We’re excited to introduce the 2026 Victorian Youth Congress – a group of young leaders and change makers.
There are 20 members in the 2026 Victorian Youth Congress. This includes 15 new members and 5 returning members. The members come from across the state and reflect the diversity of experience, ideas and identities of young people in Victoria.
This inspiring group of young people will advocate for their peers and speak up on the issues that matter to them to affect real change.
Meet the 2026 Victorian Youth Congress
Bios are written by individual Victorian Youth Congress Members and do not represent the Victorian Government.
Todd Truong – 20 (he/him)
New member
Todd is a Vietnamese Australian who is passionate about youth advocacy, particularly in the areas of law reform, human rights and climate justice.
Todd is also a UNICEF Young Ambassador and works as an Access Monash Mentor, offering tailored educational support to year 11 and 12 students experiencing hardship. In his spare time, Todd enjoys swimming, playing guitar and dancing to K-Pop.
As a member of the Victorian Youth Congress, Todd hopes to engage in conversations about climate change and how we can work towards a more sustainable future. He also wants to help improve mental health outcomes for young Victorians.
Todd is excited about enhancing his interpersonal skills, getting out of his comfort zone and delving further into issues affecting young Victorians.
Aarna Raja - 15 (she/her)
New member
Aarna is a year 10 student who is passionate about amplifying the voices of young Victorians and making an impact in the community on their behalf.
Through various leadership roles at school and within the community, she has developed a strong interest in youth advocacy and collaboration.
Aarna is thrilled to be part of the Victorian Youth Congress and hopes to explore issues affecting young people such as education, identity and wellbeing, while working with others to create practical solutions and positive change.
Rylie Featherby – 20 (he/him)
New member
Rylie is a musician from regional south-west Victoria. He is passionate about creating, performing and connecting with people through music.
Through the Victorian Youth Congress, Rylie wants to be a voice for young people in regional Victoria. He is particularly passionate about ensuring regional Victorians can explore creative pathways and opportunities early in life.
Rylie wants to advocate for better access to music and art programs through education and community. He also wants to see equal opportunity for all young Victorians who are interested in the creative industries.
Martina Charoensak – 23 (she/her)
New member
Martina is a second-generation Cambodian–Australian who is passionate about advocating for women, their rights, and access to education and services. Having studied International Relations and Politics at Monash University, Martina wants to bridge the gap between young people and the policies that affect them.
Martina hopes to improve access to sexual education, information about reproductive healthcare and ensure young people have digital literacy.
As a Youth Congress member, Martina hopes to encourage young Victorians to drive change and advocate for diverse perspectives.
Adriel Appathurai – 19 (he/him)
New member
Adriel is a medical student at Monash University. Adriel has a Sri Lankan–Tamil refugee background, which shapes how he thinks about community and representation. In his spare time, Adriel enjoys photography, being in nature and spending time with family and friends.
Through the Victorian Youth Congress, Adriel wants to advocate for the perspectives and voices of young Victorians. He is particularly interested in youth mental health, access to education and career opportunities and how we can ease cost of living pressures.
Adriel is excited to contribute to practical work that is reflective of the needs and experiences of young people. He also hopes to increase supports for young Victorians who may not have strong support networks.
Farzad Ihaab Ahmad – 17 (he/him)
New member
Farzad is a passionate youth leader for his school and community, helping support many initiatives along his leadership journey to combat the ongoing discrimination with Australia's young people.
Drawing from his own cultural experiences, he has helped deliver diversity events and workshops to invite students to celebrate multiculturalism in their environments.
As a year 12 Prefect, he engages in raising for charities such as the Cancer Council, Poppy Appeal, and most recently the Good Friday Appeal where he had helped raise 13 thousand dollars for patients at the Royal Children Hospital.
As a member of the Victorian Youth Congress, he is enthusiastic to share his experiences to resolve the many issues experienced by today's Victorian youth, especially in fields of belonging and identity to foster a stronger community.
Shiraz Mohamed – 20 (she/her)
New member
Shiraz is a youth advisor, mentor and facilitator in the advocacy sector. A science student at the University of Melbourne, she is interested in human physiology and connection.
As a member of the Victorian Youth Congress, Shiraz hopes to amplify young voices. Her interests include youth crime, cost-of-living and education pathways. Shiraz is Eritrean–Australian and is eager to ensure the representation of culturally diverse young people in decision-making.
Shiraz believes that policy should reflect young people's diverse lived experiences. She wants to build on her understanding of policy development to contribute to meaningful change for young people.
Fadzai Bako – 17 (she/her)
New member
Fadzai is a year 12 student from West Melbourne. Her passions include debating, public speaking and African literature. She also enjoys travelling, especially to Zimbabwe.
Fadzai joined the Victorian Youth Congress to represent youth voices. She is particularly interested in youth crime and its impacts on young people in contemporary Australia.
During her term, she hopes to build connections that strengthen community and drive positive change.
Nathan Albaloz – 22 (he/him)
New member
Nathan is a Youth Peer Advocate who is passionate about harm reduction, youth justice and education. He currently lives with his mother, younger sister and dog near Melbourne.
He is eager to expand his knowledge of how government and policies work. He hopes to use this knowledge to break down barriers and help young people to the fullest.
As part of the Victorian Youth Congress, he looks forward to influencing change by advocating for and uplifting other young people.
Imogen Potter – 13 (she/her)
New member
Imogen is an active member of the Ararat community. A netball player and junior referee who enjoys reading and volunteering, she is excited to represent young voices in Ararat.
