Meet the 2026 Cohort

Amelia Cho

Virginia, 17

Amelia is an incoming high school senior from the DMV (Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia) area. As an avid food lover and community builder, she is passionate about increasing food diversity and access as a solution to mitigating climate change. At school, she is active in Student Government, her school's journalism publication, and the Girls Leadership Committee Club. As a fellow, Amelia hopes to successfully increase educational opportunities for others to learn about plant-based school meals nationwide and advocate for meaningful policy changes to promote more sustainable cafeterias.

Benjamin Dibb

NYU/Massachusetts, 18

Ben is a freshman at NYU intending to major in philosophy and politics, with a minor in animal studies. As an omnivore-turned-vegan, he became familiar with the poor-quality and nutritionally inadequate plant-based food served at his high school in suburban Massachusetts. He hopes to help rectify this issue for those who depend on school-provided meals. He is passionate about animal rights, a cause he aims to support through legal or policy work. As of fall 2026, he will serve as the president of NYU's Animal Rights Collective (transitioning to NYU's Chapter of Allied Scholars for Animal Protection), where he is a current board member. Additionally, he has worked with Extinction Rebellion NYC's media team and participated in street outreach with Anonymous for the Voiceless and We the Free. At home in Massachusetts, he has gained advocacy experience working at polling places and volunteering for campaigns. Outside of advocacy, he enjoys reading, hiking, and mountain biking. He also loves metal and hardcore music and is often at shows in his free time. Through the PPYF, Ben hopes to sharpen his advocacy skills and gain valuable experience in policy work!

Ines Sakura Lopes-Flores

Texas, 16

Ines Lopez-Flores is a rising Junior at Humble High School. She is passionate about implementing plant-based meals in her school and spreading awareness of animal abuse in her area. She's passionate about this because when she was little, she watched a movie and realized the cruelty of where animals go for her to eat. Her goal in the future is to be a veterinarian. She volunteers and supports other people in becoming vegetarian or pescatarian. She is part of an orchestra as first violin, and has received many awards. She is in the National Honor Society and the international Bachelor's degree program. She has volunteered at a pig sanctuary and Rowdy Cowgirl in Houston and Austin, Texas. Her hobbies are playing the violin, playing the bass guitar, and drawing. She hopes to do more advocacy and bring plant-based lunch menus at the schools around her. She hopes to learn more on how to advocate and how to speak out about what she believes in.

Joshua Toomer

Texas, 17

Joshua Toomer is a rising high school senior based in the Houston, Texas area with a strong interest in youth advocacy. He is passionate about promoting healthier, more sustainable school food systems, particularly expanding access to plant-based options for students. Seeing processed food in his school cafeteria inspired him to become more involved in advocacy and work toward ensuring students have access to meals that support their health. Joshua serves as treasurer of his Student Government Association, where he focuses on expanding opportunities for students through advocacy. In this role, he has organized fundraising efforts and rallied support to create local career panels, specifically highlighting professionals from underrepresented minority backgrounds. Joshua hopes to learn more about plant-based nutrition, sustainability, and how school systems can implement change.

Juliana Stapleton

California, 17

Juliana is a high school Junior from San Diego, California. She is passionate about the connection between environmental health and food systems and is especially interested in lessening the food access gap in historically disadvantaged communities. As Co-President of her school's Surfrider Foundation chapter, Juliana has organized local beach cleanups, logging waste data for environmental tracking initiatives, as well as hosted fundraisers and outreach events to support ocean conservation efforts. She is also a member of Citizen’s Climate Lobby youth actions team where she advocates for climate policy at local and national levels, focused on youth education programs. She is a part of her school’s iGEM team, serving as Wet Lab Lead, where she participates in synthetic biology research surrounding environmental bioremediation, work that earned her team a silver medal at the iGEM international Jamboree for 2025. Beyond research, Juliana serves as an executive member for her school’s Link Crew, Red Cross Club, and Model United Nations, as well as is an Ambassador for her high school. Outside of school, she volunteers at her local animal shelter and is a pathmaker intern through Palomar Health. Through the PPYF, Juliana hopes to better understand food policy and amplify the voices of students and communities who are most affected by food systems in the hopes of creating a healthier planet for everyone living in it. In her free time, she is a cheerleader, enjoys going to the beach, spending time with her pets, as well as loves trying new restaurants and matcha spots!

Karan Khanolkar

Washington, 17

Meet Karan Khanolkar, a junior attending Lake Washington High School in Kirkland, Washington. He is passionate about making our school food system more plant-based because he believes that all students deserve access to school food without compromising their personal or religious beliefs. After going vegan, he had to stop buying school lunch because none of the options could fit within his dietary restrictions. When nearly 70% of all people have lactose intolerance, why is dairy milk the only beverage option? He knew he wanted to help fix this, which is why he is proud to be joining the fellowship. He is interested in the intersection of food science, entrepreneurship, and policy, as he thinks the rapid innovation in the vegan sector is the future of the planet. He is the owner of Mix For A Mission, a 100% vegan not-for-profit home bakery business that has donated thousands of dollars to animal sanctuaries. He also is a social media volunteer for the Piece of Heaven Place animal sanctuary, advocating for veganism and compassion for farm animals. He is eager to work with other like minded vegans and advocate for plant-based meal options in Washington State.

