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Aaris Wharton

Community Research and action committee

Aaris Wharton (she/her), 17, is a senior at Baltimore City College. Reliable and extremely willing to learn, she joined the Community Research and Action Committee because it offers new opportunities to continue learning about and bettering her community through data—”I see data as playing a big role in shaping outcomes for youth, especially in Black and Brown communities.”

Aaris is passionate about working with and for youth. She worked with a team of peers to create an app that connected youth workers with their summer Youthworks sites. She also treasures the relationships she’s built as a mentor with HeartSmiles, through which she lifted up the qualities of leadership and resilience through current events and mental health programming, as well as using dance as a mentorship platform.

Upon high school graduation—her goal is to graduate with three diplomas—Aaris plans to continue her education by studying biology to become a physician assistant.