Imogen joined the Victorian Youth Congress to speak up for what matters to young people. She is keen to bring attention to bullying in schools across Victoria. She also wants to listen to young people so she can understand their challenges and support them to find help.
During her term, Imogen looks forward to meeting new people and learning new things so she can make a positive difference for young Victorians.
Sara Scully – 22 (she/her)
New member
Sara is in her fifth year of a Law/Arts (International Relations) degree at Monash University. In her roles as Mentor Leader and interfaith facilitator, Sara mentors young people and makes sure everyone feels heard. She loves music, fashion and cooking, which allows her to connect with her Salvadorean culture.
Sara joined the Victorian Youth Congress to connect with other young Victorians and share youth voices. She is most excited to hear from other young people about their perspectives on important issues.
During her term, she hopes to bring young people from all backgrounds together. Encouraging open, respectful conversations and appreciation of diversity.
Alex Dobell-Hall – 21 (they/them)
New member
Alex is completing a Bachelor of Arts at La Trobe University, majoring in archaeology and philosophy. Alex holds volunteer positions on the youth advisory committee at Headspace Collingwood and Merri-Bek Council's Amped Up!
Alex applied to the Victorian Youth Congress because they have seen how youth voices can shape real change. Alex cares deeply about climate change, Indigenous land rights, mental health, education, and LGBTQIA+ rights.
Alex hopes to raise awareness of these issues and show young people that their voices matter and can make a difference.
Mustafa Khraim – 17 (he/him)
New member
Mustafa is passionate about media and communications, with a strong interest in politics and law. He served on the City of Whittlesea Youth Council, is a college Captain, and runs the yearbook club. He is also part of the Victorian Youth Parliament Press Gallery and works at Kmart while focusing on completing his VCE studies.
Mustafa joined the Victorian Youth Congress to share young people’s views at a state level. He's passionate about youth mental health and wants more young voices heard.
During his term, Mustafa aims to gain deeper insight into the parliamentary process and advocate for the rights of all young Victorians.
Anna Zhang – 24 (she/her)
New member
Anna is passionate about advocating for social justice issues in her community. She is part of 20 different organisations and advisory groups and has won multiple awards for civic and youth leadership.
Anna joined the Victorian Youth Congress to speak up for communities who may not have a voice. Her passion is driven by her lived and living experience of domestic and family violence, disability, and mental health challenges, along with her culturally and linguistically diverse background and experiences as a young carer.
During her term, Anna hopes to continue sharing her lived experiences while advocating for change across sectors including family violence, disability, child protection, out of home care, mental health and suicide prevention.
Xabier King – 21 (he/him)
New member
Xabier is a proud and strong Aboriginal man who is passionate about his culture. He enjoys woodcarving, including making pendants and Indigenous artefacts. He also enjoys sports and online games. He currently works in education support in Bendigo.
As a member of the Victorian Youth Congress, Xabier is focussed on building healthy communities for young people. Informed by his experience inside of schools, he wants to help create more youth programs and safe spaces, particularly for young mob.
Xabier hopes to learn more about the youth sector during his term. He would also like to improve his understanding of the various issues affecting young people across Victoria.
Ava Kent – 14 (she/they)
Returning member
Ava is a student in year 9 who loves to read, watch movies, and listen to music. Ava also loves philosophy and thinking about the way people think.
As Ava returns for a second term as a member of the Victorian Youth Congress, she hopes to be able to continue to advocate for inclusivity and equity amongst the youth of Victoria with a special focus on LGBTQIA+ youth like them.
Ava is looking forward to another great year with the Victorian Youth Congress and hopes to once again help contribute to change.
Misha Sardana – 14 (she/her)
Returning member
Misha is passionate about netball – both as a player and coach – and is also interested in how science can be applied to solve real-world problems.
As a member of the Victorian Youth Congress, she hopes to help change the conversation around mental health. Her goal is to normalise mental health discussions among young people and make it easier for students to open up and seek help without feeling embarrassed or judged.
She is excited to contribute to something bigger than herself and to be part of a group that can create positive change.
Zohaib Khan – 16 (he/him)
Returning member
Zohaib is a year 11 student with a passion for music and songwriting.
He joined the Victorian Youth Congress to be a representative for his peers. He believes Australia's youth have valuable opinions and ideas to offer and should be more involved in political forums.
During his term, he hopes to talk about the state of the environment to encourage action and help make a safer world for future generations. He also hopes to tackle social issues such as bullying and harassment and systemic oppression.
Reyhaan Kakkar – 14 (he/him)
Returning member
Reyhaan is a year 9 student with a strong interest in reading, sports and problem solving.
As a member of the Knox Advisory Committee, he has seen how youth advocacy can create real impact. He believes young people should have a voice in shaping policies that affect them.
During his term, he hopes to focus on education equity, diversity, multiculturalism and mental health awareness. He believes every young person deserves access to quality education and understands we must bridge resource gaps to ensure all students can thrive.
He looks forward to collaborating with like-minded peers to address challenges faced by young people.
Ayanna Verenga – 22 (she/her)
Returning member
Ayanna is a young Zimbabwean woman studying a double degree in Law and Media Communications. She works at a student services institution dedicated to providing education and employment opportunities to young Victorians.
She is passionate about advocating for diversity, equity and inclusion – especially for marginalised groups like migrants, LGBTQIA+ youth and people of colour.
During her term she hopes to discuss mental health challenges among marginalised youth who may face barriers to receiving support. She also hopes to explore ways we can create accessible, inclusive youth spaces.
She looks forward to learning how to effectively collaborate with government bodies and community organisations to make meaningful change for young Victorians.