Fellowships

Aysha Zackria is a queer Pakistani-American dramatist, writer, and musician who recently graduated with a BFA in Dramaturgy from CarnegieMellonUniversity.She amplifies opportunities for societal growth through creation. Asyha was one of two Literary Fellows at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center during their 2024 Summer programming. She was the dramaturg for several Carnegie Mellon productions, includingYou on the Moors Now. She received the KennedyCenter American College Theater Festival Region 2 Student Dramaturgy Award and was named aNational Dramaturgy Fellow for her work on the production. She has written plays that examine social issues, includingPillow Fortress,Proximity, andNatural Law, which she produced at CMU. Her playwriting accolades include a commission by Horizon Theatre Company, an excerpt reading at CityTheatre, and a national One Earth Award from Scholastic Arts and Writing. She has served as Script Editor at Lovewell Institute for the Creative Arts. In the last five years at this non-profit, she encouraged high school students to make their voices heard by devising works of musical theatre. In 2019, she won the Miami Herald’s Silver Knight Award in English and Literature for her work as a tutor and advocate for improving access to literature in carceral facilities. Aysha is also an accomplished bassist with a background in music theory. She has played bass in fourteen musicals and on an album, Cosmic Caravan by Fox. On campus, she was the Co-Chair of the Library Student Advisory Council, Secretary of the ThriftyMellon, and Representative for the upperclassmen dramaturgs. She received the Michael Gifford Award and was named one of forty senior Andrew Carnegie Society Scholars for her outstanding engagement and academics

Gisela Estrada is a passionate Salvadoran artist, designer, and storyteller. From a young age, she has embraced her love for music, dance, painting, photography, and advertising, cultivating a diverse artistic palette that informs her work. Gisela holds an MFA in Scenic Design from the UNC School of the Arts and a B.S. in Architecture from Dr. José Matías Delgado University in El Salvador. Her scenic design work has been showcased in Washington, DC, North Carolina, Oregon, upstate New York, and El Salvador. She was the recipient of the 2023 William R. Kenan Jr. Fellowship at The Kennedy Center. Gisela thrives on collaboration and is dedicated to bringing fresh perspectives to every project she undertakes.

Fe Miranda (they/them/theirs) was born and raised in Washington, DC and is of PuertoRican and Ecuadorian descent. They are a stage manager, arts administrator, and musician with a passion for making art that is accessible to underrepresented groups. They believe the arts are community, and creating spaces that allow for the people within those communities to feel safe, brave, and successful is an important part of any theatre experience. As a DC native, Fe is excited to be part of creating works that reflect the diversity of the city they grew up in. Their stage management credits include Reefer Madness and In the Heights (NextStop Theatre Company), and Head Over Heels and Just Like Us (George Mason University). Fe is a graduate of George Mason University, where they received a Bachelor of Arts in Music, with a minor in Arts Management.

Ynika Pocopio Yuag is a Filipino, Indigenous, and Queer theatre artist focusing in directing, intimacy choreography, and new work development. They are most excited about work by and for messy marginalized peoples, and the pursuit of new work as a human right. Previously, they were a company member and Production Manager of Face Off Theatre Company in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where they co-created/instructed the annual Youth New Play Project and now proudly serve on the Board of Directors. Favorite directing credits include Fabulation by Lynn Nottage (FOTC), Kokoro (True Heart) by Velina Hasu Houston (Kalamazoo College, MI), and the annual devised project The Abortion Monologues at Kalamazoo College. Favorite intimacy choreography credits include Indecent by Paula Vogel (Jewish Theatre Grand Rapids, MI) and Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea by Nathan Alan Davis (Western Michigan University). Born in Manila, Philippines and raised in Kalamazoo, Michigan, they proudly continue a lineage of storytellers from Siquijor and the Ifugao people of Banaue, Philippines. They are a Taurus sun and stellium, Virgo moon, Pisces rising, eldest daughter, and hot fries enthusiast. BA: Theatre Arts and Psychology (Kalamazoo College). ynikayuag.com.

Austin McNair (he/him), a junior at McDonogh School, is deeply passionate about film and photography. He takes Honors Photography and is an active member of Sankofa and a member of the Mock Trial team. Austin currently serves as the Teen Foundation Chair for the Arundel Bay Area Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. Austin showcased his public speaking talents in the 2024 Oratorical Competition for Jack and Jill of America’s Eastern Region—Southern Cluster. In addition to his academic and extracurricular pursuits, Austin is a dedicated multi-sport athlete with a strong focus on track and field. He ranks nationally among the top 100 triple jumpers in the class of 2026. Looking ahead to college, Austin plans to combine his love for photojournalism with his commitment to advocating for communities that have been underserved and marginalized.

