Adrienne

Uganda

Adrienne Agwang Auruku (17, Uganda) became a Girl Rising Fellow because she wants to use storytelling to speak up for girls in rural communities who don’t always get a chance to be heard. She dreams of creating work that inspires girls to stay in school and believe in their power. When she’s not studying, Adrienne enjoys reading, playing football, and taking photos of everyday life around her.

Alia

UAE

Alia Sheik (21, United Kingdom) became a Girl Rising Fellow because she believes education is a lifelong tool that empowers women of all ages, and she wants to help make it accessible to every woman. She is studying Chemical Engineering with aspirations in sustainable aerospace and clean-tech innovation.

Asyl

Kyrgyzstan

Asyl (17, Kyrgyz Republic)

Christabel Amazuilo

Mauritius

Ukamaka Christabel Amazuilo (20, Mauritius) became a Girl Rising Fellow because she is passionate about empowering girls and creating supportive spaces for women to be seen, heard, and uplifted. She is an emerging cybersecurity professional and community builder whose work blends technology, storytelling, and advocacy. Christabel hopes to use this fellowship to amplify impact-driven projects like Dear Belle and champion opportunities for young girls across Africa.

Fatima Kawusu Sheriff

USA

Fatima Kawusu Sheriff (19, United States) became a Girl Rising Fellow and ambassador because she is committed to advancing educational access and gender equality for girls globally. As co-leader of afriCAN, a start-up youth-led nonprofit supporting girls’ schooling in Sierra Leone, she works to remove financial and cultural barriers that keep girls out of the classroom. Fatima hopes to continue amplifying girls’ voices and advocating for their rights through her ambassador work and a future career in public-interest law.

Kanisa Tabbasum

Bangladesh

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Loreen

Kenya

Loreen Atenge (21, Kenya) became a Girl Rising Fellow because she is passionate about empowering girls through education and data-driven advocacy. She hopes to use her background in Economics and Statistics to support evidence-based solutions for gender equality.

Monique-Esther

Cameroon

Monique-Esther Saingwea (18, Cameroon) became a Girl Rising Fellow because she is passionate about advocating for girls right and saw this as a platform to connect and share ideas.

Peace Harriet Elly

Uganda

Peace Harriet Elly (21, Uganda) is a passionate university student with a strong interest in leadership, community development, and social impact. She actively engages in mentorship programs and initiatives that empower young people and girls. She is driven by a desire to create positive change through education and advocacy.

Safi Active

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Safi Active (18, Democratic Republic of the Congo) is passionate about technology and problem solving She is pursuing her bachelor in software engineering and her dream is to transform the DRC into a exporting country.

Sravya

USA

Sravya Chirala (16, United States) is a Girl Rising Fellow who dreams of helping people feel seen in a world that can feel invisible. She’s fascinated by stories, small acts of kindness, and the quiet ways people leave marks on each other’s lives. She can’t wait to create, explore, and cheer on her fellow Fellows on her mission to find her spark.

Yesui Boldsuren

Mongolia

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Agnila Roy

Bangladesh

Agnila Roy (18, Bangladesh) became a Girl Rising Fellow because she believes knowledge should not sit behind closed doors or textbooks. She uses both science and storytelling to reach the girls whose questions have long been ignored, and whose curiosity was taught to wait.

Amruta

USA

Amruta Epari (20, United States) became a Girl Rising Fellow because she wants to use her passion for medicine and gender equity to improve women’s and girls’ access to education and healthcare. She hopes to combine scientific insight with advocacy to help build healthier, more informed communities. Through this fellowship, she aims to expand access to reliable health information and educational opportunities, empowering women and girls to learn, explore, and pursue their full potential.

Ayrah Zahra

Pakistan

Ayrah Zahra (16, Pakistani) became a Girl Rising Fellow because I want to bring about a change in my community and be there for girls around me. I love writing and art.

Edmies

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Joy Life Alegbemi

Nigeria

Joy Life Alegbemi (19, Nigeria) became a Girl Rising Fellow because she is a passionate advocate for girl child education and leadership.

Kathryn Huber

USA

Kathryn Huber (17, United States) became a Girl Rising Fellow because she refuses to stay silent in the face of injustice. She recognizes that her voice carries power, not only for herself but for those who came before her and for those alongside her today who are silenced. As an aspiring women’s rights activist, Kathryn is determined to spark change and help create a world where every woman and girl can thrive.

