Ava - Southeast

Ava is a 19-year-old changemaker and Woodruff Scholar at Emory University, originally from Florida. She is studying International Relations and Global Business and has been a driving force in education, environmental and mental health policy, shaping youth conversations on governance. Ava has founded her own organization, SEAS Connections, and helped establish the first Croatian Youth Council, both rooted in her background growing up onboard cruise ships. As both an entrepreneur and diplomat, her polyglot capabilities have allowed her to represent marginalized groups at Congress, the United Nations, the White House and U.S. Embassies. Her work has been featured by ABC, The Washington Post, Yahoo and NBC. Ava’s experience as the first National Student Board Member Association President in U.S. history, representing over 30 million students, inspired her to become a Youth Representative with UNICEF USA, where she has been involved for the past five years.