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Palo Alto Youth Council
Become and advocate for your community. Join and start making a difference in your community!
Overview
The Palo Alto Youth Council (PAYC) is a group of 15-20 highly dedicated high school students who serve as youth ambassadors to the City Council. Their purpose is to foster communications and connections between teens and the greater Palo Alto community. To achieve its mission statement, PAYC is actively engaged in the community and identifies and addresses the key concerns that teenagers face.
Some of the programs PAYC has implemented in recent years include the 'Escaping Vaping', 'College Admissions after COVID', 'Finals Study Cram Slam', 'Palopalooza', as well as teen surveys and community service events. The PAYC is a great opportunity for high school students to conduct themselves as professionals and grants them the freedom to take on active leadership roles.
Palo Alto Youth Council Officers '26 - '27
Vin Bhat
President
Hi everyone! I’m Vin, a senior at Gunn. I look forward to serving as President of PAYC this year. I’m especially passionate about championing neurodiversity awareness, mental health advocacy, and civic engagement initiatives.
Camille Chu
Vice President
Hi everyone! I'm Camille Chu, and I'm thrilled to serve as the Vice President for the Palo Alto Youth Council this year. As a passionate advocate for health equity and youth engagement in policy, I'm excited to help amplify youth voices and work towards a more supportive and empowering community for Palo Alto teens!
Akira Ohyabu
Secretary
Hi, my name is Akira. I am a junior at Casti this year, and I am so grateful to be apart of PAYC again! I am excited to advance initiatives for mental health and civic engagement. In my free time, I love to spend time with my family. I also enjoy playing tennis and golf.
Charlotte Liu
Public Information Officer
Hi, my name is Charlotte Liu, and I'm a senior at Palo Alto High School. I'm excited to be part of PAYC again this year, and I hope to address mental health stigma and facilitate civic engagement initiatives. I look forward to collaborating with other Bay Area teens and the City Council to promote local interests.
Saina Priyadarshi
Public Information Officer
Hi! My name is Saina Priyadarshi, and I'm a junior at Castilleja School. I'm so excited to be returning for my second year on PAYC! As a passionate advocate for youth civic engagement and closing gender gaps in politics, I hope to continue working to address the challenges Palo Alto teens face, particularly when it comes to youth participation in policymaking. In my spare time, I enjoy playing volleyball, baking, and listening to music.
Maddie Park
Outreach Specialist
Hi! I'm Maddie. I'm a senior at Casti, and this will be my fourth year on PAYC. I'm excited for our mental health and civic engagement initiatives, like Final Study Cram Slam. Outside of PAYC, you can find me searching for the best hojicha soft serve in the Bay Area!
Charlie Zeitlin
Public Information Officer
My name is Charlie Zeitlin, and I am a sophomore at Crystal Springs Uplands School. This is my third year on the Palo Alto Youth Council. I am especially excited to help increase youth civic engagement in Palo Alto. I host the “Straight To It” podcast, where I have interviewed more than 90 leaders in business, entertainment, and sports. I am also a TEDx organizer and hosted TEDx Baylands Park Youth in April 2024. In my free time, I enjoy reading, playing squash, participating in mock trial, and watching Formula 1 races, all while spending time with my two dogs, Bodhi and Sadie.
Palo Alto Youth Council Members '26 - '27
Anjali Ambati
Member
Hi, my name is Anjali Ambati, and I am a junior at Castilleja. I am beyond thrilled to collaborate with a dedicated teen group that focuses on real issues that matter to the Palo Alto youth and improves teen recognition in our community. In my free time, I love learning new pieces on the violin, playing volleyball, and writing poetry.
May Chen
Member
Hi, I’m May, and I’m a junior at Castilleja. I’m so excited to be a member of PAYC this year! I’m passionate about promoting civic engagement and youth mental health. In my free time, I love sewing, reading, and eating Buldak rice cakes.
Averie Chiang
Member
Hi, I'm Averie! I am a junior at The Nueva School, and this is my third year on the council. I’m thrilled to be a part of PAYC this year, and I can't wait to bring to life the new initiatives for the year. In my free time, I enjoy exercising, hanging out with friends, and playing with my dog Coco.
Yasseen Fakhry
Member
Hi, my name is Yasseen and I’m passionate about public policy, medicine, and making a positive impact in my community. I enjoy learning about issues that affect people, having meaningful conversations, and finding ways to help make my community a better place
Sarah Grupenhoff
Member
Hello! My name is Sarah, and I am a senior at Gunn High School. I am incredibly thrilled to serve my community for a third year on the Palo Alto Youth Council. I particularly look forward to spearheading youth civic engagement initiatives and liaising with the City Council to ensure teen voices are heard. In my free time, I enjoy reading novels, docenting at a local museum, and drinking absurd amounts of coffee.
Jugat Kohli
Member
Hi, my name is Jugat Kohli! I’m a sophomore at Gunn High School, and my current interests include Economics, Journalism, and Public policy. I joined the Youth Council because I am interested in growing the civic engagement of Palo Alto’s youth population. I am really excited to work with you all!
