Last on the attendance list and a descendant of the royal Emperor Yang from the Chinese Sui Dynasty (one of 48 million); my name is Kerry Yang and I am a grade 12 IB student at Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School and a youth intern at Future North co-leading a project on BIPOC education.

As a first generation immigrant, education and the youth voice have always been big focuses in my life. I am vice-president of my student council, an RDSB student senator, co-chair of the Science North Advisory Council, a Science North Bluecoat, a student researcher, secretary of the Volunteer Sudbury Youth Expert Council, and the organizer of an annual school supply drive. Despite being successful in my academics, what people don’t see is that I struggled a lot as a non-white student facing the lack of representation, the cultural miseducation, and the blatant racism throughout my education. I learned that this experience is shared among many BIPOC youth and continues to enforce barriers affecting students today.

My passion for equitable education led me to a position at Future North where I can connect with youth across the district of Sudbury and Manitoulin to listen to their experiences and turn them into opportunities for change. I am able to combine my passions of research, leadership, community, and education, while leading a meaningful project with my amazing youth partner Aminat. Working with Future North has been an empowering and educational experience where I am valued as a youth voice and leader. I feel capable and supported to change the education experience and create meaningful learning opportunities for the next generation of BIPOC students. I am excited to continue working with youth in our region and addressing key struggles within the education system.