Meet Coro California’s 2026 Summer Youth Fellows Cohort

Ari Armenian

Ari is a sophomore at Oakwood School, where he is on the varsity basketball team and has also played on the varsity volleyball team. In addition to sports, Ari is pursuing his interests in science and engineering. Whether in athletics or during labs in chemistry class, Ari has learned the importance of teamwork and collaboration to achieve collective goals. Having grown up with a keen understanding of his cultural identity, Ari also understands the value of community and cultural connection in the broader sense, and the importance of taking the time to explore other people and cultures. This exploration drives Ari’s interest in international travel to gain first-hand experience with other cultures and societies.

By participating in the Coro program, Ari hopes to develop his leadership skills and gain a better understanding of how he can expand his contributions in his community and the world around him.

Ben Arinsburg

Ben Arinsburg is a junior at Harvard-Westlake, where he is on the Varsity track team and is the founder of Lil Wolverines, a community sports program that provides mentorship and skills training to underserved youth. Passionate about service, he launched Jew it Yourself: Handcrafted Holiness in the aftermath of the LA wildfires and hosted a workshop to help fire victims replace their Judaica. This was done with the support of a Julie Beren Platt Teen Innovation Grant through Jewish Federation Los Angeles. Ben’s an active community volunteer, helping Title 1 students improve their literacy at Wise Readers to Leaders, planning activities for homeless youth at Camp Harmony, and teaching swimming through Special Olympics.

Through his participation in Coro’s Youth Fellows Program, Ben hopes to deepen his understanding of civic leadership, expand his network, collaborate with peers who are equally committed to service, and strengthen his social entrepreneur skills to turn ideas into meaningful, lasting projects.

Cameron Stinehart

Cameron is a rising junior at Geffen Academy at UCLA, where he is a member of the Varsity Tennis Team, Congressional Award club team leader, and a member of the National Honor Society.

Cameron plans to apply the public policy training and civic responsibility experience from Coro to reinforce his work supporting athletes with disabilities. He also intends to lead student efforts to develop stronger relationships within his school’s community and local organizations. As an avid photographer, Cameron hopes to document and capture the diverse stories of people and neighborhoods across Los Angeles.

Dahlia Scarpa

Dahlia is a rising senior at Santa Monica High School, where she is involved in community work, government, and the arts. She participates in YMCA Youth and Government’s Model Legislature Court and Secretariat programs, and is a leader of her school’s Model United Nations team. She volunteers frequently at her local YMCA, the Santa Monica History Museum, and as a student poll worker, blending her love for history with local involvement and research. Outside of civics and service, she loves creating ceramic pieces imbued with her passion for art history, and has been a competitive swimmer for eight years. Dahlia hopes to pursue history and political science in college, and looks to eventually explore a career in government or law.

She is particularly excited for the professional placement opportunities that Coro provides and is hoping to continue to learn more about local government to better serve her community.

Emmanuel Solis

Emmanuel is a junior at Maywood Center for Enriched Studies. He believes education is the greatest equalizer, giving everyone, regardless of background or socioeconomic status, a fair shot at achieving their dreams. That belief drives his goal of working in education policy. At school, he serves on oversight committees and councils, providing feedback on everything from bell schedules to budgets. He follows politics closely and is the type to stay up late tracking election results. When unwinding, you’ll find him watching drama TV (he’s currently obsessed with The Pitt). Outside the classroom, he is Vice President and Trumpet Section Leader of his school band, performing at the Rose Parade and Disneyland with the LAUSD All City Honor Marching Band.

Through Coro, he hopes to build teamwork and networking skills, gain hands-on civic experience, and connect with peers who share his drive to make a difference.

