Halena Neyazi from Antioch has been attending Los Medanos College and plans to continue her studies as a Psychology Major at University of California Berkeley in the fall. As a first generation college student of Muslim and Afghan descent she understands the importance of activism. While President and Founder of the Muslim Student Association at Los Medanos she used her own struggles as an outsider to build a club that empowered her and educated other students. In her Brentwood Community she helped girls aged 10-17 as the Youth Girls Program Coordinator at the Muslim Community Center. She also served as a Student Trustee for the Contra Costa Community College District, representing over 50,000 students.
Kaleena Fowler of Pleasant Hill has been attending Howard University in Washington,D.C. and plans to graduate in 2026 with a degree in Political Science and Communications. As a twice elected Senator for the College of Arts and Sciences she collaborated with the non-profit organization “Beyond the Teal” to combat sexual assault, Kaleena worked to demystify Title IX, educate students on consent, and direct them toward trauma informed resources including the Student Health Center. One of the ways she did this was by hosting a panel discussion titled Breaking the Silence where she brought together “Rights4Girls”, the Howard Student Health Center and the University title IX office. As a result of her work Kaleena also co-authored a proclamation The Breaking of the Silence: Addressing Sexual Assault at Howard University which was passed by the University Student Association Senate.
