A Student-led Nonprofit Organization
JaxTHRIVE Leadership Council 2026-2027
Ella Vance
Ella Vance is a Senior at The Bolles School. Continuing her third year on the JaxTHRIVE Leadership Council, Ella designs JaxTHRIVE’s social media posts, illustrated Sarina of Kandahar, An Afghan Girl’s Journey to Change the World, a children’s book for JaxTHRIVE, and is the Co-President of her school’s chapter. Outside of volunteering with JaxTHRIVE, she enjoys spending time with her friends and family, working at an ice cream shop, and practicing some of her hobbies such as drawing and playing guitar. She is excited to work with our refugee students and serve as a council member!
Gianna Goll
Gianna Goll is a Sophomore at Bolles who has been volunteering with JaxThrive since 7th grade. She has served as the design editor for the Jax Thrive newsletter and on the leadership team as an art room teacher for the last two years. At school, she is a member of student council and the Global Scholars Program. She has also recently been accepted to the Youth Leadership Jacksonville program for 2026-2027. In her free time she likes to sew, bake, play volleyball, and paddle board.
Sahasra Aka
Sahasra Aka is a senior at Stanton College Preparatory. She has been an active member of JaxThrive over the past three years and worked closely with the art program last year. She is currently the president of the Stanton JaxThrive chapter as well as other volunteer based clubs at school. Sahasra is very active in her community serving as a director for a summer camp along with working as an instructor at Mathnasium and teaching classical Indian dance to a younger generation of students. In her free time she likes to cook, hang out with friends, and go to the beach.
Olivia Owens
Olivia Owens is a senior at The Bolles School and has been volunteering with JaxTHRIVE for four years. She is the Editor-in-Chief of the newsletter and leads the editing, writing, and interviews for the quarterly installments. Olivia spends her free time working as a hostess, writing poetry, and eating banana bread.
Emma Pedersen
Emma Pedersen is a senior at Wolfson High School for Advanced Studies and has been an active member of JaxThrive for over three years. As the founder and co-president of the Wolfson chapter, Emma is passionate about supporting refugee youth and expanding JaxThrive's impact throughout her school community. Outside of JaxThrive, she plays volleyball, is involved in several school clubs, including founding A-Connect, and enjoys taking on leadership roles through programs such as OneJax and the Joe Berg Seminars. In her free time, Emma enjoys spending time at the beach with friends, babysitting, and staying involved in school activities.
Alex Kohn
Hi, I’m Alex Kohn, a motivated high school student who enjoys helping others and taking on new challenges. I have experience in customer service and volunteering with youth, refugee, and animal rescue organizations. Outside of school, I enjoy playing lacrosse and golf, traveling, and continuing to learn Spanish. I’m a dependable team player who is always ready to contribute and grow.
Jack Leivent
My name is Jack Leivent and I am a senior at Ponte Vedra high school. I’ve been with jaxthrive since my freshman year and I love coming in on super saturdays to help out with the kids. In my free time I like to work out and play golf and I am a huge fan of football.
Ryan Ortbals
My name is Ryan Ortbals, and I'm a senior in high school from Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. I play basketball, which has taught me the importance of discipline, teamwork, leadership, and perseverance both on and off the court. I enjoy challenging myself, meeting new people, and finding ways to make a positive impact in my community. I'm excited about the opportunity to be a part of JaxTHRIVE because I want to grow as a leader, serve others, and contribute to creating a positive environment for those around me.
Sophie Liao
Sophie Liao is a Senior at Nease High School. She got involved with JaxTHRIVE in her Sophomore year, and has since become a dedicated volunteer at Super Saturdays, where she has built meaningful friendships with fellow volunteers and refugee students alike. At school, you can find her leading meetings as the Co-President and Co-Founder of JaxTHRIVE's Nease chapter, or planning fundraisers for Nease's 300+ member DECA club. Outside of school, Sophie enjoys all things culinary and handmade, and in her free time, she sells her crochet creations at local art markets.
Braeden Hillier
Hi my name is Braeden Hillier I am 16 years old and a Jax thrive leader. Im a junior at PV and have volunteered at Jax thrive for around a year and a half. I play many sports for fun especially soccer where I was on the school team this prior year.
Doga Tankut
My name is Doga Tankut (pronounced Doa) and I am a junior at Ponte Vedra High School. In school, I am a member and officer of the speech and debate team, HOSA, and Girl Up. I am passionate about bringing STEM resources to students to allow them to explore topics they may not have considered otherwise and I look forward to doing so in collaboration with JaxTHRIVE! Outside of school, I enjoy scrapbooking, journaling, crafting, and reading.
Ipek Alev
Hi! I’m Ipek Alev is a rising senior at Beachside High School. I started JaxThrive last year and I deeply enjoy volunteering. I enjoy spending time with my family, playing tennis and going to the beach!
Ezra Ekwueme
Ezra Ekwueme is a senior at Stanton College Prep and enjoys working with the refugee kids. He plans a playground enhancement project this year.