Alyssa has organized many fundraisers with GSA and they have raised over $2,000 for organizations like the Trevor Project. They have served as the vice president of GSA for two years and running! Aside from their work with LGBTQ+ communities, they like to explore the outdoors and go birdwatching. Alyssa’s passion for nature extends beyond the outdoors, they currently own a cockatiel and a plethora of planted aquariums where they breed fish, shrimp, and snails! Their creativity and dedication to art is prevalent in their various portfolios using mediums like ceramics, watercolors, and sculpture.

Hello, my name is Augusten (he/him) and I am a high school student in Michigan, and member of the Stand with Trans Youth Advisory Board. I started my transition journey in 2022 and strongly value advocacy for the rights of transgender youth, and creating a more accepting and safe community for the LGBTQ+ community. I am an active member in my schools Gender Sexuality Alliance, Big Brother Big Sister, and National Honors Society. Outside of school I enjoy fiber arts, exercising, and spending time with family and friends.

Kieran (He/They) is currently a  college student in Michigan, majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies with focuses in Psychology, Sociology, and Criminal Justice. He hopes that as a member of Stand With Trans’ Youth Advisory Board he can help advocate for the needs and desires of the Trans and GNC community. One thing he is particularly excited about is getting experience doing community engagement and connecting with other trans people through Stand with Trans.  Kieran currently works in their Gender and Sexuality Center at school and offers support as a student assistant and peer mentor to other transmascs/transmen. When he is not there they are likely studying, playing with his cat, or at one of his other jobs. In his free time Kieran loves hiking, drawing, and reading queer fiction (during each of these activities he is likely listening to his favorite musician-Hozier!)