Emnet Dagnachew
President
Emnet attends School Without Walls High School as a junior. She has been active with WYC since she was a child and has served in leadership positions for the past two years. She appreciates Wegene because it helps her to support others in need in Ethiopia. Emnet recently traveled to Ethiopia to visit the learning center and meet some of Wegene’s Children. Emnet like dogs, which is a fun fact about her. During her term, she hopes to boost donations and youth club membership.

Samara Alazar
Vice President
Samara Alazar attends West Springfield High School as a junior. Her enthusiasm for helping with WYC began at a young age when she attended WYC events with her parents and sisters. She visited the Wegene Learning Center in Ethiopia in 2016, where she interacted with pupils, encouraging her to work with underprivileged children. She is committed to making service an ongoing part of her life.

Gabriella Mariam
Secretary
Gabriella is a sophomore in high school. Her responsibilities as WYC secretary include keeping the club’s information organized. In addition to giving back to her community by helping various organizations, she enjoys basketball and music. She is also interested in medicine and learning about how things work scientifically.

Elshaday Million
Treasurer
Elshaday is a high school senior. As the treasurer, she manages the finances, generates a budget, and works closely with the WEF treasurer. Her favorite television show is Grey’s Anatomy, and she enjoys traveling.

Magdalena Solomon
Director of Communications
Makdalena is a high school junior who loves STEM and reading. As director of communications, marketing, and recruitment, she is responsible for developing communication strategies and channels for leaders and members and publicizing Wegene’s impactful mission and brand. Wegene advocates education, self-improvement, and equity for all Ethiopians. Makdaldna believes that involving the youth in these endeavors is crucial to Wegene’s success and the lives of many disadvantaged people. This is her second year as a WYC leader, and she is excited to participate in the club’s growth. She is also a DECA, Model UN officer, and mentor.

Michael Bisrat 
Assistant Director of Communications/Membership
Michael is a senior at South County High School in Lorton, Virginia. As an assistant director of communications/Membership Recruitment for the Wegene Youth Club, he is focused on increasing and maintaining WYC membership. He plans to achieve his goal by organizing recruitment events and focused outreach. 

Naolee Makonnen
Assistant Director of Communications/Promotions
Naolee is a junior at Rock Ridge High School. As an Assistant Director of Communications, her responsibilities include creating and managing promotional and informational materials, administering the WYC newsletter, maintaining the WYC blog, and coordinating interviews and photo shoots. Naolee intends to study Sports Medicine and Management after graduating from high school. 

Zayma Negussie
Director of Fundraising
Zayma is a sophomore at Jackson-Reed High School in Washington, DC. As the Foundation’s Director of Fundraising, he is dedicated to increasing donations and sponsorships. He has experienced firsthand the positive impact of giving back after visiting Wegene families in Ethiopia. He is also the co-founder, mentor, and short story author of Dino Scholars Mentoring Services, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping children improve their reading abilities. Zayma is a student-athlete who plays high school football and basketball. He also belongs to the Jackson-Reed Sports Medicine Academy.

Naomi Bisrat
Assistant Director of Fundraising/Events
Naomi Bisrat attends Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology as a junior. Her responsibilities as the Assistant Director of Fundraising and Events include developing fundraising budgets and events, presenting WYC’s fundraising budgets to the President and Director, and collaborating with the Treasurer and Director of Fundraising to ensure funds are appropriately transferred. She intends to plan fun events to bring in more donations and sponsors to help Wegene. 

Abigail Tsegaye
Director of Fundraising/Sponsorship
Abigail is a sophomore at Northern Virginia’s Lake Braddock Secondary School. Her responsibility as an assistant director of fundraising is to find individuals and organizations willing to sponsor Wegene Yough Club events. Before joining the leadership team, she was a WYC member. In her spare time, she tutors middle school students and plays lacrosse.

Kirubel Tamrat
Director of Technology
Kirubel is a Chantilly High School senior. As the Director of Technology, he is responsible for all IT-related issues, including establishing and maintaining all computer systems, recommending new technology, and working with Assistant Directors to update the WYC website and social media. Kirubel has a strong technological background and intends to major in computer science. His WYC goals include raising funds for the Laptops for Success campaign, increasing his social media presence, and obtaining family sponsorship.

Anabella Befekadu
Assistant Director of Technology/Media
Anabella Befekadu is the Assistant Director of Technology and Media. Her role is to assess social media trends, provide recommendations, and collaborate with the Wegene Youth Club to advertise events and promotions. At school, she is a positive role model and mentors incoming freshmen. She is also a member of a club that provides peer-to-peer and personalized math tutoring for high school students, and she is a member of UNICEF and Girls Who Code.

Hannah Teshome
Assistant Director of Technology/Event Records
Hannah Teshoe is a sophomore in high school. She serves as Wegene Youth Club’s Assistant Director of Technology, and her role includes documenting and archiving events with photography and videography. Besides giving back to her community, she is interested in art and cosmetology.

Abel Yared
Director of Community Outreach
Abel Yared is a senior at South County High School. As the Director of Community Outreach, his job is to ensure transparency between the WYC members and the board. Abel plans events for the year and listens to members’ input to improve the WYC experience. Abel’s goal this year is to use his communication skills to make his term at WYC productive, fun, and rewarding.

Ethiopia Asenafi
Assistant Director of Community Outreach/Networking
Ethiopia Ashenafi is a high school junior. She serves as the Wegene Youth Club’s assistant director of networking. She joined WYC to pursue her passion and give back to her community. Ethiopia is inspired by the WEF’s success stories of families lifted out of poverty. She will participate in her leadership capacity by creating and managing a networking platform to link professionals with youth and promote membership.

Alem Desta 
Assistant Director of Community Outreach
Alem Desta grew up in Fairfax, Virginia. She attends Fairfax High School and is a junior. Alem is committed to giving back to her community and enjoys meeting new people. The Wegene Youth Club is the ideal environment for her to work as part of a team to help a worthy cause. Her objective as an Assistant in Community Outreach is to get young people interested in philanthropy.

Lucas Aemero Selassie
Director of Education
Lucas Aemro Selassie is a sophomore at Washington International School in Washington, D.C. Lucas brings his experience in mentorship and education to WYC as he co-founded Dino Scholars Mentorship Services, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the reading skills of young children. Lucas has volunteered with WYC, and his experience motivated him to continue to support the organization.

Maryam Atikem
Assistant Director of Education/Mentorship
Maryam Atikem is a junior at Bishop O’Connell High School. She currently swims year-round for her club and school teams. Maryam is excited to bond with the other members of the Ethiopian culture and work together to impact her community.

Mahlet Daniel
Assistant Director of Education/Educational Support
Mahlet is a junior in high school. Her responsibilities as the Assistant Director of Education include identifying the need for educational support for Wegene’s learning centers in Ethiopia and developing a plan to get the necessary resources. As a first-year WYC officer, she is ecstatic to be a part of a club whose mission is to help disadvantaged Ethiopian families. Mahlet is very close to his family and friends, whom he cherishes.