Carnegie Fellowship Honors Lawrenceville Students for Civic Engagement

The Institute for Citizens and Scholars has selected Lawrenceville students Miranda De Olden ’26, Jahan Hoban ’28, Roshan Hoban ’26, Connor Hwang ’26, and Andrew Zhang ’26 for the inaugural Carnegie Young Leaders for Civic Preparedness Fellowship. They are among 500 students from 27 states who are committed to strengthening their communities and democracy.

According to the Institute, students are selected from a highly competitive pool of applicants and these young leaders have demonstrated outstanding vision, collaboration, and a deep commitment to driving positive change in their communities. As Carnegie Young Leaders, the students will participate in a year-long series of virtual and in-person activities, including leadership workshops, networking opportunities, and a capstone project.  Funded by a $2,050,000 grant from Carnegie Corporation of New York, the fellowship provides leaders ages 14–24 with up to $7,500 per team in project funding, stipends, mentorship, and access to a national network of peers and civic leaders.

The Lawrenceville students were recognized for their project, United Voices: A National Civics Coalition for Youth Dialogue and Civic Education, created in response to what they saw as a lack of political discourse across party lines among young people and a persistent gap in civic education. This fellowship builds on the work of Lawrenceville’s Civics Club, founded by De Olden and Hoban in spring 2023 and launched that fall with the support of their faculty advisor Jenn Parnell.

“We wanted to go beyond just reading about current events—we wanted action,” said De Olden. “We created a nonpartisan group dedicated to civic dialogue, education, and engagement. As the club grew, we opened the conversation to the wider community, leading discussions on sensitive topics like immigration, the economy, and foreign policy. These efforts laid the groundwork for school-wide political conversations ahead of the 2024 presidential election, including policy-focused forums we co-hosted with Young Democrats and Young Republicans—spaces that stood in sharp contrast to the polarization dominating national discourse.”

As Carnegie Young Leaders, the Lawrenceville fellows will participate in a year-long program of virtual and in-person activities, including leadership workshops, networking opportunities, and a capstone project. Fellows are supported with expert guidance, mentorship, and training—ensuring that their ideas have the power to create lasting impact.

Roshan Hoban explained, “Our process includes providing accessible resources, mentorship, and a Civics Club Starter Toolkit with discussion guides, activities, and curriculum. We plan to launch a national website, conduct outreach to schools, and pilot new clubs. Long term, we envision a sustainable network of student-led clubs across the country, especially in underserved communities. We also hope to expand the Lawrenceville Civics Club’s service outreach to create greater access to civic education for elementary school students. Our ultimate goal is to empower youth with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to engage in respectful civic dialogue and find common ground across divides.”

For more information, contact Lisa M. Gillard H'17, director of public relations, at lgillard@lawrenceville.org.