Ready to "Do Something?"
The Forward Together Hub is a resource for those seeking to become more involved but find the chaos of information overwhelming. I hope to simplify things by doing some of the searching and sorting for you, then you can just pick among the things that are meaningful to you.
From just 9 years old, Fiona (now 16) has been deeply involved in speech and debate, from winning Public Forum Nationals in China to being co-captain of Public Forum Debate and 20th in California. She applies her public speaking skills from other school activities, such as co-captaining the mock trial team, to other leadership positions.
She is the first-ever high school member on the Mt. Baldy League of Women Voters board, a high school board member at the Claremont Learning After School Program, and a member of the Claremont Teen Committee.
Her expertise resides in mobilizing youth voices after founding the nonpartisan organization Legion of Voters, which has pre-registered over 1,000 high school voters. She piloted the in augural voter curriculum at Claremont High School, created a school policy for this material to be taught every two years, and received over 2500+ various grants for her organization.
She spearheaded the curriculum for a Girl Scouts workshop to achieve their Democracy Badges during her internship at IGNITE, a nonpartisan organization promoting young women in politics, and is devoted to promoting access to voter education and literacy.
She is passionate about various local issues and has published two research papers on climate change with the USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future. Fiona is a passionate youth advocate who encourages young people to speak up in nontraditional spaces.
Dorlhe Davilia Mendoza is a16-year-old junior at Claremont High School with a passion for blending creativity, leadership, and advocacy. She’s the founder of F.E.S.T., where she brings together fashion, technology, and sustainability, all while leading her school’s chapter of Students Demand Action and serving as the East Valley Health Center Ambassador. Dorlhe’s always been driven by her interests, whether it's organizing dementia awareness events with Rekindle, mentoring younger students in the Speech and Debate team, or developing a resource hub for STEM competitions and hackathons.
Her hands-on approach extends to the arts, where she recently raised $240 for Armenian Genocide awareness through her embroidery work a craft she’s honed through her philanthropy project.Her impact goes beyond school. Dorlhe’s one of the youngest members of UNA-USA, advocating for global issues, and she’s taken on leadership roles like Head of Digital Outreach for the Youth Innovation Network and Chief Publications Officer for the International Sustainability Forum.
She also leads creative campaigns for the Cultural Heritage Preservation Society and coordinates communications for the Global Health Advocacy Alliance. With a background in engineering and fashion (thanks to an internship at FIT), Dorlhe’s constantly pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.
She’s also learning ASL, tutoring immigrant kids, and competing in MMA where she’s nationally ranked and co-captains a team. Even with all these commitments, she finds time for calligraphy, chess, yoga, and roller skating, balancing her ambitious goals with her love for creativity and self-expression.
