Washington, D.C. – The National Women’s History Museum (NWHM) is pleased to announce the 13 young leaders selected for the Museum’s inaugural Youth Advisory Council. Representing Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, and Washington D.C., this nationwide council exchanges ideas with museum staff and supports the reimagining of museum programming and presentation of women’s history during their yearlong tenure.

“This Council is our commitment to making sure young adults aren’t just audiences for this work—they're co-creators of it,” says NWHM CEO and President Frédérique Irwin. “We are excited to welcome this outstanding group of leaders into the National Women’s History Museum community and look forward to learning with and from them in the year ahead.”

The NWHM’s 2026 Impact Fellow in Education, Scottie Vandy, is leading the NWHM’s Youth Advisory Council efforts.

Council programming begins during Civic Season with women’s history trivia nights at partner institutions throughout the nation: National Center for Civil and Human Rights (Atlanta), Jane Addams Hull-House Museum (Chicago), The Dallas Public Library, Oak Lawn Branch (Dallas), and Tudor Place (Washington D.C.) 

Please join us in congratulating the members of the 2026 National Women’s History Museum’s Youth Advisory Council: 

• Anvitha Battu, Georgia State University, Atlanta 
• Hailey Clayton, Legislative intern, Washington, D.C. 
• Zoe Clements, Atlanta History Center, Atlanta 
• Georgia Dimas, Southern Methodist University, Dallas 
• Zara Duque, Georgia State University, Atlanta 
• Shar Gyami, Canva, Dallas 
• Maria Halter, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. 
• Leela Khuntia, Chicago 
• Brenna Large, Loyola University, Chicago 
• Sophie McCarthy, Lee-Fendall House Museum & Garden, Washington, D.C. 
• CC McClarty, Northwestern University, Chicago 
• Holland Schmitz, George Washington University, Washington, D.C. 
• Josephine Stark, Washington D.C.