The FEMA Youth Preparedness Council was formed in 2012 to bring together youth leaders from across the country who are highly interested and engaged in advocating youth preparedness and making a difference in their communities. The Council members are selected based on their dedication to public service, their efforts in making a difference in their communities, and their potential to expand their impact as national advocates for youth preparedness.
2016-2017 Youth Preparedness Council
FEMA's Youth Preparedness Council includes youth from across the country. The Youth Preparedness Council supports FEMA’s commitment to involving youth in preparedness-related activities and provides an avenue to engage the youth population, taking into account their perspectives, feedback, and opinions. Council members attend the annual Youth Preparedness Council Summit in Washington, D.C., meet periodically with FEMA representatives, and work to complete a number of projects.
The Youth Preparedness profiles provide an overview of members’ preparedness backgrounds and their work on current and past projects.
2016-2017 Youth Preparedness Council Member Biographies
Kristen Lavoie, FEMA Region I (New Hampshire)
Kristen has participated in numerous extracurricular activities, including in the National Charity League (Southern New Hampshire Chapter) and in Model UN. Through the National Charity League, for which she has held multiple leadership positions, including historian, vice president, and president, Kristen has volunteered with the local soup kitchen, for which she plans to develop a program to benefit its clients as her senior project. She also gained event planning experience from the charity league, having helped organize events for 200 people. From her Model UN experience, Kristen learned she is comfortable speaking in large groups and hopes to have a career that includes public speaking.
To reach Kristen, please contact Donald Vincent at Donald.Vincent@fema.dhs.gov.
Ahjeetha Shankar, FEMA Region I (Connecticut)
Ahjeetha is the vice president of her HOSA-Future Health Professionals club, for which she promotes CPR and first aid education. She is also a former Odyssey of the Mind participant and current coach, and her team has won numerous tournaments. Ahjeetha is a straight A student; as a freshman, she received the top academic achievement award in Foundations in Health, Science, and Technology, a class made up of students in grades 9–12. Ahjeetha also has extensive volunteer experience, including as a Red Cross volunteer, which resulted in her receiving the President’s Volunteer Service Award: Gold Level. Her interest in preparedness grew after her family in Chennai, India, experienced severe flooding.
To reach Ahjeetha, please contact Donald Vincent at Donald.Vincent@fema.dhs.gov.
Aahna Ghosh, FEMA Region II (New Jersey)
Aahna serves as class secretary and is involved in multiple extracurricular activities, which won her the class superlative of PTA Best All-Around Student Award. She enjoys serving her community by volunteering at a local nursing home and working at a childcare facility. In both of these roles, Aahna promotes preparedness. Aahna sees the Youth Preparedness Council as a great opportunity to learn more about preparedness and share that message with her school and volunteer networks.
To reach Aahna, please contact Russell Fox at Russell.Fox@fema.dhs.gov.
Sam Kleinberg, FEMA Region II (New Jersey)
Sam has grown up knowing the importance of emergency preparedness and promotes family communications plans and pet safety plans. He is certified in first aid, in CPR, and as a lifeguard. For the past few years, Sam has volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, rebuilding homes that were destroyed in Hurricane Sandy. Last summer, he traveled to New Orleans with Mitzvah Corp to help with Katrina recovery. He is interested in pursuing a career in psychology and forensics, and his goal is to work with a national intelligence organization.
To reach Sam, please contact Russell Fox at Russell.Fox@fema.dhs.gov.
David Bedard, FEMA Region III (Virginia)
David, an Eagle Scout, spent 6 months preparing and executing a full-scale exercise at Chippenham Hospital that simulated a mass casualty event. He worked with community partners, including local fire, emergency medical service, and police departments to complete the drill, and he led the after-action report for the hospital exercise. He has had experience leading Emergency Preparedness classes and has been involved in multiple Search and Rescue training operations. David describes himself as being comfortable speaking to and working with adults, and he is eager to use this experience and apply it to the Youth Preparedness Council.
To reach David, please contact Amanda Hancher at Amanda.Hancher@fema.dhs.gov.
Angelo Degraff, FEMA Region III (Maryland)
Angelo launched a disaster preparedness club at his school. Working with community first responders and federal agencies such as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Corporation for National and Community Service, Angelo has engaged more than 30 students in various preparedness efforts. Angelo is certified as a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) SKYWARN weather spotter and is a trained member of the Berwyn Heights, MD Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). Angelo graduated from 8th grade this past June where he received several awards including the Principal’s Award, Academic Excellence Award for a 4.0 GPA, the Citizenship Award, 3 Character Counts Awards, and a medal for the National Junior Honor Society. Angelo is the recipient of the Moreau Scholarship, a 4-year academic scholarship recognizing the academic achievements of the top student applying to attend Bishop McNamara High School in Forestville, MD. Angelo is active in a summer service-learning club; he plays the violin; and he believes that Winter is Coming.
