Art as a Bridge,
Not a Wall
Founded in 2023, ArtUnity Youth believes in the transformative power of art to break down barriers and build understanding across diverse communities.
Our mission is to nurture young minds through art, fostering creativity, celebrating diversity, and promoting inclusivity while organizing enriching art-based events for children.
As a nonprofit 501(c)(3) youth charity organization, we rely on community support to sustain and expand our programs for the young people we serve.
Through our programs, we aim to bridge gaps between different racial, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds, creating a more connected and empathetic community.
Meet Our Team
Officers
Jonathan Shan
Jonathan is the Founder and President of ArtUnity Youth and a student at Poolesville High School. He founded ArtUnity Youth with the belief that art can bring people together, spark joy, and make communities feel more connected. As President, he guides the organization’s vision, leads a growing team of student volunteers, and builds partnerships with schools, senior centers, and local organizations to bring creative experiences to more people. He is especially passionate about making art accessible to everyone, regardless of age, background, or artistic experience. Through hands-on projects and community events, Jonathan hopes to give young people opportunities to lead, share their creativity, and make a positive difference in the lives of others.
Saranzul (Sara) Boskov
Saranzul (Sara) Boskov is Vice President of ArtUnity Youth and a student at Richard Montgomery High School. As the Programs & Operations Lead, she designs and teaches workshops, plans materials and lesson flow, and manages event logistics from registration and staffing to day‑of coordination. She also supports volunteer onboarding and multilingual outreach to ensure every program is welcoming, accessible, and youth‑centered. Sara loves helping students build confidence through art and creativity.
Daveon Williams
Daveon Williams is Vice President of ArtUnity Youth and a student at Richard Montgomery High School. As the Community & Engagement Lead, he helps grow participation and builds a welcoming event environment through outreach, mentorship, and hands‑on creative activities. He’s passionate about creating safe spaces where youth feel supported, challenged, and inspired to lead. Daveon is also a dedicated boxer who values discipline and resilience.
Event Leads
Samia Guled
Samia Guled is a ninth-grade student at Magruder High School. She enjoys meeting new people, making friends, and helping others. Samia loves drawing, creating art, and making DIY projects. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music, playing games with family and friends, and watching web series. She is excited to bring her creativity, positive energy, and collaborative spirit to the team.
Savannah Charles
Savannah Charles is a ninth-grade student at Walter Johnson High School. She is passionate about learning, staying active, and encouraging others to reach their full potential. Outside of school, she enjoys playing tennis and volleyball. Savannah has held several leadership roles and takes pride in approaching each responsibility with care and dedication. She looks forward to continuing to learn, grow, and use her leadership skills to make a positive impact in her community.
Adya Karthik Bharadwaaj
Hi! I’m Adya Karthik Bharadwaaj, a sophomore at Wootton High School who enjoys sketching, dancing, reading, and connecting with others. Teaching my younger sister how to draw, dance, and solve puzzles helped me discover how much I enjoy supporting children as they learn and grow. ArtUnity Youth has given me a wonderful opportunity to combine my love of art with my passion for mentoring young people. As a Youth Event Lead, I help guide young artists, build their confidence, and create a welcoming environment where everyone feels comfortable exploring their creativity. I’m excited to continue developing as a leader while showing how art can spread kindness, encouragement, and meaningful connections.
Matthew Le
Matthew Le is a tenth-grade student at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School. He enjoys creating artwork, exploring different art styles, and sharing his creativity with the community. He has also pursued his interest in art and design at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). In his free time, he enjoys watching cartoons, especially SpongeBob SquarePants, his favorite animated character. He is excited to bring his imagination, creativity, and enthusiasm to the team.
Richard Le
Richard Le is a ninth-grade student at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School. He enjoys playing sports, especially basketball with his brother. Richard loves helping others and sharing his passion for art by teaching and encouraging people to explore their creativity. He finds it especially rewarding to see the cards and artwork created by the team delivered to people in need throughout the community. He is excited to bring his kindness, enthusiasm, and love for helping others to the team.
Youth Ambassadors
Mingdi Chen
Mingdi Chen is a student at Cabin John Middle School. As an Outreach & Youth Ambassador, he helps connect ArtUnity with younger students by spreading the word about workshops, supporting youth‑focused outreach, and helping create creative promotional materials. Mingdi is also an award‑winning young artist and loves inspiring other students to grow through art.
Nadia Guled
Nadia Guled is a sixth-grade student at Shady Grove Middle School. She enjoys helping others and creating art independently, with friends, and with her siblings. Nadia is excited to collaborate with the team, use her creativity to support the community, and continue learning and growing in her role as an Outreach & Youth Ambassador.
Jenna Yang
Jenna Yang is a student at Robert Frost Middle School who enjoys drawing, painting, sports, games, and trying new things. Art is one of her favorite ways to express herself and share her ideas. As an Art Unity Youth Ambassador, Jenna hopes to use creativity to connect with others and bring people in her community together.
Melissa Shen
Melissa Shen is a student at Cabin John Middle School with a love for art, crafts, and hands-on creativity. She enjoys meeting new people and finding ways to contribute to her community. As an Outreach & Youth Ambassador for Art Unity, Melissa hopes to help more young people get involved and create welcoming opportunities for others to connect through art.
Abnezer Fekadu
Abnezer Fekadu is a student at Parkland Middle School. He enjoys playing soccer, reading fiction, and visiting Ethiopia, where his parents are from. Those trips are always some of his favorite vacations. As an Outreach & Youth Ambassador for Art Unity, Abnezer enjoys meeting other volunteers during weekly card-making sessions, making new friends, and learning and laughing together. He hopes to bring more young people together to create art for the community.
Chris Lara
Chris Lara is a student at Earl B. Wood Middle School. He loves drawing cartoon characters, especially coming up with funny characters and bringing his own stories to life through illustrations. He also enjoys playing video games, especially Minecraft, and history is his favorite subject. As a Youth Ambassador at ArtUnity Youth, Chris is excited to share his imagination, make new friends, and help bring joy to his community through art.
Advisors
Jierui Fang
Ms. Fang is a multidisciplinary designer who focuses on living systems across human and environmental scales. She is an MIT graduate in art and design with minors in computer science and biomedical engineering, and a Stanford Product Design graduate. As an Advisor to ArtUnity Youth, she brings an impact-focused lens to our work, supporting program design, outcomes measurement, and community partnerships so our initiatives stay grounded, effective, and sustainable.
Laura Leigh Palmer
Ms. Palmer is a graphic and web designer and an adjunct professor at Montgomery College. As ArtUnity Youth’s Curatorial Advisor and arts educator, she helps shape our visual identity and guides exhibitions and showcases that elevate youth storytelling and amplify young artists’ voices. She also provides art direction and exhibition guidance for our year-round mural painting project, helping students strengthen concept, composition, and presentation from start to finish.
Xiaojin Bao
Ms. Bao is a UCLA graduate and an experienced concept artist, graphic designer, and animator in the entertainment industry, including interactive games and film. With over 20 years of teaching experience and an extensive fine arts background, she supports ArtUnity Youth as an arts educator and advisor, helping students strengthen their skills, creative confidence, and visual storytelling.
Help us create a more
inclusive community.
Volunteer your time, donate to our programs, or reach out to partner with us.