Washington Youth Arts Leadership

Achintya  Agrawal 
Redmond 

Achintya is a senior at Tesla STEM High School and is thrilled to be a part of the WAYAL program. As a student of Indian Classical Music on the traditional bamboo flute, he truly recognizes the power of music in empowering self expression and cultivating self reflection. He is super excited to learn more about other artists in his community, and even more excited to share his love for art and culture with others.

Sunni Baker 
Spokane 

“Sunni” is a seventeen-year-old high school senior attending an art-based school in Spokane, Washington. They focus artistically on musical writing, visual arts, and theatrical stage work. They were elected as senior class president, part of Outdoor Leadership Academy (OLA,) Technical Director for their after-school Theatre program, and one of two student representatives on the school board. They are beyond thrilled to be joining, due to their passion for art and knack for helping people.

Alex Bedell 
Spokane 

Alex is currently a senior at Innovation. They enjoy working on set design for their school’s theatre. He is excited to join local artists in community projects. They hope to play a bigger role in their community through this program.

Annabelle Betts
Yakima

Annabelle is a junior at Eisenhower High School in Yakima, Washington. Her main creative focus areas are visual storytelling, illustration, collage, mixed media, and written storytelling. She is a newly inducted member of her high school’s NHS chapter and is excited to use NHS and the WAYAL program to make a difference and open herself to new experiences. She is most excited to connect with other artists from all over the state!

Jayden Chae
Bothell

Jayden is 16 years old and is a junior at Inglemoor High School. Music has always been a part of his life and his passion is creating and performing music with the viola. Jayden expresses his interest in the arts by participating in programs like the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Seattle Chamber Music Society Academy. Jayden is thrilled to be a part of the WAYAL program this year and hopes to spread his passion and love for music!

TaeZhanae Hays-Cormier
Spokane

TaeZhanae is a senior at John R. Rogers High School, where they have been a dedicated member of the RHS Drama Board for three years and serve as a captain of the EXIT improv team. She plans to pursue a BFA in performance production after they graduate. As a queer, neurodivergent person of color, she is passionate about making the arts more accessible and celebrating the joy of communities coming together to make something beautiful!

Olga Loktev
Spokane

Olga is a dancer, choreographer, and a certified dance instructor. She began her training at a young age and is still pursuing her dance career. Olga is dancing and choreographing with Vytal Movement Dance company and is working towards receiving her higher education in Psychology and Communications from Eastern Washington University.

Afra Mirza
Seattle

Afra is a 17-year-old artist from Seattle, engaged in painting, ceramics, and photography! She is the founder of Kainaat, a gallery dedicated to sharing stories and promoting cultural diversity through art. Afra has played a key role in advancing racial equity within her school by serving in the Student Racial Equity Team and the Muslim Student Association. She is excited to join WAYAL, eager to expand her leadership in the arts and inspire change in her community!

Elijah Mortensen
Sumner

Elijah attends high school in Sumner where he is a senior. He is a poet and musician looking to carry the torch lit by the modernists to illuminate the past as well as the future. He seeks to understand and record the human experience by exploring the myths and minds of mankind through an explorative and sensual brand of poetry.

Soleil Olivera
Pasco

Soleil (So-lay) is a junior at Chiawana High School. Her curiosity has pushed her to explore all sorts of art mediums and discover a particular interest in fresco inspired composition. She stays involved in her community year-round as a member of multiple committees and being selected to have her art featured throughout Tri-Cities. She is honored to collaborate with fellow artists across the state to engage the youth in communities by using artistic outlets for self-expression.

Jasper Rhodes
Arlington

Jasper is a queer poet, artist, and advocate for his community. This year he is going to be a Junior at Scriber Lake High School, where he will serve on the student advisory committee. Jasper was selected to be a finalist in this year’s WeSpeak competition and performed his poem on stage at the Edmonds Center For The Arts. Identity, relationships, and processing grief are important themes in his art. Jasper is excited to participate in the opportunities WAYAL provides.

Dhaya Sarathy
Sammamish

Dhaya is a senior at Eastlake High School. She has danced Bharatanatyam for over 9 years, teaching and performing for several events such as the World Dance Festival in Athens. She’s also trained in Carnatic vocal for over 12 years and plays the bassoon and tenor saxophone as part of her school band. She is beyond excited to join the WAYAL 2024-2025 Cohort for the chance to broaden her experiences, meet like-minded teens and give back to the arts community!

Grace Thykkuttathil
Federal Way

Grace is an 18-year-old African American, queer, mixed media artist. They are a current UW Seattle student and are heavily engaged in on campus activities. They are focused on encouraging experimental art forms and representations for queer and POC groups in the fine arts space. In addition to art they love reading, trying new foods, and a good trip to the thrift store. They are excited to help make the creative space a more accessible place for everyone.