peta2’s Youth Advisory Board is Changing the World for Animals

Update: Applications for the 2026-2027 school year are now closed. Check back next summer!

Want to change the world for animals, learn how to be an effective advocate, and make peta2 even better? The peta2 Youth Advisory Board is for you! We’re looking for dedicated, passionate, and outgoing activists to lead the movement and weigh in on things like campaigns, sticker designs, merchandise, and more—and help us create content that will reach other young people on social media and beyond.   

To be considered, you must be between the ages of 13 and 24, be interested in animal rights, attend school, and live in the U.S. or Canada. You must also complete the application and be accepted. Advisers must commit to the board for the school year. We’ll have regular meetings that you’ll need to attend twice per semester, and you’ll need to respond to questions when we ask for feedback.

what will you be expected to do? 

As a Youth Advisory Board member, you’ll be armed with skills and resources so that you can be a great advocate for animals and provide peta2 with valuable feedback on ideas we have for missions, campaigns, projects, and merchandise. We’ll send you our ideas, and you’ll give us your honest opinion of them. Your opinions will help make our work for animal rights more effective and make it easier than ever for your friends to get in on the movement, too.  

what will you get? 

Advisers will gain experience with the biggest animal rights group in the world. By serving on the board, you’ll not only establish friendships, learn from your peers and be among the first to know about peta2 campaigns. You’ll also get access to free exclusive merchandise, and you can list your experiences on college applications, résumés, and job applications!  

who are the current youth advisory board members?

aanya (she/her)

I am an avid supporter of animal liberation. Over the past few years, my animal advocacy has been focused on improving animal welfare from a legislative standpoint through organizations such as the MSPCA, particularly as part of the Community Advocacy Leader Program, and the Animal Law & Policy Program at Harvard Law School. As a lifelong vegetarian and follower of Jainism—both emphasizing non-violence and compassion for all creatures—I am deeply passionate about fighting animal injustice and treating animals as friends rather than objects, disposable lab equipment, or property. 🐶😺🐭

ximena (she/her)

I’m from Mexico, and I got into animal advocacy because of Paul McCartney (hardcore Beatles fan). I learned about him and Linda and how iconic they are for the movement, saw Paul’s campaigns with PETA (yayyy)… and well, now 8 years later I’m still here and I’m never leaving! SO excited to be part of this group of people to plan the downfall of animal exploitation together, xoxo

lilly (she/her)

I’m 23, and I’m absolutely thrilled to be joining the peta2 Youth Advisory Board. As someone who spends every day surrounded by my own rescued animal, a Rex rabbit named Haru, animal liberation is at the core of everything I do. My journey into animal liberation actually started with a very sudden, profound realization. I was in the middle of eating a meal one day when it fully hit me that what was on my plate used to be a living, breathing being with its own life. I dropped meat and went vegetarian right then and there. Later, I made the full transition to a vegan lifestyle. Not only did it finally align my daily actions with my morals, but it also completely cleared up the liver issues I had been struggling with.

lola (she/her)

I became passionate about animal liberation at 14 after seeing photographer and disability advocate Anthony Carbajal speak about the horrors of the meat industry and his decision to go vegan during his final stages of ALS. My interests include moral philosophy, neuroscience, medicine, and enneagrams. I love crafting/painting, and I’m always down to make a good protest sign. I’m so honored to be here, and I hope I can make friends with some fellow vegan allies!

elijah (he/him)

Being born vegan, I think I’ve been debating people on being vegan since I could talk! I love debate, cooking (with a lot of tofu and seitan!), reading, and activism (sometimes with W.T.F (we the free)). I’m also a competitive bodybuilder! I’m passionate about bodybuilding in the sport sense of it, but I also love being able to use it to prove in real time to people that you don’t need to eat animals and their secretions to build muscle. I’m so excited to meet new people and contribute to this incredible cause of pushing to stop animal use!!

aaryan (he/him)

I’ve been vegan for quite some time now and am really immersed in the whole idea of vegan debate. I have spent months educating myself on everything about being vegan and have a vegan debate channel. I love animals, more than anything (even though it’s a contested idea in debate, I love animals SOMETIMES more than humans… lolol… depends on the human). I will do anything for them and would love to educate you all on anything or debate any meat eaters for us.

nairi (she/her)

I’m 23 and became vegan pretty recently — in March of this year! I’ve always held the values of being vegan close to me, and I wish I had woken up sooner! I volunteer at Love Always Sanctuary […] in LA a couple of times a week, and I love spending time with the animals. I’m still dipping my toes into vegan activism, but I also just started volunteering with Anonymous for the Voiceless, am working to get my city to endorse the Plant Based Treaty, and I just started creating vegan pins and stickers!

karan (he/him)

I am so excited to be joining the peta2 Youth Advisory Board. I went vegetarian when I was 5 after finding out chicken nuggets were chicken, and I went vegan when I was 12, when I learned about the cruelty of the dairy industry. Since I am a big foodie, I really got into baking and recipe development after I went vegan! Eventually, I got good enough and started selling my baked goods to people in my area and donated all my profits to animal sanctuaries and local non-profits.

evie (they/he)

I’ve been vegan for a few years and volunteer with a few local animal liberation, human rights, and wildlife conservation organizations when I can. I’m really passionate about animal liberation and looking forward to getting to know everyone and being more involved!

