Youth Advisory Board

We are a group of passionate advocates who are dedicated to representing our peers' voice in all school safety initiatives.

STATEWIDE AMBASSADORS

Become one of the top youth leaders in creating safe and healthy schools and communities in Texas

The Texas School Safety Teen Ambassadors serve as the state's youth voice for engaging young people in school safety initiatives. They are dedicated to educating others and connecting communities to help create safe and healthy environments through prevention and awareness projects and events.

What We Do

  • Lead educational events/projects on drug prevention, teen mental health, violence prevention, and preparedness.
  • Host podcast episodes, educational videos, and virtual summits for our peers to watch.
  • Serve as a local voice for how youth and adults can engage students in creating a positive school climate.
  • Influence our peers to promote positive actions through social media.
  • Meet and work with like-minded youth at the state level.
  • Collaborate with the Texas School Safety Center staff to identify school safety trainings and activities for youth to participate in.

Requirements to Apply

Think you have what it takes to be a Texas School Safety Teen Ambassador? Here are the requirements to apply:

  • Must be a Texas resident
  • Must be entering 9th-12th grade for the upcoming school year
  • Should have experience working on substance use prevention, teen mental health, violence prevention, and/or emergency preparedness. Experiences may look like, but are not limited to, hosting awareness projects, delivering presentations, Teen CERT training, or being a part of a student advisory council.
Download the Flyer

Application Information

Each applicant must submit the items listed below in order to be considered to be a Texas School Safety Teen Ambassador:

  • Two Letters of Recommendation:
    • (1) School Personnel (Ex: Principal, Assistant Principal, Counselor, Teacher, Coach)
    • (1) Community Member (Ex: Pastor/Minister, Supervisor)
  • Introduction Video
  • Short Answer Essays
  • Application Paperwork
  • Parent/Guardian Forms

Students can either download, print, and email their completed application to staff at txssc_yss@txstate.edu or they can submit their application online. It is ultimately the responsibility of the applicant to make sure staff receive all the required items and paperwork by the deadline. We recommend following up with staff by email or phone.

Once the deadline is closed, staff will review all submissions and schedule interviews with applicants who have been selected. Have questions? Email staff at txssc_yss@txstate.edu or call 512.408.1947.


2025 - 2026 Teen Ambassadors

Detorriaus

Detorriaus

  • School Tyler ISD Early College High School
  • What motivates you to help others feel safe at school? When I help others, it makes me feel better knowing that the people around me feel safe. My why is you!
  • Who inspires you to be a leader and why? I've been impacted by so many people, it's hard to choose just one! Everyone who's mentored me reminded me that things are possible and encouraged me to keep going has shaped who I am today. I used to doubt myself, but now I know I'm capable!
  • If you had to choose a theme song that plays every time you walk into a room, what would it be? My all-time favorite artist is Taylor Swift, so it would have to be Welcome to New York—but the live version from the 1989 World Tour. IYKYK.
  • What's a fun fact about you that most people don't know? I absolutely love cooking. My friends even call me their '5-star personal chef'. My favorite meal to cook is Spicy Honey Barbecue Chicken Wings!
Katora

Katora

  • School V R Eaton High School
  • What motivates you to help others feel safe at school? I'm motivated by my own past and how it shaped me. You cannot learn in an unsafe environment, so with our program, helping to prompt wellness in the student body is the most valuable thing we can offer.
  • Who inspires you to be a leader and why? My mom. Through her, I've seen the worst of the world and also the best. It inspires me to find the balance between both and if I were to be a leader, I'd be the kind one that listens.
  • If you had a time machine, would you go to the past or the future? Why? If I had a time machine, I'd go back to the past and encourage myself to be a little nicer to myself. My younger self had the heart but got a little lost along the way and that's alright because she was with her family that made her feel at home.
  • If you had to choose a theme song that plays every time you walk into a room, what would it be? Either III. Telegraph Ave. by Childish Gambino or Intergalactic Janet by Ley Soul.
  • What's a fun fact about you that most people don't know? There's nothing really interesting about me, so I don't really have anything to put here.
Sebastian

Sebastian

  • School Veterans Memorial Early College High School
  • What motivates you to help others feel safe at school? Having friends who've told me their stories of being in dangerous scenarios and the fear they had always made me feel bad for them, and the thousands of kids who have to go through that. Also, I have a heart for those who go to school and don't feel safe. I know how anxiety and stress can affect someone, and I don't want anyone to feel that way.
  • Who inspires you to be a leader and why? I would say my dad inspires me the most to be a leader. Since I was a child, he always told me that I was made to lead and taught me how to be a good leader. He inspires me every day to do the hard things in life, things I don't even want to do, all for the benefit of others.
  • If you had a time machine, would you go to the past or the future? Why? I would go to the past and tell myself of the importance of learning; as a middle schooler and freshman, I never really cared about the learning aspect of school, and now I regret it so much. Learning is something that I've grown to love and appreciate, and I wish I had started truly learning earlier in life.
  • If you had to choose a theme song that plays every time you walk into a room, what would it be? I would have it be an indie rock song because I love band music.
  • What's a fun fact about you that most people don't know? I like to sing, I'm not very good but I like to. I also make music.
Frank