Previous Project
Project Title: School-based Preparedness Outreach
Description: Angelo will organize a school program by which volunteers will teach students and parents about preparedness and how to use safety packs. The National Junior Honor Society will be involved in the project.
Goals:
- Increase awareness of preparedness.
- Build relationships between the community and emergency services organizations.
- Eventually expand into a Teen CERT program.
- Create a preparedness officer position within the National Junior Honor Society.
To reach Angelo, please contact Amanda Hancher at Amanda.Hancher@fema.dhs.gov.
Preston Buszka, FEMA Region V (Michigan)
Preston is on the Farmington & Farmington Hills Mayor’s Youth Council and is a liaison to the Farmington & Farmington Hills Emergency Preparedness Commission. He is also SKYWARN certified and has some basic CERT training. Preston has a passion for robotics and safety, and is the team safety captain for his FIRST® Robotics Team, the Hackbots, out of his local high school. He created and maintains the team’s safety program, including an extensive manual on preventing injuries. He has also conducted safety outreach through the team.
To reach Preston, please contact Kimberly Hayward at kimberly.hayward@fema.dhs.gov.
Chandler Villa, FEMA Region VI (Texas)
Chandler is a member of her high school CERT and is enrolled in CERT basic training, through which she was deployed to Marlin, TX, during a water crisis. She has also helped her CERT team coordinate a community health fair. In addition to her CERT activities, Chandler is a leader in her school’s student activities and government organization. Being from a rural community, Chandler is interested in joining the Council and hopes to bring that perspective to youth preparedness.
To reach Chandler, please contact Bill Bischof at Bill.Bischof@fema.dhs.gov.
James Hirsch, FEMA Region VII (Missouri)
As the son of a National Weather Service meteorologist, James is a lifelong consumer of preparedness messaging. He enjoys public speaking, has performed in community theater, has worked at an amusement park, and has lettered in high school debate for the past 2 years. James has participated in numerous public speaking and outreach events, including SKYWARN Storm Spotter and HAM radio meetings. James, who is also interested in writing, has won a local Veterans of Foreign Wars youth essay contest. He is excited to work with other youth to help create a more preparedness-minded community.
To reach James, please contact Thomas Morgan at Thomas.Morgan5@fema.dhs.gov.
Jerome Dinakar, FEMA Region VIII (Colorado)
Jerome serves his community through a variety of extracurricular activities, including as a junior Boulder Amateur Radio Club (BARC) operator, student government member, debate team member, Children’s Museum volunteer, Avista Adventist Hospital volunteer, and Westminster Public Library Teen Advisory Board member. Through BARC, Jerome participates in activities to help prepare his community for disasters, including setting up antennas and radios for emergency situations. Jerome’s interest in emergency preparedness increased after his family in India was forced to relocate due to massive flooding in 2015.
To reach Jerome, please contact Daniel Nyquist at Daniel.Nyquist@fema.dhs.gov.
Alexander Sun, FEMA Region VIII (Utah)
Alex is the co-founder and chair of the Youth Council for Envision Utah, a statewide nonprofit that encourages residents to think about important issues regarding Utah's future, including disaster resilience. His work for Envision Utah has included public speaking (in front of 600+ people), helping other students organize youth groups and activities at their own schools, encouraging students and parents to take an online survey (more than 17,000 participants took the survey through the Youth Council’s efforts), and designing an award-winning science fair project that evaluated strategies for motivating high school students to take action. Alexander also helped his grandparents plan and run a neighborhood emergency preparedness fair that focused on wildfires and earthquakes. He is currently taking CERT training. Alexander, who speaks fluent Mandarin, spent two years living in China, not long before the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, which increased his interest in preparedness.
To reach Alex, please contact Daniel Nyquist at Daniel.Nyquist@fema.dhs.gov.
Kiahna Lee Espia, Region IX (Guam)
Kiahna is the founder and President of the Harvest Christian Academy (HCA) CERT Club. Through that club, she has partnered with many components of the Guam first responder community and several service organizations. They participated in National Preparedness Month, including running an outreach booth at a community event and participating in the CERT Rodeo. They advanced their knowledge by taking further training, such as First Aid/CPR, Basic Life Support, and National Incident Management System (NIMS) courses, and supported significant community programs, such as the 9/11 5K Run/Walk and Adopt-a-Bus Shelter. Kiahna is very much involved in recruitment for the program and preparedness outreach. She has developed promotional and outreach materials, including brochures, posters, and banners, and she was a guest on a radio station, during which time she spoke about disaster preparedness and volunteerism. Kiahna also represented the HCA CERT Club, an affirmer of the National Strategy for Youth Preparedness Education, at the National Strategy event in Washington, D.C. She spoke about her program during the affirmers’ collaborative session.
Project
Project Title: Guam Youth Preparedness Coalition
Description: Kiahna will develop a coalition to unify Guam’s youth preparedness organizations. This coalition will work in close coordination with Guam Homeland Security and various Guam governmental agencies to provide opportunities for youth. Kiahna will also standardize and centralize materials to support the coalition.
