As a writer, mock trial performer, and emerging entrepreneur, Aaron is passionate about helping people see the infinite potential of the world and the importance of building communities and relationships that facilitate life-long learning. He’s currently working on a few creative writing projects, doing part-time admin work for Living The Potential Network, and continuing to support his school’s newspaper and participate on their mock trial team. He’s excited to be a part of the Youth Advisory Council because of its potential to change the way our world treats learning and embody what happens when domains come together, create community, and communicate about what they can do to create meaningful change that works for everybody.

Cassandra Funmaker is an activist, creative, environmentalist, and humanitarian. She is thrilled to use her skills to inspire and uplift people from all walks of life. A current high school senior who is continuing her education at Columbia College Chicago, she is studying film/television direction. Between May 2021 and August 2022, however, she is taking a gap year in her education to recuperate, travel, and continue her work fighting for social peace. She is currently working on amplifying femme indigenous voices with her school’s Indigenous People’s Club. Cassandra is elated to begin her Living The Potential journey.

James Schmidt is a previously-homeschooled learner now attending college. Recently, he completed his educational journey with Village Home Salem Education Resource Center; and he’s expanding his friendships, experiences, and his continuing education into places like Chemeketa Community College where he is studying to become a therapist. Diagnosed with Autism at an early age, he struggled with things like deciphering body language and understanding social contexts. With the help of his parents and his supportive educational environment, he developed several methods to help him by slowly building up knowledge about how people and social situations flow and function, which he refers to as his Translation Matrix. James is thrilled to be a part of the YAC because he loves brainstorming and collaborating with all of the brilliant people that are a part of it on issues he’s passionate about, such as technology’s role in our society, educational freedom and empowerment, and helping people to connect and understand one another.

Samuel first began working with Youth Performance Company(YPC) in his hometown of St. Paul, MN, in 2017. While working with YPC, he performed in seven main stage productions, each of which played an incredibly formative role in his journey as an artist. After being accepted into The UMN/Guthrie Theater BFA Actor Training Program, he graduated high school amidst the COVID-19 pandemic with a full scholarship to the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. During his freshman year of college, he was asked to participate in an online panel focused on the importance of listening to voices of all ages at LTPN’s Garden Experiment. Shortly thereafter, he accepted the invitation to become a member of the Youth Advisory Council and is eager to help build a network of learners from every background.

Jade is a tribal member of Picuris Pueblo and a high school graduate from the Santa Fe Indian School, earning the highest award given to SFIS graduates, the “19 Pueblos of New Mexico Governors’ Award” for their “Overall Excellence in Academic Achievement, Community Service and Civic Affairs, and Exemplifying the Core Values of the Santa Fe Indian School with a commitment to Native American Cultural Values and Traditions.” In the coming fall, Jade will be attending the University of California – Los Angeles, majoring in Human Biology and Society. Their goals are to educate others on the connections between mental wellness and creative expression, as well as enable struggling youth to take control of their initiatives. (If you would like to see more of these projects, click the icon below her picture.)

Interested in becoming a Youth Advisory Council member? Email us at yac@livingthepotential.com

Interested in becoming a Youth Advisory Council member? Email us at yac@livingthepotential.com