About Me

Stephanie became passionate about community engagement at the age of 10 when she realized there were few opportunities for youth engagement and involvement in her community. As a result of her determination to make a change, she wrote a letter expressing her concerns to the mayor. In response to her request, the mayor responded with enthusiasm and encouraged her to join the city's Youth Commission as soon as she became eligible. At 12, Stephanie joined the Youth Commission, serving as the youngest commissioner in the city. She advised the City Council and the Director of Recreation and Community Services on youth-related issues. To develop youth programs, she collaborated with other governmental agencies and civic organizations.

During the summer of her seventh-grade year, Stephanie was actively involved in environmental conservation, due to her experience during a five-week residential summer program. She was concerned about the decline of species in our ecosystem due to plastic pollution and the threat to coral reefs from ocean acidification. Recognizing that youth are the future, Stephanie was determined to be part of the solution in combating corporate exploitation of the environment. In 8th grade, her dedication led her to win second place in the World of 7 Billion video contest , with a video on environmental racism that gained media attention and recognition by Congressman Robert Garcia, U.S. representative for California's 42nd congressional district.

Over the summer, Stephanie dedicated herself to beach clean-ups, collaborating with other organizations to advocate for a plastic ban in her community. As a Youth Leadership Council Member on Earthecho International, Stephanie leads campaigns and mobilizes youth-led action to protect the ocean planet through education, social media, and community engagement. Stephanie is part of a group of youths leading international policy and advocacy initiatives to protect at least 30% of the global ocean by 2030 through the OceanEcho30x30 campaign, which has reached over 17,000 youths in 39 countries and territories so far. Currently, the Youth Leadership Council engages with the United States Department, the United Nations, and other nonprofit and NGO stakeholders on ocean conservation, biodiversity protection, and institutionalizing youth engagement.

In 2021, Stephanie founded Young Ocean Advocates , 501(c)(3) founded under the laws of California (Federal Tax ID #88-3549640), a nonprofit focused on training young activists and organizing beach cleanups within their communities. Stephanie's goal with this non-profit is to empower youth and create more advocates like herself to change the world. After numerous beach cleanups, Stephanie sought to make a more significant impact through policy change, so she immersed herself in the legal field to pursue change.

In the summer of 2022, Stephanie interned with the law firm of Rebecca Bloch, in Washington D.C, through the Leadership Initiative program where she worked with the lawyers to prove the innocence of a convicted individual. In addition, she met Senator Dianne Feinstein's legislative staff on Capitol Hill and presented a proposal to co-sign S.J.Res.21, a Bill that proposed a change and an opportunity to close the loophole in the 13 Amendment. This would prohibit the use of slavery and involuntary servitude as punishment for a crime in the United States. Her love for advocacy led her to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, Compton in South LA, where she interned in the Family Violence Division in 2024.

During the 2023/2024 school year, Stephanie, in collaboration with a classmate won the Cate School's '87 Memorial Service Challenge grant. This is a highly competitive annual grant of $5000 awarded to the team with the best ideas to benefit communities around the world, focusing on volunteerism, vision, and sustainability. Stephanie, being aware of the educational challenges faced by the homeless communities here in Los Angeles, used the fund to purchase hundreds of books for 1st through 12th grade, and designed a multi-room creative and reading space for Alexandria House, a transitional housing for women and children. Alexandria House provides safe and supportive housing for women and children experiencing homelessness and trauma in Los Angeles. This newly designed space will provide a comfortable and secure environment for the children at Alexandria House decided for reading and educational activities.