Mahsheed

Afghanistan

Mahsheed Madady (17, Afghanistan) became a Girl Rising Fellow because she believes that even a single thought, a single drawing, or a single story can spark change. She loves exploring ideas, painting emotions, and reading worlds that teach her how small actions can create ripples of hope.

Namono Esther

Uganda

Namono Esther (18,Uganda) became a Girl Rising Fellow because she desires a platform to empower other girls with leadership skills and speaking out their minds

Queen

Nigeria

Queen Chukwu (20, Nigeria) became a Girl Rising Fellow because she is passionate about girlhood and wants to work tirelessly to make the world a better place for girls. She loves storytelling in all its forms and aspires to contribute to these spaces through the stories she tells.

Saide Zülal Taşlıyol

Turkey

Saide Zülal Taşlıyol (18, Türkiye) became a Girl Rising Fellow because she is passionate about empowering young people through education, technology, and social impact. She is especially interested in creating equal opportunities in STEM and hopes to build projects that inspire girls to become future leaders.

Tanya

India

Tanya Sangoi (14, India) became a Girl Rising Fellow because she is insanely passionate about feminism.
Her hobbie include reading, poetry, watching movies, and swimming!

Ajsel

Albania

Ajsel Budlla (16, Albania), is excited to be involved in creating a female future!

Anagha Krishna Prasad

Denmark

Anagha Krishna Prasad (18, Denmark) became a Girl Rising Fellow because of her passion for empowering women and girls. She is studying Engineering and aspires to create innovative tech solutions that benefit women and communities.

Binta

Gambia

I am passionate about education, mentorship, and community development, with a strong interest in supporting children and students to reach their full potential. I enjoy working across different programs to create positive impact, especially in health, ICT, and youth-focused initiatives. I am committed to continuous learning, service, and personal growth.

Enayah

Canada

Enayah Berry (16, Canada) cares a lot about climate change, women's rights, and mental health. She is very interested in how these issues connect and affect young people like me. She is involved in clubs like DECA and Debate; does figure skating, horseback riding, and karate to stay active; and started the Amnesty International club at her school to get more students involved in human rights and social justice. She hopes to use her lived experiences dealing with mental health and as a young woman to help others going through the same experiences.

Kabugho Joan Opio

Uganda

Kabugho Joan Opio (18, Uganda) became a Girl Rising Fellow because she wants to grow as a young leader who speaks up for girls’ education and fights against teenage pregnancy. She enjoys football, mentoring other girls, and hopes to study Accounting and Law to continue advocating for girls in her community.

Lily

USA

Lily Samara (16, United States) became a Girl Rising Fellow because she wants to advocate for girls' education, mental health, and empowerment. Through Girl Rising, she has realized what it means to be a part of creating spaces where girls feel confident, heard, and supported. Becoming a fellow gives her the opportunity to take my passion beyond my own community, and allows for her to create meaningful change for girls everywhere.

Maria Júlia Brasileiro

Brazil

Maria Júlia Brasileiro (17, Brazil) became a Girl Rising Fellow to continue advocating for girls’ rights and breaking down chauvinistic stereotypes. She loves celebrating her culture from the state of Paraíba, in Brazil’s Northeast, and is deeply passionate about theatre.

Oumaima Benloucif

Brazil

Oumaima Benloucif (19, Algeria) became a Girl Rising Fellow because she grew up watching girls be silenced, denied education, and underestimated by social norms. After sharing her community’s stories at international forums such as the Beijing+30 Global Adolescent Girl Leadership Town Hall, and serving on the Global Fund for Women’s Adolescent Advisory Council, she is committed to stand with girls who are still fighting to be heard.

Rafaela

Ecuador

Rafaela Proaño (19, Ecuador) became a Girl Rising Fellow because she wants to expand her expertise in youth empowerment and social justice to address inequity and gender-based violence through law, education, and her small business. As a law student and social volunteer, she is passionate about writing, research, and inspiring others to advocate for change.

Sophie

Philippines

Sophie Tria (17, Philippines) became a Girl Rising Fellow because of her passion for diplomacy. She believes that all individuals should be respected equally, and strongly advocates for a society that abides by this.

Vi

Vietnam

Vi (21, Vietnam) became a Girl Rising Fellow because she believes that the liberation of women and girls begins with redefining love for all genders. Inspired by bell hooks’ idea of "love as a practice of freedom", her own journey of self-discovery, and witnessing how patriarchy shapes everyone, she looks forward to empowering girls and supporting boys as allies in unlearning, healing, and transformation, helping them live with freedom, empathy, and courage. By making gender advocacy a movement, she seeks to reclaim love as a space for equality and liberation.