Elsa Furr (she/her) is a sophomore at Jackson-Reed High School. Having recently moved to DC from Chicago, she is excited to learn more about the local arts scene. Elsa has been drawing since a young age with a focus on portraiture. Her work in response to the George Floyd murder was featured in the Chicago Tribune in 2020. She has taken drawing and painting classes at The School of the Art Institute Chicago, The Chicago Academy for the Arts, and most recently at the Yellow Barn Studio in Glenn Echo. At school, Elsa illustrates for the school newspaper and yearbook and is part of the cooking club. She is also on a competitive hip hop team based in Bethesda. In her spare time Elsa likes to watch movies, listen to music, go thrifting, and explore new places.

Evelyn “Evy” Skinner (she/her) is a freshman at Duke Ellington School for the Arts (DESA) high school in Washington, DC.  As a student in DESA’s Instrumental Music Department, her focus is classical guitar and music composition. A recent middle school graduate of Washington Episcopal School (WES) in Bethesda, MD, Evy received WES’ Outstanding Performing Arts Award in 2023. She began her classical guitar study at Levine Music at nine years old. Evy has received multiple awards of recognition at Levine Music including the Distinction/Jury Award in Classical Guitar and has served as a volunteer at Camp Levine for three summers. Evy is excited to be in an exploratory phase as a young teen musician and actively is expanding her performance repertoire to include the jazz genre, bass guitar, and keyboard. Her other interests include choral music, and she has sung in both the National Children’s and the St. Alban’s Episcopal Church choirs. Above all, she aspires to promote positive social change and harmony through her music by showcasing underrepresented voices and finding inspiration in her multi-racial family with its African and Asian Indigenous heritage.

Jessica Yao (she/her) is a junior at Richard Montgomery High School with 10 years of experience in music. She enjoys poetry recitation and also participates in her school’s pit orchestra for the theater production. She is heavily engaged in school and extracurriculars, being an editor for Montgomery County’s Student Newspaper and her school’s newspaper The Tide, a writer for Girls for Business, the Founder and President of her school’s Biomedical Seminar & Health club, the Treasurer of her school’s FBLA chapter, a player on the Girls Varsity Volleyball team, an active instrumentalist in MCYO, and Vice President of Operations for RM International. Jessica is currently participating in the Poetry Out Loud national recitation competition and the ESU Shakespeare Competition. Jessica hopes to pursue a future career in business and entrepreneurship to craft meaningful products that benefit society and address issues that require change.

Niamh O’Donovan (they/them) is a senior at School Without Walls High School in Washington DC. They have explored various artistic mediums including poetry, illustration, relief printing, and collage, though their current focus is filmmaking. They are a member of the National Art Honors Society, an AP Art student, and an illustrator for their school newspaper. Niamh is passionate about social justice: particularly transgender rights and equality. In early 2023, they began using their printing and painting skills to upcycle thrifted clothing and sell it through their small Instagram-run business, Trans Health Tees. The proceeds go to the Trevor Project, a non-profit organization focused on advocating for transgender rights and crisis prevention in the LGBTQ+ community. Moving forward, they hope to pursue both Classics and filmmaking in college- beyond that is anyone’s guess. Niamh is thrilled for the opportunity to connect and explore with other young artists through the ASJF program and hopes it will help them answer the question: How can my art help others?

Sadiq Muhammad (he/him) is a sophomore attending Quince Orchard High School. He is involved in various extracurriculars such as Brotherly Love, Baltimore Brothers, and has volunteered for the QO football team. He is passionate about pursuing visual arts as a future career. This passion stems from his love of self expression, whether through painting and cinematography. He believes social media has the power to expand his outreach efforts to different types of art lovers. Throughout the ASJF program, Sadiq looks forward to growing with likeminded peers who share a distinct interest in the intersection between art and social justice.

Soa Andriamananjara is a senior at Holton Arms school. She has experience working in theatre and film as an actor, director, and writer. Most recently, she directed “Spring Break” by Joe Calarco at Round House Theatre in Bethesda as part of their Teen Performance Company. Her writing has been featured in the New York Times and the Metaphor Dice Anthology. Outside of storytelling, she leads her school’s student government and enjoys cooking. In the future, Soa hopes to create accurate portrayals of Africa in the media.

Sol Berrellez (they/she) is a Junior at Thomas S. Wootton High School with a deep passion for mixed media, painting, photography, technical theater, and music. A leader in their academic community, Sol oversees and contributes to numerous technical theater productions and serves as an editor for the school’s literary magazine. They are also an active member of Wootton’s National Art Honor Society, the Hispanic Latinx Student Union, and the Jewish Student Union. Beyond their artistic and academic endeavors, Sol is committed to advocacy, championing better healthcare access for Queer and Latino communities. Looking to the future, they aspire to become an art therapist and psychologist, combining their creative talents with their desire to support others. Through this program, Sol aims to build meaningful connections, refine their artistic skills, and nurture a collaborative and inclusive community.

Yaa Baucum (she/they) is a junior at E.L. Haynes High School and a visual artist that has exhibited at the Dorchester Center for the Arts. She is interested in reading, animation, comics, and trinkets. Yaa looks forward to exploring the intersection between artistic expression and social justice alongside like-minded peers at the ASJF program. Post graduation, Yaa is interested in pursuing a path in both medicine and the arts.