Gavin Reisert

Gavin is a rising senior at Le Lycée Français de Los Angeles, where he is the founding member and president of a LA World Affairs Council chapter, a student ambassador and mentor, and member of the varsity basketball team. Gavin is extremely passionate about civic engagement, public policy, and mental health. He leads UCLA’s Friends of the Semel Institute Teen Advisory Council Research Subcommittee, where he and his peers are researching mental health interventions for teens and building an app to make mental health resources more accessible. As a student election worker and LA2050 Youth Ambassador, Gavin aspires to pursue a career in law and politics.

Through Coro, Gavin hopes to learn more about policymaking directly from professionals to turn his research into action and become a more effective leader and advocate in his community.

Hailey Montenegro

Hailey Montenegro is a rising senior at Maywood Center for Enriched Studies, where she takes pride in serving as her team’s debate captain and editor of her school newspaper, The Wolfpack Times. After high school, she desires to pursue a career in law, using her voice to fight for justice in underserved communities.

She currently participates in activities like the YMCA Youth and Government and fellowships like DemocraSHE to begin bridging the divide of privilege in law. You can often find her working on speeches or starting a new art project.

This summer, she is so excited to take the advocacy and oral skills she already has and expand on them, surrounded by passionate people at Coro, so she can actively put them to use in the future and create a lasting impact on the world.

Hollis Espy

Hollis is a junior at LACES High School. She is the president of the school’s baking club and a three-time winner of the Los Angeles County Fair Baking competition. She spends her weekends helping her community by supporting The Wellington Square Farmers Market, her local Farmers Market, engaging with customers and ensuring there’s no trash left behind at the end of the day. Hollis wants to get her degree at a college on the East Coast, exploring career paths and taking classes across many different subjects.

She hopes Coro will help her gain the skills she needs for college and throughout life, developing a stronger voice and better sense of leadership in order to become a future leader in her community.

Kara Pullen

Kara is a junior/upcoming senior at Santa Monica High School, where she participates in a club, Human Rights Watch Student Task Force, and the dance team. She has been the secretary of the club since freshman year, and has been on the dance team for one year.

From Coro, she hopes to gain leadership skills and grow her collaboration skills. In the long run, she hopes to carry these skills into her future education and career.

Kayla Penhasi

Kayla is a rising senior at the Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies (LACES). She intends to double major in political science and journalism, with the goal of being a political journalist/editor. At LACES, she is her school newspaper’s editor-in-chief, as well as the Creative Writing Club’s president and founder. Penhasi is an avid student researcher, completing research under a Harvard PhD mentor regarding the construction of political credibility through gendered framing in journalism, and research through the UCLA PSUC Fellowship regarding the relationship between social media and political polarization. Kayla is interested in journalism, American politics, and youth and media literacy initiatives. She enjoys all forms of creative writing, reading classic literature, playing the piano and guitar, and watching and playing women’s basketball.

Through her participation in the Coro Youth Fellows Program, she hopes to learn more about local government and gain professional civic experience.

Kimberly Mora

Kimberly is a junior at University Prep Value High School. She plays two sports, soccer and cross-country. She loves giving back to her community by helping in community cleanups, volunteering at her local library, and providing support at the LA General Hospital. Kimberly is always looking for different ways to give back and help people since it is her passion. She hopes she can gain more public speaking skills through the Youth Fellows Program.

Matthew Trifiletti

Matthew is a junior at Chaminade College Preparatory School and a multi-sport athlete in baseball and football. He is driven by a commitment to leadership, discipline, and service, shaped by his family’s resilience and example. Matthew leads and serves through community outreach, organizing holiday programs for underserved families, volunteering with New Economics for Women and food distribution efforts in MacArthur Park, mentoring peers as a retreat leader, and supporting athletes with special needs through Challenger League. He also founded the Ysidro Hope Foundation to provide humanitarian aid to families in Cuba. As a Student Visionary with Blood Cancer United, inspired by his family’s experience, Matthew personally raised over $10,000 for research and patient support. He aims to compete at the collegiate level and continue making a meaningful impact, and through Coro, further develop as a leader committed to service and positive change.

