Youth Leadership Summit for Asian American justice
Senior Tehani Chandrasena Perera ’25 was selected to attend the eleventh annual Youth Leadership Summit of Asian Americans Advancing Justice in Washington, D.C.
Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC welcomed its eleventh annual Youth Leadership Summit (YLS) cohort, which included senior Tehani Chandrasena Perera ’25, to Washington, D.C.
The summit empowers exceptional student leaders from across the country through an immersive multiday program. Participants engage in intensive advocacy training, communications workshops and civic engagement sessions, preparing them to effectively influence policy decisions and champion social justice initiatives. YLS bridges the gap between student activism and policymaking, fostering a deeper understanding of advocacy strategies, legislative processes and community organizing.
Perera, an international relations major and psychology minor, is from Colombo, Sri Lanka, and is enrolled in the Nexus program in law, public policy and human rights. She was one of only 21 students chosen from throughout the United States to attend the summit.
Perera has prior experience with Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC. “Last semester, I was selected for an ambassador program they had where it was media training on mis- and disinformation, leading into election season,” she said. “It was through that program that I learned about this summit.”
In a discussion before the seminar, Perera said she was thrilled to be getting more training on how to be an Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) advocate.
“I’m looking forward to getting tools you would need in order to be a changemaker in today’s political climate,” she said. “I’m most looking forward to the ability to network and be with peers who are interested in similar career avenues as I am.”
This isn’t Perera’s first time in Washington, D.C. Last summer, in preparation for a remote internship with the U.S. Forest Service through the Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership (CAPAL), she had a one-week orientation in the city, and this semester, she participated in Careers in Public Service with the Weissman Center for Leadership. This time, however, she was going to Washington, D.C., with an eye toward the future.
“This summit will help me bridge the gap between student activism and policy-making, because I’m thinking about getting a master’s in public policy,” Perera said. “This would be a good foundational stepping stone before that.”
