The Research Alliance Youth Advisory Council (YAC) is a group of NYC public high school students with a strong interest in education policy and research. Grounded in our mission to advance equity and excellence in NYC public schools, the YAC ensures that youth voices play a meaningful role in shaping the Research Alliance’s work.
What the Youth Advisory Council Does
The YAC meets monthly and serves as a key source of insight and guidance for the Research Alliance. Council members collaborate with staff and researchers to:
- Help set research priorities that reflect the experiences and concerns of NYC students;
- Provide feedback on study design, data interpretation, and research findings; and
- Amplify youth perspectives, so that education research is relevant, actionable, and responsive to students’ needs.
Through this work, YAC members contribute to research that directly benefits NYC public school students and communities.
Learning and Leadership Development
Participation in the YAC equips students with leadership, data literacy, and research skills that support their growth as scholars and advocates. Council members engage in workshops, discussions, and hands-on activities designed to build their understanding of education research and its role in advancing more equitable and effective schools.
Meet the Council
Entsar Abuzaid
Entsar is from Brooklyn and is a junior at Edward R. Murrow High School. She is interested in pursuing a career in cardiology and is excited to join the YAC to learn, grow, and gain insight from different perspectives. She is passionate about leadership and contributing to her community.
Fun fact: In her free time, Entsar enjoys spending time by the ocean.
Rachel Alleyne-Romney
Rachel is from the Bronx and is a sophomore at Gramercy Arts High School. She wants to pursue a career in public policy. She is passionate about advocating for others and making changes in policies to better society. She is excited to be a part of YAC to gain more experience in research, advocacy, and leadership.
Fun fact: Rachel is left-handed.
Cooper Halpern
Cooper is from Manhattan and is a junior at Bronx High School of Science. He has always had a passion for education advocacy and hopes to study education policy and economics in college. He is a true believer that education uplifts individuals and communities and is a cornerstone of any thriving society. He is extremely excited to have a forum for passionate youth voices to convene and generate real change in their New York City community.
Fun fact: Cooper has two sisters and is the middle child.
Alia Hasnat
Alia is from Queens and is a sophomore at Benjamin N. Cardozo High School. She has a strong interest in pursuing a career in law. She joined the YAC because of her passion for education equity and wanted the opportunity to develop her leadership and collaborative skills while creating meaningful change. Outside of academics, she enjoys playing volleyball.
Fun fact: Alia loves to sing.
Jemari Henry
Jemari is from Queens and is a sophomore at Pathways College Preparatory School. Passionate about medicine, health, and writing, he aims to become a physician in the future. He joined the YAC to enhance his data literacy skills and learn more about conducting research with diverse populations.
Fun fact: Jemari is the youngest of four siblings.
Allegra Maio
Allegra is from Brooklyn and is a junior at Bard High School Early College Queens. Her dream career is to be an early education teacher. She applied to the YAC to gain better writing and research skills and strengthen her advocacy and leadership skills.
Fun fact: Allegra has traveled to 5/7 continents–she hasn't been to Africa or Antartica, yet!
Isabel Mateos
Isabel is from Queens and is a junior at High School for Health Professions and Human Services. She is interested in psychology and cognitive science as ways to better understand the mind and body. She is excited to be a member of the YAC and looks forward to being a part of advancing equity in NYC schools.
Aminah Nagi
Aminah is from the Bronx and is a junior at Bronx High School for Law and Community Service. She has been interested in law since she was little. She is passionate about learning how policies and systems affect communities. She applied to join the YAC to use her voice to make a positive impact in her borough and collaborate with other young leaders who are motivated to create change.
Fun fact: Aminah has a phobia of fruits.
Nekena Randrianarison
Nekena is from Brooklyn and is a senior at John Dewey High School. He is deeply passionate about social justice and equity—specifically regarding the school-to-prison pipeline, mass incarceration, healthcare disparities, and the impact of banned books. He applied to the YAC because he wanted to see how research can be used as a tool to address these systemic issues. He is excited to bridge the gap between research and the actual needs of NYC students like himself.
Fun fact: Nekena has an identical twin brother.
Amaya Weston-Colon
Amaya is from Brooklyn and is a junior at Brooklyn High School of the Arts. In the future, she hopes to become a family or international relations lawyer. She is very passionate about law, literature, theatre, and fashion. She applied to the YAC because she wanted more research opportunities outside of school and to collaborate with other youth on solutions to current-day problems.
Fun fact: Amaya’s favorite music artist is Ariana Grande.
Samira Yunusova
Samira is from Brooklyn and is a junior at Brooklyn Technical High School. She is passionate about reading good books, writing, especially poetry, and equitable opportunities for all. She applied to the YAC because she wants to learn about how the specialized high school admission process in NYC can be made fairer using a data-driven approach. She is considering becoming a data journalist or double-majoring in data science and sociology to use technology for good.
Fun fact: Samira’s born on January 1st.
The Research Alliance’s capacity to engage stakeholders in our work is supported by Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Catherine and Joseph Aresty Foundation, New York University, the Wallace Foundation, and the William T. Grant Foundation.