Megan Maidy

Megan is a junior at Notre Dame High School, where she takes part in mock trial, choir, and track and field. Her diverse extracurriculars have helped her experience diverse teamwork and leadership positions. She hopes to attain her JD/MBA and become a CEO of her own company as she explores law and business throughout her career. Megan spends time reading all types of literature–from the classics to autobiographies–and has used this as a tool to understand daily life and complex real world issues. Her avid reading has resulted in a larger interest in history, and how policymakers can integrate it into their decisionmaking.

From Coro, she hopes to grow as a leader and individual, and develop strong communication skills to use in business.

Mirna Torres

Mirna is an upcoming senior at Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies, where she is a part of the Young Latino Scholars cabinet and active in student government. She is a college match student who enjoys spending time with her family and thrifting with her friends.

Through Coro, she hopes to define her voice, participate in unique experiences, and make meaningful connections that inspire her in various ways. It is important to her to take steps outside her comfort zone, attain confidence in sharing her ideas, and be vulnerable with others. Mirna hopes to attend a four-year university on the East Coast after graduation and study social sciences and public service.

Natalia Galaviz

Natalia is currently in the 11th grade at Mayfield Senior School in Pasadena. Since the start of high school, she has been inspired by her history classes and wants to learn more about witnessing public policy in action. Her long-term goal is to attend law school, since public policy and law complement each other well.

Natalia is excited to participate in the program this summer. She is especially eager to participate in the Coro program to gain hands-on, cross-sector experience in government, business, labor, and nonprofit organizations.

Scout Hardie

Scout is a rising Senior at Campbell Hall High School, where she is the captain of the cheerleading team. She is also a creative writing tutor at various Los Angeles middle schools. Scout is an avid volunteer with Didi Hirsch’s Teenline, and loves helping her community through community service endeavors such as Camp Harmony and Corazon House Build in Baja. In her spare time, Scout enjoys traveling to new places and trying unique foods.

Her goal is a career related to law and public policy, and she looks to learn more about leadership, policy making and advocating for the community through her Coro participation.

Skyye Jefferson

Skyye is a junior at Harvard Westlake, where she is Junior Captain of the school’s Drumline, Choir Alto Section Leader, and Illustrator for the School newspaper. Her long-term goal is to continue her study of the arts, and get a degree in Business and Sociology to learn how the world works around her. Skyye is active in community service, helping younger future scientists and assisting to coordinate charity events. She is also part of the school’s Global Affairs Club, where she learns and talks about the different parts of governments, and how events influence global politics.

Through Coro, Skyye hopes to expand her understanding of civil leadership, develop stronger communication skills, and learn how to put ideas into meaningful action.

Tyra Hernandez

Tyra is a junior at USC Hybrid, where she is the president of the tennis club and runs on the track and cross country team. She hopes to become a lawyer or study politics with the help of skills she will learn at the Coro program.

Xenexci Jacobo

Xenexci is a rising Senior at United World College – USA, an international boarding school in New Mexico. Each week, she takes part in her school’s conflict transformation team – a group who focuses on mediating disagreements between the incredibly diverse group of students, the school newspaper, and community service. Currently, she’s interested in becoming a court judge or journalist, though she enjoys baking, reading, and hanging out with her friends in her free time. Through her participation in the Youth Fellowship Program, Xenexci hopes to gain firsthand experience learning from civil leaders and giving back to the community.

Yamile Maxil-Gomez

Yamile Maxil-Gomez is a junior at Harvard-Westlake High School, where she is actively involved in the swim team, slam poetry, and theater department. She plans to study pre-law in college and pursue a career that allows her to advocate for others and navigate professional environments. Through her extracurricular activities, Yamile has developed strong communication, creativity, and teamwork skills, while building confidence as a leader. She hopes to continue expanding her understanding of leadership and collaboration. She also hopes to gain professional experience and learn how to work effectively with people from diverse backgrounds and perspectives.