GDS Students Lead the Way in United Way’s New Teens United Program

Sixteen upper school students from Greensboro Day School are the first participants in the youth leadership program Teens United, a new pilot program launched by United Way of Greater Greensboro. The program is designed to educate and empower high school students to better understand and address the root causes of poverty in Greensboro. 

Students were selected through a competitive application process that included both phone and video interviews. They will participate in hands-on learning experiences, gain insight into systemic issues affecting Greensboro residents, and engage directly with UWGG’s holistic approach to creating lasting pathways out of poverty.

The inaugural class of Teens United includes Ledger Aiello-Perrell ’26, Sophia Bradsher ’26, Landon Clark ’28, Paolo Criscuolo ’26, Tilly Hamer ’27, Ethan Lloyd ’27, Alexis Mandelsohn ’28, Riho Natsume ’27, Samiya Patel ’28, Liza Payonk ’28, Nina Ramaswamy ’26, Andrew Simon ’27, Julia Soutto Mayor Guimarães ’27, Kinsi Winn ’26, CheChe Zhang ’28, and Zion Zigbuo ’27. 

“We are incredibly proud that these students are using their voices and talents to learn about the challenges our community faces and to help be part of the solution,” said Head of School Dr. Tracie Catlett. “Our mission calls us to help students become constructive contributors to the world, and programs like Teens United align powerfully with our core value of cultivating Citizens With Purpose. We are grateful for our partnership with United Way of Greater Greensboro and excited to see where this journey takes our students.”

United Way of Greater Greensboro President and CEO Frank McCain also praised the program’s potential and the enthusiasm of its first participants. “Greensboro’s future will be shaped by young leaders we empower today. Teens United is more than a program–it’s an invitation for students to see themselves as part of the solution to poverty in our community. We’re honored to walk alongside these bright young minds as they begin that journey.”

Based on the success of the pilot, United Way plans to expand Teens United to other Greensboro-area high schools in the future.