Khyathi Dodda

Texas, 14

Khyathi is an incoming sophomore at Richland High School who is passionate about improving school food systems and promoting access to appealing plant-based meals. After recently moving to Prosper TX, she is excited to make an impact in her new community and hopes to implement these changes in her new district while expanding to lower-income districts. Her interest began during a residential program, where she saw a friend who follows Jainism struggle to find a filling meal, inspiring her to advocate for tastier options rather than just bread and salad. She has also presented the importance of plant-based meals at her sister’s school. She is involved as a Student Government class representative, a member of DECA, and a participant in Speech Team’s Humorous Interpretation. Khyathi has also supported advertising efforts for small businesses and volunteered with schoolhouse.world, teaching Reading and English for the SAT. Through the Plant Powered Youth Fellowship, she hopes to grow her leadership skills and create meaningful change in school food systems. In the future, she aspires to become a corporate lawyer.

Kyla Vega

California, 17

Kyla is passionate about improving access to healthy, sustainable school food, recognizing its connection to health equity, environmental sustainability, and social justice. Her interest comes from seeing how many students rely on school meals that often lack proper nutrition, highlighting deeper inequalities within the food system. She is interested in pursuing a career at the intersection of public health, sustainability, and policy, with a focus on creating solutions that support both human and environmental well-being. As a United Nations Youth Delegate, she has contributed to global conversations on climate and human rights, bringing youth perspectives to important issues. Kyla is also an Undergraduate Student Researcher, where she is involved in climate/ocean energy engineering, chemistry, and health-related research initiatives. Through this fellowship, she hopes to collaborate with others, strengthen her advocacy skills, and contribute to building a more equitable and sustainable food system.

Lilliana Haverhals-Nyren

Iowa, 17

Lilliana Haverhals-Nyren is a high school junior from Iowa City, Iowa committed to human and animal rights. After high school, she aspires to study animal sciences and veterinary medicine in college, with the goal of eventually working with farm animal sanctuaries. She went vegan after joining the LEAP (Leaders for Ethics, Animals, and the Planet) program at Iowa Farm Sanctuary in the fall of 2023. She serves on the PETA2 Youth Advisory Board and has volunteered countless hours at Iowa Farm Sanctuary. In her free time, Lilliana enjoys painting, reading, running, and being with her animal and human friends. Lilliana believes that all students deserve access to plant-based school meals, whether for their health, ethical reasons, or religious reasons, especially those growing up in low-income families like hers. She is looking forward to further aligning her actions with her values during the 2026 Plant Powered Youth Fellowship.

Tanjica Afreen

New York, 15

Tanjica is a sophomore in New York City who is committed to creating an inclusive school setting for students with dietary restrictions, whether it's for health, personal preferences, or religious restrictions. Her goal is to make sure people of all backgrounds will be able to eat their favorite foods and enjoy meals that provide proper nutrition. She aspires to pursue a career in education, specifically teaching science or math. Through tutoring and participation in a leadership role in the Virtual Enterprise program, she enjoyed working with peers in collaborative settings. She finds it rewarding to teach and inspire her peers to always push themselves to learn more and continue advocating for their needs. Tanjica is keen on utilizing her skill set to collaborate with other fellows to learn more about food systems and work towards making plant-based options more available. In her free time she likes to read, cook, and hang out with friends.

Zaid Koujalgi

New Jersey, 17

Zaid Koujalgi is a high school student from New Jersey. He is passionate about improving school food systems because he believes what students eat directly affects their health, energy, and ability to learn. Seeing how limited and often unhealthy school food options can be motivated him to get involved and advocate for better, more sustainable choices, including plant-based options. He is interested in pursuing a career in technology or engineering, where he can solve real-world problems and make a positive impact. Throughout high school, he has been involved in various academic and extracurricular activities such as Class Council, Model UN, Viking Volunteers (Volunteering club at school), Computer Science Club, etc. He is always looking for opportunities to grow, learn, and contribute to his community. He is especially interested in issues related to sustainability and innovation. Through this fellowship, he hopes to gain leadership experience, collaborate with like-minded peers, and learn how to effectively advocate for meaningful change in our food systems.

Zoey Ying

Massachusetts, 15

Zoey Ying is a high school sophomore in the Boston area. She is passionate about improving school food because of its huge impact on those who heavily rely on school food, especially underrepresented communities. The lack of accessibility to plant-based meals at her school has fueled her passion for improving the food system. Zoey is interested in a career in the medical field and helping those in marginalized communities through her career. As recipient of the President's Volunteer Service Award and historian of Empower Initiative, she helps those in underrepresented communities gain access to accessible and reliable education. Additionally, Zoey has utilized her hobby of crocheting to sell crocheted roses to support UNICEF in helping those affected by the ongoing war in Sudan. Zoey is looking forward to improving the availability of plant-based meals in schools, which would give not only people with dietary restrictions more access, but everyone. Zoey hopes to bring change to the food system through her advocacy through the Plant Powered Youth Fellowship and bring these experiences to future advocacy. In her free time, Zoey enjoys baking sweet treats, ballet, viola, and reading books, especially R.F. Kuang!

Rahat Hussain

Michigan, 14

Rahat is a rising high school sophomore from Michigan who cares about making school food healthier and more inclusive for everyone. As a young Muslim student, he has experienced having very limited food options at school, which made him realize how important it is for students to have meals that fit their dietary needs and make them feel included. This inspired him to become more interested in plant-based school meals and finding ways schools can offer better food choices for all students. He is excited to learn more about advocacy and how students can create change in their communities. In the future, Rahat hopes to pursue a career where he can positively impact others and continue helping his community. Through the Plant Powered Youth Fellowship, he hopes to connect with other passionate students, grow his leadership skills, and help make school meals healthier and more accessible. In his free time, he enjoys boxing, hanging out with friends, and staying active. He is looking forward to being part of a community of students who care about making a difference and learning how school food systems work. He hopes to learn how to turn ideas into real change and achieve meaningful improvements in school meal options for students like himself.