Luiza Yoshida Bonifacio, age 16, recently joined the Girl Up community. She is passionate about filmmaking and in 2017 began filming the daily happenings of her life, as well as that of 10 other girls, with the goal of sharing the daily struggles of each of the subjects. In addition to her creative aspirations, Luiza spends much of her free time doing what she loves most—playing soccer.

Javiera Hernández Morales, age 19, is currently a student at the Universidad de Chile where she is studying Astronomy. For Javiera, participating in WiSci in 2016 was a pivotal life moment, as it allowed her to meet many incredible and talented women from around the globe who encouraged her to continue working on her pursuits, reminded her not to be afraid of being a girl and inspired her to always want more out of life.

Eugénie Chéreau, age 21, is currently a student at the University of Buenos Aires where she is studying Design of Image and Sound. Eugénie, who has had an interest in the audiovisual world since childhood, spends much of her free time filming and taking photographs. When she isn’t busy with her creative pursuits, Eugénie enjoys traveling and playing sports, learning languages and engaging in social issues. Her goal in life is to help others through her audiovisual knowledge in order to help bring about change in society and raise awareness for important issues.

Alyssa Schiavon Gandini, age 22, is a recent graduate from the University of Cinematography in São Paulo. She is passionate about singing, writing, drawing, dancing, learning, meeting new people and discovering new places. Alyssa believes there is great value in differing opinions, which drives her interest in storytelling. In addition to her creative pursuits and participating with Girl Up, Alyssa also volunteers for another NGO called CISV, which has provided her with international experiences and exposure to different cultures.

Eloísa Chapa Ortiz, age 15, is passionate about technology, science and photography. She is a firm believer in promoting the use and creation of technology to generate changes that can better the world. Eloísa is highly involved in issues pertaining to the gender gap and how it can be eliminated. A specific area of interest for her is STEM –which is a subject she advocates for at conferences to help empower girls and women in this area.

Bethel Kyeza, age 16, served as a Girl Up club leader at her former school and went on to start one of the few Girl Up clubs in London. Bethel’s interests include public speaking, playing sports, composing new ideas and meeting new people. She has always been a passionate advocate for women’s rights, and the right for children to have access to education. Bethel’s goals are to become an influencer, to be able to provide free health care for those who need it and to generally provide a positive impact to those she interacts with.

Sarah Gulley, age 19, founded New Zealand’s first Girl Up club in 2014 and since then has been a dedicated advocate for gender equality. She has served as an international spokesperson on Girl Up’s Teen Advisory board, worked with the New Zealand government to establish a civics education programme, established an annual New Zealand Leadership Summit, and currently volunteers with the Community Justice Project teaching students about their legal rights. Alongside her advocacy work, Sarah is studying Law, International Relations and History at university. Her goal is to inspire young people to use their voices to empower others.

Lola Lizot, age 18, lives in Provence in the South of France. She just passed her Baccalaureate and would like to join the Film School of Brussels in Belgium. She would like to work in the field of cinema and reporting. Lola is also passionate about sailing, working as a sailing instructor in a nautical club every summer. She lived for two years on a sail boat with her family, where she had the chance to travel and discover other countries and live beautiful experiences.

Marisa Torre, age 17, is the high school caucus chair of Young Democrats of Howard County, and has held several internships and volunteering positions with local political campaigns. She is also the president of Girl Up club at her school and is excited to take part in this Girl Up opportunity! An avid writer, Marisa is working on publishing her first novel. She hopes to study film in college and become a screenwriter and director.

Marisa Umeh, age 18, loves to learn, but more than that she loves to share what she learned with others so that it may enlighten their lives. Her film about women's health titled "In & On" was awarded by Ian Somerhalder at Harvard University. Last summer, Marisa was selected to attend the WiSci Girls STEAM Initiative in Malawi hosted by Girl Up, Google, and Intel. She serves on the regional board of Girls Learn International, and the Junior State of America. Additionally, Marisa hosts her own web series titled #LikeHer. In the future, Marisa plans to pursue International Human Rights Law and Corresponding.

Soukaina Tachfouti, age 18, is from Morocco. Currently she is a student at the International University of Rabat pursuing a major in aerospace engineering. Soukaina has always been passionate about quality education and gender equality issues. Earlier this year she founded CodeforChange, an initiative that aims to introduce and expand access to computer science in public schools. In 2017, Soukaina was selected as one of four girls from across the country to participate in TechGirls, a US exchange program that empowers girls from the MENA region and encourages them to pursue careers in STEM. She also loves playing violin and travelling.