Frank

  • School Westwood High School
  • What motivates you to help others feel safe at school? The pandemic changed my perception on how important school was. Once we returned, I realized that feeling safe, understood, and normal at school was necessary not only for academics, but also for the relationships you make at school.
  • Who inspires you to be a leader and why? My church youth group leader actually inspires me to be a leader through his humility. In his leadership, he is always able to remind us of the purpose of our youth group, something we could never do alone. Humility is what I believe keeps a group not only together, but also meaningful.
  • If you had a time machine, would you go to the past or the future? Why? I love learning about thinkers from the past. To think that these people were the first to come up with the foundations of our world today is fascinating to me, and I would love to have a conversation with them. So, if I had a time machine, I would go to the past.
  • If you had to choose a theme song that plays every time you walk into a room, what would it be? I would choose Bach's Orchestral Suite in D Major.
  • What's a fun fact about you that most people don't know? I love to ski!
Manya

Manya

  • School Whitehouse High School
  • I believe that high school is a great place for learning and developing skills needed in the adult world. However, it can also be very stressful for students. I am motivated to help my peers feel seen and heard as well as make high school a great experience!
  • Who inspires you to be a leader and why? My mother inspires me to be a leader since she has a passion for helping other people, and I also want to help others and give back to my community.
  • If you had a time machine, would you go to the past or the future? Why? If I had a time machine I would go to the future since I would be curious to what life would be like.
  • If you had to choose a theme song that plays every time you walk into a room, what would it be? Come As You Are by Nirvana.
  • What's a fun fact about you that most people don't know? Most people don't know that I did Taekwondo when I was in elementary school, and I had a yellow black belt.

2025 - 2026 College Ambassadors

Eviana

Eviana

  • School The University of Texas at Austin
  • What motivates you to help others feel safe at school? As a student, I can resonate with the fears my peers have surrounding school-centered violence. Knowing this widespread fear motivates me to use my passion for mental health awareness to make sure students are mentally and physically secure. Learning that anyone can contribute to school safety shows me that I can too.
  • Who inspires you to be a leader and why? The law enforcement leaders of Fort Bend County have been my pillars of inspiration. Building lasting relationships with them taught me the importance of student voices and empowered me to advocate for school safety. Most significantly, witnessing how they used their positions to uplift students is what inspired me to do the same.
  • If you had a time machine, would you go to the past or the future? Why? I would go to the past to make changes that benefit humanity in the future.
  • If you had to choose a theme song that plays every time you walk into a room, what would it be? My theme song would be “Feels like Summer” by Childish Gambino.
  • What's a fun fact about you that most people don't know? I love superhero movies!
Hailey

Hailey

  • School Texas State University
  • What motivates you to help others feel safe at school? What motivated me to help others feel safe at school is that when I was in high school, it felt like a second home to me. Also, my major is in Social Work and I am working on my bachelor's degree after getting my associate's degree at ACC. I think social workers in schools have made them safer, and also children safer at home.
  • Who inspires you to be a leader and why? My dad inspires me to be a leader, when I was growing up he was a single father, but despite that he still made sure my siblings and I had everything we needed. He also taught me to be independent, which is why I have a strong sense of leadership and responsibility.
  • If you had a time machine, would you go to the past or the future? Why? If I had a time machine I wouldn't go to the past or the future, I would just not use it. I feel that God puts us in places, and that he does everything for a purpose so I'm not messing with it.
  • If you had to choose a theme song that plays every time you walk into a room, what would it be? My theme song would be “Don't Think Twice, It's All Right” by Bob Dylan. Sometimes I just need the reminder to stop thinking about things so much and to just let things happen. Also, it's a great song!
  • What's a fun fact about you that most people don't know? My fun fact is that I love songwriting, and I enjoy singing a lot. I feel like no one knows that because I refuse to do it publicly. Unless it's karaoke with my dad.
Rohan

Rohan

  • School University of Texas at Austin
  • What motivates you to help others feel safe at school? I believe that schools essentially serve as a second home for students, and they need to learn and grow in an environment where they feel safe.
  • Who inspires you to be a leader and why? My family has always taught me the importance of giving back to the community, so they inspire me to be a leader.
  • If you had a time machine, would you go to the past or the future? Why? I would go to the future to see when we would get flying cars.
  • If you had to choose a theme song that plays every time you walk into a room, what would it be? Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield.
  • What's a fun fact about you that most people don't know? I'm a black belt in Taekwondo!
Sanjan

Sanjan

  • School University of Texas at Austin
  • What motivates you to help others feel safe at school? I want everyone to have the same experience I had. School is a second home for many, and everybody should feel safe in their own home. Witnessing local schools go through the terror of not having guaranteed safety at crucial times enforced my goals.
  • Who inspires you to be a leader and why? My 4th grade teacher, Mrs. Stanczak, taught me how to be a leader. She really helped me find a passion for anything I did and showed me the joy in guiding others.
  • If you had a time machine, would you go to the past or the future? Why? If I had a time machine, I would go to the future. Going to the past would be a lot of fun to learn about, but now the past is gone to me. The future would just satisfy my curiosity. I want to see what still exists there and what will change.
  • If you had to choose a theme song that plays every time you walk into a room, what would it be? "Can I" by Drake.
  • What's a fun fact about you that most people don't know? I love going on spontaneous adventures and exploring anywhere.

If you have any questions about the TxSSC's Youth Advisory Board, contact staff at txssc_yss@txstate.edu or call 512-408-1947.