Press Release  AG Campbell Announces Second Annual Youth Council

BOSTON — Following a successful and informative year with the inaugural Youth Council, Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell announced today her office’s 2025-2026 Youth Council cohort. Building upon the AG’s commitment to protect and strengthen the health, safety, and well-being of Massachusetts’ youth population, the council will convene regularly to advise the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) about critical issues facing youth across the commonwealth and to help the council members develop skills as the next generation of leaders and advocates.  

The advisory group is comprised of 26 members between the ages of 15-18 from all regions across Massachusetts. Throughout their term, they will offer their perspectives to help inform the AGO on issues that impact them, including bias and discrimination, mental health, social media use, anti-bullying, school safety, environmental justice, gun violence prevention, the school-to-prison pipeline, and government accountability. Council members will also participate in AGO events, trainings, educational initiatives and activities.   

This second cohort of the Youth Council includes two Senior Youth Council members from the inaugural class, Arjun Mukherjee and Melody Zhao, who will help support the new members and connect with past members to build a council alumni network. 

The council’s members for the 2025-2026 school year are:   

1. Alana Doroquez, Reading, 17
2. Amelia Kellogg, Wilbraham, 16
3. Ananya Suram, Hopkinton, 16
4. Anna Cruikshank, Marblehead, 15
5. Ariel Hollander, Newton, 15
6. Avery Coburn, Wilbraham, 17
7. Bella DiCarlo, Topsfield, 17
8. Daphne Jones, Brookline, 17
9. Evan Mathur, Hopkinton, 15 
10. Harper Rathaus, Northampton, 18 
11. Helen Beer, Belmont, 18 
12. Jay Patel, Holliston, 17
13. Magdalena Mercado, Andover, 17 
14. Makenzie Caron, Ludlow, 15 
15. Mariama Bangoura, Boston, 17 
16. Michael Barrientos, Clinton, 17 
17. Nicolas Roht, Marshfield, 16 
18. Nirelis Aponte-Garcia, Holden, 15 
19. Pari Patel, Hanson, 16 
20. Pradnya Cowlagi, Shrewsbury, 16 
21. Rajvir Kalra, Lexington, 16 
22. Rishita Mitra, Holliston, 16 
23. Samara Sawyer, Wendell, 16 
24. Sanya Nadeem, East Walpole, 17 
25. Shamini Biju, Shrewsbury, 16 
26. Wyatt Edwards, Westford, 16 

The council members were selected through a competitive application process and will convene regularly between September 2025 and May 2026.  

The inaugural Youth Council had a significant impact at the AGO, increasing youth representation in decision-making spaces and strengthening collaboration between the AGO and Massachusetts’ young residents. Projects completed by the inaugural council included raising awareness on the impact of hate in schools, social media, mental health, and youth sports betting; analyzing the AGO Grants and Healthy Youth Summer Jobs Program; and enhancing environmental protection. 

The Youth Council will be managed by Senior Community Engagement Coordinator Nia Johnson and Chief of the AGO’s Community Engagement Division Emily Torres-Cullinane. 

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