alaïa (she/her)

I am bilingual (French and English) and love learning languages (currently trying to learn Portuguese). I love debate (and do it competitively with my school) and am huge on advocacy (spending my summer working as an intern with the ACLU). I LOVE birds (any and everything birds) and am super into birding. I am also currently in the midst of working with my city to hopefully get bird-safe window policies in place!! I am deeply passionate about animal, environmental, and humanitarian injustices and hope someday to get into the legal side of it.

kate (she/her)

Eating animals has never made much sense to me, but my process of becoming vegan was slow. Now I’ve been vegan for only about a year, but I’m committed! I love animals, and I’m looking for ways to get more involved with animal liberation advocacy. I love orchestra, going to concerts, reading, baking/cooking, and outdoor activities like walking my dog, Rocky! I also have a cat named Lola.

landon (he/him)

I transitioned to a vegan lifestyle about a year ago. It initially started as a health decision because meat never quite sat right with me, but it quickly evolved into something much deeper. After researching and watching powerful documentaries like Cowspiracy, Dominion, and Earthlings, my perspective completely shifted. […] Seeing a transport truck on the way home from a vegan event really reinforced why I chose this path and why protecting these animals matters so much to me.

jocelyn (she/her)

I’ve been vegan since June! I was vegetarian for a little over a year beforehand, originally as my 2025 New Year’s Resolution, but I continued it and went vegan after learning and understanding the horrors of how animals are treated outside of meat. I’m a military kid, so I’ve also lived in Oklahoma, California, Hawaii, a different part of Maryland (Baltimore), New York, and Germany! I’m excited to engage in activism […] and be a part of the youth advisory board!

emily (she/her)

I’ve been vegan for almost two years now! My favorite vegan restaurant is either Handlebar or Elephant+Vine, check them out if you’re in Chicago! I love music (especially the concert aspect), thrifting, shopping, going to animal rescues, and playing tennis. This summer, I worked at the ILSOS in the department of communications and realized that I would LOVE to work in social media management and creation.

gerselle (she/her)

I’m a freshman at UC Berkeley studying Environmental Studies. I’ve always been interested in the environment and its intersection with animal welfare, so I’m really excited to be part of the Youth Advisory [Board]!

lyndy (she/her)

I’m a two-year vegan from Idaho now going to college in Virginia. I’m getting my B.A. in Political Science/International Politics with a hope to work in policy law! I am passionate about human and animal rights and love getting involved in outreach and advocacy! I’m bilingual in English and Spanish and I’m currently learning Arabic. I love reading, trail running, volunteering at animal shelters, and thrifting. I have two dogs and two cats, one of whom is my best friend: my three-legged rescue cat, Bugs! I am most passionate about adopting not shopping and just getting people interested in animal rights! I love helping people understand their impact and the way their choices matter!

katelyn (she/her)

I am currently in college getting my AA degree. I have been on my vegan journey for two years now and first started with pigs because I love them. I love helping in my community and I LOVE animals including bugs. 🐛 I’m so excited to be on the Youth Advisory Board! 🤠

audriana (she/her)

I have been vegan since birth, and have been raised in a vegan household. I’m 14 and a freshman in high school. I love volunteering at the animal shelter, and helping at animal sanctuaries. I am so excited to be on the Youth Advisory Board, so I can help make a difference!

dani (she/her)

I’ve been vegan since I was five years old, and speaking up for animals has always been an important part of my life. In 2023, my younger sister and I were the runners-up for PETA Kids’ All-Star for Animals contest, which was a really exciting experience. I’ve joined and helped organize demonstrations for animals, including events with PETA for ThanksVegan, protests against the treatment of animals at a local county fair, and a demonstration outside H&M calling on the company to stop selling wool. I also have created content for PETA Kids and wrote a feature called “I Believe in Animal Rights, Here’s Why You Should, Too!” to share why standing up for animals matters so much to me. I love finding ways to use my voice to help create change and encourage others to think about how animals are treated. Besides animal liberation, I’m passionate about environmental issues and speaking out about the climate catastrophe. I’ve attended many environmental and political rallies and protests over the years. I was even featured in a local artist campaign after attending a rally dressed in a snorkel and underwater mask to highlight the threats facing our oceans. In the future, I’d love to become either an animal rights lawyer or a politician. When I am not actively helping animals I am going to the beach, reading, singing and playing guitar, playing tennis, and being with my sister No matter which path I choose, I want my career to focus on fighting injustice and helping create a kinder, fairer world. I’ve learned that you don’t have to wait until you’re older to make a difference. Every action matters, and I hope to keep standing up for animals and the planet for the rest of my life.

jenny (she/her)

Hi! My name is Jenny and I’m from Michigan. I’m so excited to be apart of the YAB this year! I’m currently getting my general studies associates degree at my local community college and then I plan to go on to study wildlife conservation. My whole life I have dreamed of working with animals and hope that I can find ways to help them through my work and in my life outside of work as well. I have been vegan for around a year and can say the cliche is true that my only regret is not going vegan sooner! 

payton (he/him)

Hello! My name is Payton and I live in Toronto, Canada. I am a university student studying Environmental Studies, Urban Studies, and Forest Conservation. I love working on farms and I want to help rebuild the connection between people and their food […]. I look forward to assisting peta2 campaigns advocating for the just treatment of animals.