Jayden Lee has encouraged students at Centreville High School to advocate for human rights and to help people in need, especially children. His passion has led him to find ways his fellow students can remain actively engaged in concrete projects that help refugees, people who are persecuted or unlawfully detained, and the poor.

Jayden established a chapter of Amnesty International at his school to create an opportunity for students to advocate for human rights locally and across the globe. He leads monthly meetings in which club members learn about human rights advocacy. The chapter also organizes “Write for Rights” initiatives, where students volunteer to write advocacy letters for individuals who are unjustly detained. Jayden looks for different ways to spark student interest in human rights; for example, he initiated “pajamnesty” meetings, where students can talk about human rights issues in a comfortable way in an informal setting, in the same way that they feel comfortable when they wear pajamas.

Jayden also has demonstrated his commitment to human rights as the vice president of the Centreville HS Liberty in North Korea club. This club supports refugees from North Korea through advocacy and fundraising. The 20 members of the club also schedule guest speakers to learn more about the problems facing the people of North Korea.

As the president of the UNICEF club at Centreville HS, Jayden helps to organize fundraisers that assist children in poverty and promote awareness of their needs. In one such event, the “Water Walk,” students walk about two miles carrying a gallon of water, raising money for UNICEF while helping people concretely understand some of the challenges faced by poor children, such as having to walk long distances simply to have water for household needs. The club also raises money for UNICEF through bake sales and appeals for direct donations, and has raised about $4,000 over the past four years. In addition, UNICEF club members sometimes visit the Katherine Hanley Family Shelter to spend time with families, including organizing activities for children and assisting with donations.

In addition, as co-leader for the Sustainable Development Goal of “Reduced Inequality” for the Global Leaders of Fairfax County initiative, Jayden is helping to put together a database of local services and resources for students who are in need. The database is intended to make information about available assistance more easily accessible to students who are looking for help.

As a leader and a volunteer, Jayden says he has learned “that small actions can lead to big changes, and that advocating for human rights and helping those in need create a more compassionate community.”