By Anaiya Patel

The Georgia Youth Leadership is a statewide youth leadership program designed to develop high‑school students into future community and business leaders. It is one of the most recognized youth leadership initiatives in Georgia. It selects high‑school students from across Georgia and helps them build leadership skills through workshops, experiential learning, and interactions with business and community leaders. Aadi Shah (12), a student at Innovation Academy, has been congratulated with winning the Georgia Youth Leadership Award. According to the official website, 21stcenturyleaders.org, “The 21 students selected each year for our Georgia Youth Leadership Awards will be recognized at our annual fundraising event, Be The Inspiration Gala, receive a monetary grant, and be paired with a business professional who will coach and mentor them throughout the awards season.”

In order to be considered for the award, a student must either be nominated by a non-relative or themselves. Aadi says, “I joined 21^st Century Leaders as a shy freshman at IA and it’s crazy to now be at the end of my time in the program.” Aadi has been a part of the program for a total of 3 years and has been able to grow and learn over time not just as a student but as a person. Aadi then says, “It’s been so inspiring to meet people from all across the state and hear all of their stories.” The Georgia Youth Leadership program offers students the opportunity to step out of their comfort zone and open new doors and broaden their horizons. It gives you the chance to put yourself out there and be the leader you know you want to be. Aadi adds, “I used to look up to seniors before me who completed all 4 years in the program and also did the Youth Ambassadors and also earned the Georgia Youth leadership award, so this has been a full-circle moment for me.”

Aadi embodies 21CL’s values of forward thinking as he founded the Professional Networking Club, serving over 100 students at IA with skill-building workshops and industry connections. Aadi says, “Forward thinking to me means being able to understand trends for the future and use them to make innovative solutions that may not have been otherwise considered.” He has cultivated an environment where literacy curriculum is available for K-8 students and authored a 32-page policy presented to city councils, researchers, neuroethics, and justice as well as presented safe-storage gun policies to Georgia Politicians through a public policy internship. Aadi then goes on to say, “I have used forward thinking in different works of my life such as my microplastic policy work with student leadership north and though working to build non-profits.” Aadi demonstrates forward thinking as he actively innovates solutions to societal issues such microplastics and safe-storage gun policies as he works to understand what these issues actually mean and the root of the problem rather than the symptoms. He has co-founded a global non-profit to promote youth voice and initiated and planned the 21CL first-ever pickleball fundraising event. He integrates his passions, hobbies, and interests into work aimed at supporting others, strengthening communities, and contributing to societal improvement. This approach allows him to pursue what he enjoys while simultaneously developing leadership, building long‑term skills, and establishing meaningful connections.

These traits are exactly why Aadi has been selected for the Georgia Youth Leadership award. The key factor is that he cared, he cared to put his own time, energy, and effort into working with others, mentoring students, giving guidance and advice to his members of his club, and even cared enough to better public policies in hopes for the good of the people. Aadi has continuously and consistently proven to display empathy throughout his high school years. Empathy is the ability to care about others whether that be through helping them understand professional skills or being able to communicate with others about important matters such as safe-storage gun policies and Aadi is just getting started! These skills and traits are useful and beneficial in all aspects of life and while we already knew that it doesn’t mean it can’t be celebrated so congratulations to Aadi Shah for winning the Georgia Youth Leadership award, you earned it!