MEET THE TEAM
Sriya Kappagantu
FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT
Sriya is a rising senior in high school at Gretchen Whitney High School in California. When she is not going to MUN conferences or immersing herself in the world of business and technology, Sriya is writing pieces to post on her personal website, https://sriyauthor.webnode.com/ . She decided to start this organization because she wanted to take her hobby for writing a step further and work to improve the world around her. Her vision for this organization is to bring teenage artists from across the state of California together. Sriya is excited to work with her peers to create work for students by students!
Scarleth Arias
SECRETARY
Scarleth Arias is a student at Torres ELAPA, a performing arts school in East LA. She is a senior (class of 2021). She has been the president of her school's musical theater club which led her to produce, direct, and perform in her school's very first MT show. She also manages her show choir's Instagram as the social media manager and has a "wonderful 6-year" internship with LA Opera. She is passionate about this organization because it is showing advocacy in such a beautiful way as art and she loves the message about helping others in need of education and campaigning for different causes. She is so happy this program came to be and It's only just the beginning!
Natalie Monzon
HEAD OF PUBLICITY
Natalie is 17, and she's a senior at Los Angeles High School of the Arts, where she has studied Technical theater for the past three years. She's very passionate about communications design, as well as fighting to decrease the wealth gap through equity in education. She believes that equity in education is the way to promote change that can benefit lower income communities and minority communities.
Raisa (RJ) Edrolin
HEAD OF PUBLICITY
RJ Edrolin is a rising senior at West High School in Torrance. Throughout her time at West, she's served as the publicity for different clubs and sports and is excited to manage Anthologies'! She's extremely passionate for the organization's message and purpose. She wants to use some of her own artistic ability to help Anthologies' cause and is excited to use her prior publicity experience to make the organization more well known.
Valerie Acevedo
HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS
Valerie Acevedo is a senior student from El Rancho High. She has achieved recognition for being on the Principal's Honor Roll and for being a helpful, well-rounded student throughout her high school career. Some awards that demonstrate this include the "MVP" Award & "Most Helpful" Award she got from her AP US History class, and the "Scholar Athlete" Award she got during her time in Track. She wants to contribute more of her time to bettering the lives of those who struggle, especially children and teens who do. She's passionate about and appreciates Anthologies For Advance because it allows students to use their artistic side to raise awareness about social injustices and inequality in education. She says, "This is a problem we should all pay more attention to because every student deserves to have a good, fair education."
Shreya Thota
HEAD OF ACTIVITIES
Shreya Thota is the Director of Activities for Anthologies for Advance. As a sophomore in Cerritos High School, Shreya enjoys playing tennis in her school team and as a hobby. A few other interests she has include baking, reading and painting. Shreya hopes to learn and grow from this experience and is excited to help. She believes it is an amazing way to help students express their creativity to better our community.
Medha Kappagantu
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Medha Kappagantu is a rising 8th grader at Gretchen Whitney High School. She is passionate about all kinds of art, both writing and the visual arts, and has won several art competitions for her talent. She enjoys drawing on her tablet in her free time while listening to music. Medha loves the message behind this organization and knows that she will work hard to come up with creative, original pieces to promote causes that she stands behind.
Samantha Gonzalez
HEAD OF VISUAL ART
Samantha Gonzalez is a Senior at El Rancho High School in Pico Rivera . She has received a community service award for her time in her schools AVID program and was apart of public relations in AVID leadership. She has also received an "aspiring author" and "artfully creative award" for her AP US History class. As well as a "spotlight" award at the MACY awards for her role in the production "In the Heights" Although one of her biggest accomplishments was being a Young Legislator for Assembly Member Cristina Garcia. Samantha plans on becoming a progressive figure and activist for social justice and inequality as she continues to grow with her volunteering and artwork. She says "I am grateful for the opportunity that Anthologies for Advance has given me to have a platform to advocate for change with my art , I hope this program inspires young people like me to become more educated and aware of the injustices around them but also allow themselves to use art as an expression of their opinions. Empathy is a natural human quality and this is what we're trying to push as a program, I hope people can recognize that"
Jasmin Ramos
HEAD OF VISUAL ART
Jasmin Ramos is a senior at El Rancho High School, she is an honor roll student and won second place in the photography category for The 38th Congressional Art Competition. She is a photographer and an activist, using her art to help raise awareness while creating funds for those that need it is the right calling for her. She enjoys working with other creative students and use it to help those that need it.
Featured Writers
AISHAH SHARRIEFF
Aishah Sharrieff is a rising senior at LAUSD USC MAE. She is the assistant to the founder of non-profit United Voices of Literacy, volunteer at LA Central Libary, a High Honor Roll student, and worked on a community mural in South Central LA with her peers. She is passionate about Anthologies 4 Advance because she sees it as an excellent chance to spread awareness and a way for members of our communities to learn about current events with creativity and through our lenses and perspectives. This is an opportunity to express our voices as youths and an opportunity to create an outlet for ourselves. She believes that there is a lot going on in the world and at the forefront of our society as the leaders of tomorrow, it is our place to continue to encourage ourselves and to create spaces for us to thrive.
JAIR HUERTA
Jair Huerta is a soon to be senior at Libra Academy at Linda Marquez High school. His accomplishments include maintaining a good academic record throughout high school and using my voice to create changes within my community. He is passionate about Anthologies for Advance because he believes everyone deserves an education regardless of Race, Gender, Socio-Political background, or sexual orientation. He is also passionate about Anthologies for Advance because he wants to use his writing skills and voice to help fight Educational inequality.
ANDRE J LUCAS
Andre Lucas is an incoming senior at Downey High School who dedicates much of his time to writing. A student journalist, Lucas writes for his school's newspaper, The Downey Legend, and he was awarded Writer of the Year for the 2019-2020 school year. Having been selected as a writer for Anthologies for Advance, he is eager and ecstatic about utilizing his passion as a tool for making a difference.
Featured Visual Artists
STEPHANIE SISON
Stephanie Sison currently attends Warren High School in the beautiful city of Downey. In her high school career, she has been a part of numerous clubs like Sports Medicine Club, Teen Court, and Link Crew, and volunteer programs such as one in Healing Care Hospice, where she is able to expand her horizons. Some of her accomplishments would include a few Golden Bear Awards like in Mathematics, Social Science, and World Language. She also had the honor of receiving the Rensselaer Medal, which gives her the opportunity to win and access a $100,000 scholarship. She is incredibly passionate about this organization because she sees great significance in combating educational inequality. The organization is able to shed light on many unseen educational issues across the world and raise awareness of these issues in order to help solve these matters. She believes that education is extremely important and that every child in the world should have the opportunity to receive education in order to develop and further their knowledge.
SAMANTHA CUBIAS
Samantha Cubias goes to Linda Marquez Esperanza High School LIBRA Academy. She's in 12th grade and is very passionate about this organization because she has the opportunity to help others. When Samantha commits herself to helping others, she does it compassionately.
Samantha knows this organization is an amazing opportunity for other students not only to be more knowledgeable of what's going on in the world but also to help others as much as possible.
ELVIE CRISOLOGO
Elvie Crisologo is a rising senior at Whitney High School. She finds joy in creating digital art, writing, and volunteering. Elvie has a clear passion for helping others, which is a driving factor in her interest and involvement with AFA. With that in mind, she hopes to contribute ideas and aid in producing content to achieve the organization's shared goal: to help alleviate the issue of Educational Inequality in impoverished areas through creating and sharing art.