John Lewis Youth Leadership Award

Nominations for this year’s John Lewis Youth Leadership Awards are now closed. We will accept nominations again in the fall of 2026.

The John Lewis Youth Leadership Award was established in 2021 by the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS). The award honors the extraordinary accomplishments of Congressman John Lewis. The national award recognizes those 25 years or younger who have demonstrated leadership abilities, have a passion for social justice, and are motivated to improve the quality of life in their community.

Vermont’s 2025 recipients of the John Lewis Youth Leadership Award are:

Binti Aweis
pictured left

Currently studying at the Community College of Vermont, Binti Aweis attended Winooski High School, where she helped to start the Unheard Stories program for Winooski students. This youth-led program invites traditionally marginalized students to share their stories in any mode they want – dances, skits, fashion, poetry and more, culminating in a community performance at the end of the school year. Unheard Stories, as Binti’s nominator Kayla Loving (of the Education Justice Coalition of Vermont) explained, “helps uncover stereotypes and transform the audience’s views of what it means to be African or hold other marginalized identities.” Binti is also very active in social justice work, participating in clubs, leading workshops and organizing gatherings within the Winooski community. On the statewide level, she has served in several roles for the Education Justice Coalition of Vermont, including as an intern helping to build their Youth Social Justice Network and plan their Statewide Youth Gathering. “Binti is reliable, empathetic, and determined,” explained Loving. “I’ve learned so much through working with her.”

Rafaela Botti
pictured right

A homeschooled high school junior in Orwell (Addison County), Rafaela Botti has brought her passion for social justice, civic engagement, and youth empowerment to numerous leadership roles throughout her community. A dedicated organizer in Middlebury, Rafaela has built a strong record of collaboration with local and statewide justice initiatives; she has previously worked with Atria Collective (WomenSafe) and Education Justice Coalition, and continues to serve with MiddPride, Outright Vermont, and the Vermont State Youth Council, where she uplifts youth voices and advances equity-centered policy. In 2025, Rafaela organized a Summer Social Justice Camp, providing youth with accessible, action-oriented education on community leadership and social justice. The radio show she established on Middlebury College’s WRMC 91.1 station - “FREAKuency of Change” - plays protest anthems and alternative tracks from the past five decades while spotlighting local and regional events and organizations. In collaboration with Vermont Afterschool and Middlebury’s Teen Center, she founded the Middlebury Youth Council (MYC), which organizes and funds youth-led changemaking initiatives. She founded the Vermont chapter of Vote 16 U.S.A., leading the statewide campaign to extend voting rights to 16- and 17-year-olds. As the Ilsley Public Library’s first intern, Botti launched a “Book Buddies” program that paired middle/high school students with preschool and kindergarten children to foster reading skills and literacy.

Vermont’s 2024 recipients of the John Lewis Youth Leadership Award are:

Yolanda Bansah

While a student at U-32, Yolanda Bansah was an extraordinary leader in advancing advocacy and education around racial justice, Black history, and Black joy. She envisioned and created a speaker series for her peers during Black History Month, and as a dedicated member of U-32's BIPOC affinity group BLAAMM, led faculty trainings for staff at U-32 on race and racism, also visiting elementary schools in the Washington Central district to educate 5th and 6th graders and their teachers on these topics. She began volunteering as a high school student with the Central Vermont Refugee Action Network, and has recently been named their new volunteer coordinator, continuing to serve Vermonters as a first-year student at Fordham. Her senior superlative at U-32 was “Future President.” Her nominator, U-32 librarian Meg Boisseau Allison, described Yolanda as “a force of nature… she is a most remarkable young woman and left a mark at U-32, making us a community where justice and joy are centered and celebrated.”

Marshall Moffatt

Currently a first-year student at the University of Vermont, Marshall Moffatt attended Richford High School, where he made an indelible impact as a member of the Vermont Student Anti-Racism Network (VSARN), whose mission is to “achieve education without racism through education about racism.” Marshall travelled to read anti-racism literature to elementary-aged children across Vermont, and organized discussions with local officials to address anti-racism issues and explore ways to enhance our communities. As a member of the Richford High School GSA group, he presented to faculty on how to effectively intervene against hate speech. This led to collaborations with the district’s Director for the Advancement in Education Equity, resulting in presentations that reached a wide audience, including younger students, district leadership, and over 250 faculty and staff members during in-service training. Marshall represented the Vermont State University-Johnson Upward Bound program at the JFK Leadership Conference twice, engaging with advocacy efforts for first-generation college students. On graduation from RHS, he was nominated by his peers and educators for the RHS Accepted and Valued Award from the Avery Margaret Vaillancourt (AMV) Foundation, which recognizes those who create cultures of belonging and inclusion. Marshall was described by his nominees at graduation as “incredibly supportive and respectful… There is a warmth that shines from him that is hard to describe. He makes others feel better about themselves, more confident, comfortable, and more willing to be brave and take positive risks.”

2024 Award Finalists

Sam Doherty of Burlington, Mathias Mmunga of Burlington, Nadia Sylla of Burlington, Arena Coryer of Colchester, Savannah Hussey of Coventry, Paulina Valentine of Essex Junction, Auishma Pradhan of South Burlington, Harmony Devoe of Warren, Dominick Barrows of Westford and Mea Ree Jan of Winooski.

You can view a recording of the award ceremony at this link.

Vermont’s 2023 recipients of the John Lewis Youth Leadership Award are:

Addie Lentzner

Addie Lentzner is a first-year student at Middlebury College. She grew up in the Bennington area and identifies as a youth activist and advocate. Addie first got involved advocating for policies to support populations experiencing homelessness. She is the Founder and Executive Director of the Vermont Student Anti-Racism Network, a project that she initiated in response to the death of George Floyd. The group worked with principals, guidance counselors, teachers, and librarians across the state to provide more resources on racism at schools and develop a curriculum that members of the network teach to other young learners via Zoom. Addie serves as Secretary on the Board of Directors at the Bennington County Coalition and as an Executive Fellow for Our Turn, a youth-led movement working to dismantle the structures that limit access to quality education.

Chris Alfano

Chris Alfano, a senior at Burr and Burton Academy, has shown a real passion for civic education. He is the founder of Civicly, a smartphone app that offers guided learning about civics, focused on founding documents. He was inspired to create an app that would help Americans increase their civic awareness following the January 6 attack at the US Capitol and hopes to continue expanding its offerings so that it can be easily used in classroom settings. Chris also participated as a Civics Innovation Fellow through Civics Unplugged and as a Legislative Intern for Vermont State Representative Mike Rice.

Click here to watch Secretary Copeland Hanzas deliver the awards on a GNAT segment!