Tapiwa Maoni, age 18, is a first-year student at the University of Malawi, College of Medicine. She hopes to one day qualify as a surgical oncologist. Along with her friends, Tapiwa runs Girl Up Malawi. She is very passionate about girl empowerment and truly believes the future is female.

Kayla Adams, age 18, is a recent graduate of Centennial High School in Corona, California. Having an affinity for the arts growing up, she developed an avid interest in filmmaking which she furthered through her school’s video program. In addition to videography, she has found herself passionate about many global issues affecting those in differing communities. In the fall, Kayla will be attending the University of Southern California as a Media Arts and Practice major, hoping to continue combining the two, ultimately using digital media platforms such as film to create impact, tell stories, and find bridges for activism in new media technology.

Louise Zeng, age 17, is an aspiring social entrepreneur who wants her two younger sisters and her sisters across the globe to be able to make their dreams come true. Louise founded Dulles’ Miracle Club supporting Texas Children's Hospital and served as a U.S. Department of State Youth Ambassador to Colombia in 2017. When not competing in DECA and Future Problem Solving, Louise enjoys dancing and camping; she has a serious case of wanderlust. Her name means “female warrior,” so it’s no surprise her favorite Disney princess is Mulan.

Xiaochun Zhang, age 22, recently graduated from Communication University of China with a major in animation. Xiaochun also studied graphic design at Arts University Bournemouth in the UK for one year. Xiaochun began attending Sheridan College in Ontario, Canada, in August to further her studies in interactive media.

Madhurima Khadilkar, age 19, is a university student majoring in film and TV production and minoring in literary and cultural studies. Madhurima enjoys watching films and TV shows, writing, reading, and playing video games. In the future, Madhurima aspires to write for television for the modern Indian audience. She also loves travelling and learning more about the world.

Nivaal Rehman, age 17, is a twin activist, journalist and high school student in Whitby, Canada. She is very passionate about girls’ education and environmental sustainability, which she addresses with her twin sister, Maryam. Nivaal and Maryam share content to inspire others and have grown their media presence through their YouTube channel and social media accounts called “The World With MNR.” They have run their Girl Up club since grade 9 and led Girl Up’s Canada Coalition this past year. Nivaal’s hobbies include filmmaking, writing and travelling.

Maryam Rehman, age 17, is a twin activist, journalist and high school student based in Whitby, Canada. Maryam and her sister Nivaal do what they can to make a difference in the world. They have been developing a presence in the media with their YouTube channel and various social media accounts called “The World With MNR”. The sisters work to inspire others to take action for the causes they care about, and have both served as Girl Up club leaders and Canada Coalition Leaders. Maryam also loves travelling, photography, and filmmaking.

Mariana Anaya, age 17, is a rising senior from Monterrey, Mexico. She joined Girl Up over a year ago as Girl Up Monterrey’s Vice President, and is currently enrolled in an International Baccalaureate diploma program. Along with her club, Mariana helped organize Mexico’s 2017 Regional Summit. Mariana has a passion for writing and advocacy. Additionally, she served as an Emcee during the 2018 Girl Up Leadership Summit.

Jessica Zhang, age 16, is student in Concord, MA. She started her nonprofit, Yoga4youths, to teach yoga and mindfulness to underprivileged kids in the Bay Area. In addition, she is a President’s Volunteer Service Awardee, United Nations Teen Ambassador, Miss CEO ambassador, and Channel Kindness Reporter. In the summer, she was a writing intern at Stanford Daily, a broadcast reporter and producer for Cronkite News SJI, and with Investing In Girls, and a finance intern at Brown Advisory. In her free time, she loves traveling to new countries, watching Tedx Talks, and practicing Ashtanga yoga.

Maud Webster, age 16, is currently living in Norfolk, UK. Her passions are for STEM, reading, writing, sports, design, LBGTQIA+ and feminism - and she tries to weave in and incorporate as many of these interests into her day-to-day activities. Much of Maud’s time is spent working on various projects, and she can often be found hiking, socializing with her friends, or binging Netflix in her free time. She’s got an odd affinity for paperwork.