Tey Lee
Member
Hello, I’m Tey and this is my second year on the council! This term, I’m looking forward to sharing a wider array of teen perspectives with the city and bringing back more fun events like the Finals Study Cram Slam and Pancakes and Pickleball. In my free time, I love to make music with friends and take naps :)
Chloe Lee
Member
Hi, my name is Chloe Lee, and I am a freshman at Palo Alto high school. I am especially passionate about mental health awareness, and advocating for teens in the community. Outside of PAYC, I love to play music and hang out with my family. I look forward to being able to serve on the council this year!
Max Li
Member
Hi! My name is Max, and I am currently a junior at Paly. I'm excited to serve my first year on this Youth Council. During this year, some of my main priorities are focusing on increased civic representation of Palo Alto's teenage population and the identification of prevalent barriers to engagement. I hope to utilize my passions in public policy to work closely with the city council and produce meaningful change for my community.
Judy Liang
Member
Hi, I'm Judy – a freshman at Palo Alto High School. This year, I look forward to working with other teens on the Youth Council to address community issues, especially social isolation and pressure, while making Palo Alto a more connected and supportive environment.
Steven Liu
Member
I am a sophomore from Palo Alto High School, an athlete, and founder of the Elpis Foundation. I would love to focus on helping people experiencing homelessness. I also play football, soccer, competes in karate, and I am passionate about leadership, service, and community impact.
Mira McInerney
Member
Hi! My name is Mira Mcinerney and I am a sophomore at Castilleja High School. I am so excited to be apart of Palo alto youth Council because of how impactful it is on the community. I am specifically passionate about civic engagement along with mental health amongst teens. I am thrilled to make more meaningful connections and help incorporate youth perspective into the city through the various initiatives!
Audrey Ng
Member
Hi, I'm Audrey! I'm a sophomore at Castilleja, and this is my second year on the Palo Alto Youth Council. I'm really excited to organize local events for teens, and use the council's platform to promote youth mental health and civic engagement.
Anh-Khue Nguyen
Member
Hi, I’m Anh-Khue and I’m a junior at Castilleja. I love hiking, food, and photography. I’m passionate about civic engagement and I’m so excited to be a part of PAYC this year.
Ria Satyavolu
Member
Hi everyone! I'm Ria, and I'm a freshman at the Nueva School. I'm super excited to be serving on the council this year, and in my free time, some of my favorite activities are playing music and basketball.
Emily Shi
Member
Hi, I'm Emily Shi. I'm currently a senior at Gunn High School, and I'm incredibly excited to be a part of the Palo Alto Youth Council again this year!
Adithi Swaminathan
Member
Hi, I’m Adithi! I’m currently a junior at Gunn High School, and I’m excited to serve on the youth council this year as a new member. I am very passionate about mental health advocacy and hope to work on and see action on initiatives this year in that regard. In my spare time, I love doing anything related to the arts!
Reed Truong
Member
Hi, I’m Reed! I’m excited to return for another year on PAYC. This year, I hope to help close the gap between students and the city by creating accessible ways for young people to share their perspectives and get involved locally. Outside PAYC, you can usually find me doing robotics, researching, or cooking something unnecessarily complicated.
Jonathan Tsai
Member
Hi! My name is Jonathan Tsai, and I’m a senior at Gunn High School. I’m excited to continue serving on the Palo Alto Youth Council for my second year to keep advocating for local teens and making a lasting impact in our community. In my free time, I enjoy playing Frisbee, listening to music, and hanging out with friends!
Teja Wolfe
Member
I am a Junior at Palo Alto High School and I am thrilled to be a part of PAYC this year. I look forward to helping teens and giving back to the community of Palo Alto. I am passionate about helping students with mental health and I look forward to making a positive impact on my community. In my free time I play flag football and read comics.
Sarah Zhou
Member
Hi, I'm Sarah! I'm a junior at Castilleja School, and I'm so excited to serve my first year on the Palo Alto Youth Council! I'm especially passionate about healthcare accessibility and youth mental health, so I look forward to working with the other students on PAYC to better understand the issues affecting youth in Palo Alto and develop accessible solutions to address them. In my free time, I love bedazzling, listening to music, and playing volleyball!
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How to become a member
Submit a completed application via online form
Applications will be reviewed and interviews will be scheduled with enthusiastic and eligible candidates
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Attend and pass an interview with the committee
Applicants are required to attend and pass an interview with the nominating committee
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Applications, Letter of Recommendations, and Video
Applications, including a letter of recommendation, and introductory video, will be accepted NO LATER than the scheduled deadline. Any applications that are missing any of the following including an interview will not be considered for membership
Returning members are exempt from providing a Letter of Recommendation, and their previous term's contribution will be used instead.
APPLICATION TO APPLY OPENS JULY 2027
Upcoming Events and Current Initiatives
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