Goals:
- Encourage youth preparedness through school and community preparedness.
- Establish youth preparedness organizations, such as Teen CERT programs, in high schools (public, private, Department of Defense), sports organizations, and applicable villages in Guam.
- Organize a Guam Youth Preparedness Coalition.
- There will be a Guam Volunteers and Youth Preparedness and Leadership Summit in August.
- Maintain partnerships with the Department of Education, Guam Homeland Security, Mayors Council of Guam, Guam Ministerial Association, and Archdiocese of Hagatna.
To reach Kiahna, please contact Randy Brawley at Randy.Brawley@fema.dhs.gov.
Divakar Saini, FEMA Region IX (California)
Divakar’s motto is “Eprep is Essential,” and his impressive level of engagement with preparedness efforts in his community shows that he truly lives that motto. He created and taught a preparedness program for children ages 6-12, called “Masters of Disasters,” in conjunction with the Office of Emergency Services. He is also a trained member of his city’s Block Preparedness Coordinator (BPC) program and participates in the program’s quarterly drills. In collaboration with the adult BPCs, Divakar coordinated a project in which the members of his school’s emergency preparedness club painted house numbers on sidewalks. Divakar also is committed to the use of technology as a way to make disaster preparedness and response more efficient and widespread. He created a smartphone app that allows BPCs and CERT volunteers to better coordinate with city officials, including the sharing of incident reports and the ability to sort them by priority. He maintains a Facebook page about emergency preparedness and contributes emergency preparedness tips to a newsletter. Divakar has also been involved with in-person outreach, including organizing preparedness booths at community events.
Project
Project Title: Emergency Services Application
Description: Divakar is developing a smartphone application that can improve communication during disasters among block leaders, neighborhoods, and the city’s office of emergency services.
Goals:
- Improve communication among groups of leadership during a disaster.
- Facilitate better relationships between neighbors. People will come together during training on the app, and by getting to know one another they may be encouraged to continue conversations about community needs and other topics.
- Improve the allocation of resources in the event of a disaster.
To reach Divakar, please contact Randy Brawley at Randy.Brawley@fema.dhs.gov.
Hailey Starr, FEMA Region X (Washington)
Hailey is dedicated to improving the level of preparedness on the reservation where she lives. She is a very active member of the Muckleshoot Teen CERT, with which she made an active shooter training video. Hailey assisted with writing the script and served as the producer for the video. The students now want to share the video with other schools. The students were also approached about doing an emergency video in the Lashootseed dialect. Hailey is participating in a Teen CERT project to make emergency backpacks for the Elders in the community. The group is also working on a class they will run at one of the school’s bi-monthly Culture Nights, in which they will teach community members about preparedness. The information could subsequently be shared at one of the community’s pow-wows. Finally, Hailey is working with her school’s librarian on an article about what to do during a windstorm.
Project
Project Title: Tribal Emergency Preparedness Outreach
Description: Hailey is planning a project with four stages:
- Distribute emergency kits to tribal elders.
- Produce and distribute an emergency preparedness video.
- Conduct a tribal preparedness fair.
- Hold a shelter-in-place exercise.
Goals:
- Gain knowledge and share information with local tribal communities.
- Give people a feel for the types of emergencies and disasters that could happen.
- Engage the community in emergency planning.
To reach Hailey, please contact Bryant Harrison at Bryant.Harrison@fema.dhs.gov.
Megan Stutzman, FEMA Region X (Oregon)
Megan is a survivor of the 2012 Willamette River flooding, an event in which she played an active role in response. As part of the local CERT program, she served for three days, filling and delivering sandbags, packing and relocating items in the town’s museum, and managing equipment check in/out. Megan has taken on a more advanced role in the CERT program’s training component, where she assists instructors and conducts demonstrations during class. Megan also sets up the mock disaster for the class, including recruiting and training mock victims, planning the disaster scenario, and monitoring safety during the event. She recently completed the CERT Train-the-Trainer course and will soon be a lead instructor for both teen and adult classes. In addition to training and response, the CERT program has been involved with community activities such as assisting with a July 4th fireworks event. Megan created an operational plan, recruited participants, reviewed gear needs, and liaised with the city administration. Megan is the Teen CERT Team Lead, and she is working on establishing a preparedness class or CERT club at her school. She is also the administrator of her Teen CERT program’s Facebook page, and she is hoping to develop a newsletter.
Project
Project Title: Oregon Youth Preparedness Council
Description: Megan plans to develop a Youth Preparedness Council in Oregon. A Youth Preparedness Council will encourage youth involvement in emergency preparedness throughout the state.
Goals:
- Increase awareness of emergency preparedness in teens throughout the state.
- Establish an Oregon Youth Preparedness Council, then develop Councils in other states, eventually establishing a regional Council.
- Encourage Council members to spread information about emergency preparedness to other teens.
To reach Megan, please contact Bryant Harrison at Bryant.Harrison@fema.dhs.gov.