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October 12, 2025
First Youth Advisory Board Meeting
AWARE OHIO is proud to launch the inaugural Asian American Youth Advisory Board, a unique leadership and community-building opportunity for Asian American high school students in Northwest Ohio.
We embrace an inclusive definition of Asian American, welcoming youth of East, Southeast, and South Asian descent, as well as those who identify as multiracial or multiethnic.
As a board member, students will be part of a supportive and inclusive space where they can:
Meet and connect with other local Asian American youth
Learn about and discuss key issues affecting Asian American communities—such as identity, discrimination, and representation
Receive guidance and mentorship on college, careers, and leadership
Provide their feedback on AWARE OHIO’s programs, events, and outreach, helping shape the impact of a new nonprofit organization
2025 - 2026 Youth Advisors: Alex Ban, Karen Chou, Jamie Chung, Simon Deng, Ella Hu, Sashmika Kanumilli, Justin Le, Peter Lewis, Eesha Mehta, Evelyn Parsons, Jillian Parsons, Bella Swansinger, Kaylen Tran, Jessie Wong, Daniel Yun, Robbie Zhang, Yuxin Zheng
About the Youth Advisory Board Director
About the Youth Advisory Board Director
Cherice Chan (she/they) serves as AWARE OHIO's Youth Program Director. Cherice grew up in Toledo, Ohio and graduated from Southview High School in 2019. She went to college at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and graduated with her degree in Psychology and Anthropology in 2022.
After graduation, Cherice served as a project coordinator and youth advisory board director at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts. There, she worked on a research project about how Asian American teens learn and talk about race.
Cherice recently moved back to Toledo and now works at the University of Michigan as the program coordinator for a research initiative focused on creating a more equitable digital future.
She is passionate about racial justice, civic education, and youth leadership development. In her free time, she loves visiting museums, going grocery shopping, eating international cuisines, reading books written by Asian American authors, and collecting blind boxes.
If you have any questions about the Youth Advisory Board Program, please contact Cherice at chericechan@awareohio.org.
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