Members of the National Youth Advisory Council serve as special ambassadors of the Tavis Smiley Foundation for three years and help plan and facilitate the annual Leadership Institute. The members were selected based on their outstanding participation in the foundation’s programs, their leadership skills, academic achievement and community service.

		Colbe Beavers is a senior at Challenge Early College High School in Houston, TX. She recently completed her first year of service as a senior aide on the Mayor’s Youth Council. Colbe was chosen to participate in the Perth Satellite Exchange, an international dialogue with fellow council members from Perth, Australia. Colbe is a member of the Houston chapter of Youth to Leaders, the Houston Urban League (NuLites), SHAPE Community Center, Dangerous Minds Project, BLACKE Student Summit and PeaceJam.
		Aneka Billings is a freshman at Alabama A&M University. As a senior at Ocean Springs High School in Ocean Springs, MS, she was a member of the National Honors Society and the We the People government competition class. Aneka served as drum major of her high school’s marching band during her junior and senior years. An active member of the Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church, she held the office of president in each of the following: Sunday School, The Girls Auxiliary, and The Youth Department. Aneka won the Mississippi Boys and Girls Club Youth of the Year Award.
		Dante Bruno attends Jones High School where he was recently named Mr. Jones High School for 2009-2010 in Orlando, FL. He is a senior and member of the Student Government Association. Dante is also involved in National Beta Club, Future Business Leaders of America and the 100 Black Men Organization.
		LaTisha Campbell is a rising sophomore at Yale University from Ypsilanti, MI. She serves as the political action coordinator of the Yale Black Student Alliance, secretary of the Yale Black Women’s Coalition, and mentor to teens and youth in the New Haven School District. Miss Campbell is passionate about her faith and her community. Her goal is to become a professor and educator in the areas of African American studies and sociology.
		Angela Groves is a native of Cleveland, OH and is a sophomore at Princeton University. Currently, Angela is a pre-med student, with aspirations of studying anthropology and earning a certification in African American studies. At Princeton, Miss Groves serves as class secretary and is an active member of the Black Student Union, Impact Christian Fellowship, and the Association of Black Women. Angela enjoys tutoring youth at First Baptist Church, and in her hometown of Cleveland she founded the Youth Covenant Committee.
		Nicholas Hall is a freshman at Vanderbilt University, pursuing a double major in communications and sociology. Nicholas is the president of the foundation’s National Youth Advisory Council and an Ingram Scholar—a community service-based program which provides its members with a wide-range of leadership training skills and opportunities to volunteer throughout his city. Nick is especially concerned with improving the status of the young African American man, thus he aspires to develop a non-profit organization to empower and educate them. In addition, Nick plans to pursue a viable career in law.
		Breana Jackson is a senior at Crossroads High School in Santa Monica, CA. Breana is the leader of the diversity club at her school and has started an outreach program with an underprivileged school in South Los Angeles. She is also an active member of student council, Habitat for Humanity, and Sisters Breast Cancer Survivors Network.
		Sydnee Kirvin is a sophomore at Berkeley University. A native of Los Angeles, she is a graduate of View Park Prep High School and a 2008 Smiley Scholar. At age 14 she started a clothing company, RUfitted Inc. which she continues to manage.
		Ryan L. Mack is a freshman at Florida A&M University majoring in computer engineering and vocal performance. A recent graduate of Jones High School in Orlando, FL, Ryan was involved in a number of clubs and organizations, including the National Honor Society, Student Government Association, National Beta Club and Future Business Leaders of America.
		Justin Amadi Ogunji is a 2009 graduate of Flintridge Preparatory School in La Canada, CA. Justin is a member of the NAACP Youth Council, the Minority Student Union, and the Usher Board at the Berean Seventh-Day Adventist Church. Justin will major in business at Hampton University in the fall.
		Tony Ramsey is a senior at Uniondale High School in Uniondale, NY. His future goals include a career as a political speaker. He serves as a teen advocate and a nursing assistant at Joseph M. Barry Career and Technical Education Center.
		Brittany Redfern is a sophomore at Morgan State University in Baltimore, MD. On a mission to improve and conquer the social issues that challenge many inner-city communities, Brittany majors in political science and serves as vice president of Youth Action in Philadelphia. Her goal is to become an advocate in educating her community on the tangible strategies which can be implemented to improve the environment in which they live. Her aspirations include a career in the areas of public health or law, specifically to represent the minority population. Brittany is a manager for the Morgan State Bears women's basketball team.
		Taylor Yarbrough is a 2009 graduate of Lusher Charter School in New Orleans, LA. While at Lusher, she was an active member of Students Advocating Life without Substance Abuse, earned a certificate of artistry in creative writing, and was inducted into the Outstanding Students of America Organization. Taylor was a semi-finalist in the Faulkner Society’s High School Short Story Competition, and was selected as a Louisiana Young Heroes Award finalist. Taylor will attend Spellman College in Atlanta, after which she aspires to earn a PhD in psychology. Taylor is a volunteer for the World Wildlife Fund, the NAACP, the National Urban League and UNCF.