PLAYING WITH HEART AND DETERMINATION

HIGH SCHOOL TRANSCRIPTS: Contact Ava to request her transcripts.

ACT/SAT: Contact Ava to request test scores.

• Heisman High School Scholarship Winner, 2021
• Illinois State Scholar, 2022
• Academic All American USA Water Polo, 2021
• National Honors Society—2019, 2020, 2021
• Cum Laude National Latin Exam—2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, & 2021
• 2 Algebra Honors Course Award, 2019
• Precalculus Honors Course Award, 2021
• Mathematics Award For Outstanding Leadership, 2021
• Guenther Kolb Award for Excellence in Biology, 2021, (00:45 to 02:33) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_GwTTx9F5g
• Commendation of Biliteracy in Latin, 2021

• Peer Tutor - Evanston Township High School (2019)
• Camp Counselor - Baker Demonstration School (Summer 2019)
• Brown University Pre-College Program (Summer 2020)
  • Completed the course Brain Basics: From Biology to Behavior
• The Brain Bunch Lead Ambassador (2020-Present)
  • The Brain Bunch is an organization dedicated to teaching young kids about neuroscience.
  • Ambassadors reach out to local schools and libraries and run sessions and teach young students about neuroscience.
  • Lead ambassadors coordinate with current volunteers, send emails, run check in meetings, and highlight volunteers and the Brain Bunch on social media.
• HOSA Future Health Professionals (2020-Present)
  • HOSA is a club meant for future health professionals to learn more about health careers. 
  • HOSA also hosts competitions. 
  • Competed in the HOSA competitions under the EMT and Medical Law and Ethics categories and qualified for state in both categories.
• Dr. Rubin’s Mini Medical School Attendee and Teaching Assistant (2020-Present)
  • Dr. Rubin's Mini Medical School is a program meant to teach students about medical school and health careers. 
  • After completing the program, qualified students are chosen as teaching assistants to help run the program and teach attendees through workshops.
  • Completed 22 hours of medical studies.
  • Teaching Assistant, summer 2021, spring & summer 2022
• Academic Challenge Team
  • Competed in the English and Biology categories.
  • State Finalist.

“Ava works so hard to be the player she is. She’s absolutely our team’s facilitator. 

On our best possessions, the ball is always in Ava's hands. She has great vision to 

make plays happen.”

—ETHS Varsity Coach, Andy Miner

 2018–2022 Evanston Township High School Varsity water polo team member (since Freshman year)

2021 Academic All American USA Water Polo

2021 All Conference Honors

2018 Olympic Development Midwest Team 

2019 Junior Olympics Qualifiers (Michigan University & Indiana University)

2019 Junior Olympics Silver Medal Winner—Classic Division 

2019 Brown University Water Polo Training Camp

2019 & 2021 NorCal Training Camp

2019 & 2018 The Ohio Cup Tournament 

2019 Florida Tournament Coral Springs

2021 6-8 Sports Final 

2021 Junior Olympics

2022 Olympic Development Midwest Team

2022 Junior Olympics Qualifier

2022 Junior Olympics

2022 South Florida International Tournament

2022 Great Lakes Tournament

2015-2018 Chi Water Polo 

2018-2021 Eastside Water Polo 

Preliminary Game Film:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vL5Ys3s05No

Updated Game Film October 2021:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWihnToaEgo

https://vimeo.com/freethechildren/review/272969983/889dfcbc24

Featured speaker at WE Day, an annual series of stadium-sized youth empowerment events organized by We Charity. Held at ALL-State Arena in Chicago, Ava spoke to a  crowd of 35,000 Illinois students about her advocacy work.

Nominated by Craig Kielburger, Founder of WE Day,  as a  *six-two 35 under 35 changemaker of 2018 — young leaders of tomorrow category

https://www.contiki.com/six-two/campaigning-lgbt-youth/

• Co-founder of Ava’s Change4Youth (2014-2018)
  • Ava founded the nonprofit organization at age 10.
  • Ava's Change4Youth is a mentorship program that uses repurposed parking meters, and turns it into pieces of street art. The meters raise money for youth who are experiencing homelessness. 
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yaRRS-ie-o

• Emerge is a program dedicated to building young leaders. Students in Emerge design and implement projects that have a positive impact on the community.
• Worked to implement Gender Equity Training for teachers and staff at Evanston Township High School. 
• Serving on the Emerge Leadership Board as a student mentor, meeting weekly with members to guide them in leadership development and projects.

Ava was chosen from a pool of 300 applicants to become 1 of 13 Official Youth Ambassadors for the Women's March.  In 2018, she was invited to speak to a crowd of 250,000 people about Ava's Change4Youth.  

• https://www.teenvogue.com/gallery/kids-teens-youths-ambassadors-womens-march
• https://www.learningforjustice.org/magazine/womens-march-youth-ambassadors-lead-the-way
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yS7lk-Bosf4
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-1Z9A7aCLo

Ava’s statement explaining what legalizing same-sex marriage meant to her family was included in the Voices of Children amicus brief filed with the Supreme Court in support of marriage equality, and cited by Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy during oral arguments.

• Zenerations (2020-2021)
  • Zenerations is a youth-led organization and media site meant to empower GenZ. 
  • Worked on the project team and comes up with different events to keep followers engaged.
• Thistle Topics (2020-Present)
  • Thistle Topics is a media organization which educates people about social issues and current events through infographics. 
  • Communications lead, content writer, and editor
  • Written posts about youth homelessness, cervical health awareness month, intersectional feminism, and body dysmorphia. 
  • Edited posts about topics such as victim blaming and the farmer protests in India.

As a passionate youth advocate, Ava has been and continues to be invited to speak about her community work. Below is a list of speaking engagements and links to YouTube videos:

• WE Day 
• The International Rotary Club
• University of Illinois Gender & Identity Department 
• Andersonville MidSommar Festival 
• The Women’s March Chicago
• PrideAction Tank Out in the Open
• Baker Demonstration School Day of Silence 
• Outspoken Generation/Family Week Family Equality Council