Seven local high school students will serve as San Mateo County’s first Youth Cultural Ambassadors.
Thursday, Aug 31, 2023

    • Redwood City – Seven local high school students will serve as San Mateo County’s first Youth Cultural Ambassadors.

    The inaugural seven will seek to “build community through arts and culture with the goal of greater youth involvement in the community.”

    The County’s Office of Arts and Cultural appointed the seven following a competitive application process. They are:

    • profile picture of male
      • Alexander Carreon
      • 17-year-old visual artist from Foster City.
    • Profile image of female
      • Amelia Lauren Chen
      • 17-year-old ballet dancer from Daly City.
      • female standing in front of rocky wall
        Mikaela George
      • 16-year-old classical vocalist from Foster City.
    • headshot of female
      Lauren Lin
      • 17-year-old who is currently the Burlingame-Hillsborough Youth Poet Laureate. Lin will serve as the inaugural Youth Poetry Ambassador.
    • headshot of female
      Claire Sonnenburg
      • 17-year-old visual artist from Redwood City.
    • portrait of male
      Daniel Strebulaev
      • 15-year-old pianist from Atherton.
    • male holding cellist
      Keiya Wada
      • 15-year-old cellist from Foster City.

    Each ambassador will develop and execute a project that engages the community and will help to organize an Ambassador’s Convening for middle and high school students in spring 2024.

    As the Youth Poetry Ambassador, Lin will be invited to attend meetings of the Board of Supervisors to read poetry.

    Each Youth Cultural Ambassador will receive $500 for their participation.