The Congressional Award Podcast: Elevating DC Youth

In this episode of Elevating DC Youth, student hosts from the Deanwood Radio Broadcast Youth Journalism Program sit down with Jehan Carter, a Washington, D.C.–based attorney, media personality, and entrepreneur whose career spans law, journalism, and advocacy.

Jehan reflects on her journey as a proud Washingtonian, a former Miss D.C., and a Congressional Award Gold, Silver, and Bronze Medalist. She offers an honest look at the realities of law school, entrepreneurship, and social media, emphasizing that success does not happen overnight and that credentials alone do not guarantee opportunity. Throughout the conversation, Jehan stresses th...

In this episode of Elevating DC Youth, student hosts from the Deanwood Radio Broadcast Youth Journalism Program sit down with Izzy Klein, co-founder of a bipartisan public affairs firm and a nationally recognized expert in government relations and communications.

Izzy breaks down what it really means to be a lobbyist, reframing the role as one of education, translation, and advocacy. He shares how growing up working in his father’s hardware store shaped his people-first approach to leadership, why bipartisan collaboration matters, and how removing jargon and communicating clearly can make complex policy accessible to everyone.

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In this episode of Elevating DC Youth, student hosts from the Deanwood Radio Broadcast Youth Journalism Program sit down with Donald Remy, a nationally respected leader whose career spans public service, higher education, law, and athletics.

Donald reflects on his unconventional, mission-driven career path, from coaching youth basketball in the DMV to shaping policy at the NCAA, serving veterans, and investing in women’s professional sports. He shares why mentorship, authenticity, and treating people with respect have been central to his leadership, and why young people should lean into their talents even when the path forward is un...

In this episode of Elevating DC Youth, student hosts from the Deanwood Radio Broadcast Youth Journalism Program sit down with Brittany Masalosalo, Chief Public Policy Officer at HP Inc., to discuss leadership, learning, and finding your voice across public service, technology, and global policy.

Brittany reflects on her career journey through the U.S. Army, the Pentagon, the White House, and the private sector, sharing why curiosity, preparation, and the ability to think critically matter more than having all the answers. She also speaks candidly about authenticity in the workplace and how young people can build confidence...

In the Season 5 premiere of Elevating DC Youth, student hosts from the Deanwood Radio Broadcast Youth Journalism Program sit down with Allison Quintanilla Plattsmier, a nonprofit executive and community leader with over a decade of experience in urban planning, equity, and public service.

Allison reflects on how early opportunities helped her find her voice, why community buy-in and representation matter, and how young people can get involved in shaping policy and change in their own neighborhoods. From advocating for equity to showing up as your full self at work, this episode explores what it means to lead...

Joshua Peters

Senior Manager, Social and Community Impact - Chicago and North Central Americas, NIKE, Inc.

Joshua D. Peters is a former American politician from the Democratic Party. He served as the Missouri State Representative of Missouri’s 76th District from 2013 to 2019, attaining the esteemed position of Chief Deputy Whip. Throughout his tenure, Peters showcased exceptional leadership skills, successfully navigating a supermajority Republican-led legislature to pass ten bills while prioritizing outstanding constituent services. Notable accomplishments include securing $7 million for the Missouri Department of Transportation’s Natural Bridge Safety Initiative and effectively advocating for stat...

Natalie Madeira Cofield is a former presidentially appointed expert for small business and has been named one of the most powerful women in business by Entrepreneur Magazine…

An award-winning entrepreneur, philanthropist, political appointee, and economic activist, Natalie has provided some of the nation's most prominent CEOs of billion-dollar organizations, executives of global brands, senior advisors to the White House, mayors of leading national cities, and community activists and leaders with inspiration, insight, and advisement. She currently serves as Executive-in-Residence at Mastercard where she advises in strategies to deepen engagement with small businesses and go-to-market strategies on products an...

Dr. Jonathan P. Binstock, Vradenburg Director and CEO

Jonathan joined The Phillips Collection in March 2023. Dr. Binstock comes to the Phillips following eight years as the Mary W. and Donald R. Clark Director of the Memorial Art Gallery (MAG) of the University of Rochester in New York. During his tenure in Rochester, Jonathan led an expansion and diversification of the museum’s permanent collection, special exhibition program, public engagement and outreach efforts, and audience, as well as a significant increase in the museum’s annual budget. Jonathan has also held positions at the Art Advisory & Finance group of C...

Candice joined the Public Welfare Foundation in Washington, DC as its President and CEO in 2017. Previously, she served as Senior Advisor at Chicago CRED, an organization that focuses on gun violence in Chicago. In that role, she worked on securing greater investments for violence intervention programs as an alternative to the criminal justice system. Prior to her work with Chicago CRED, she served as Director of the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice, a cabinet level state agency where she supervised operations, programming, budget matters, and communications. During her tenure, she pushed significant reforms that reduced the number of youth...

Emily is a member of the U.S. Corporate Affairs team at Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Inc., where she is responsible for Corporate Relations, including Embassies, International Affairs organizations, and key Washington, D.C., stakeholder groups. She is also responsible for Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) in the U.S. Ferring is a privately-owned, biopharma company that focuses on developing life-changing innovations that help people live better lives. In her role, Emily serves as a liaison between the U.S. Corporate Affairs team and Ferring Global colleagues across functions, manages the Corporate Affairs team staff, and supports Jade Shields, Vice President...

Stanley Pierre-Louis, President & Chief Executive Officer, Entertainment Software Association

Stanley Pierre-Louis is the President & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the voice and advocate for the U.S. video game industry. With more than two decades of entertainment and media experience, Stan leads ESA’s efforts to showcase the dynamic impact the video game industry has on business, entertainment, and culture.

Prior to being named CEO in May 2019, Stan served as the ESA’s General Counsel, leading the legal, policy, and regulatory affairs function for the organization. His...

Captain Lena Kaman is the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Commanding Officer in New Orleans, Louisiana. She is the first woman to command this base. As a trailblazer, Kaman offers her insights to young people through her experiences and journey as Commanding Officer. Kaman is from Shawnee, Wisconsin, and hails from a military family. During Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom, she flew over 100 combat hours. For this effort, she was awarded the Air Medal. She has experience working with the Chief of Naval Personnel in Washington, D.C., as well as Executive Officer and later Commanding Officer of...

Deborah Rutter is the President of the historic Kennedy Center. The center was established as a "living memorial" by Congress in 1964, honoring the legacy of President John F. Kennedy and his belief in diversity within the arts. Deborah Rutter assumed the role of president on September 1, 2014. Before her time at The Kennedy Center, Rutter was President of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association, leading young professional musicians. As president of the Kennedy Center, Rutter has been integral in establishing REACH, which is designed to facilitate artistic development through innovative indoor and outdoor space. She has developed DIRECT CURRENT, a series...

Jason Levien is the managing general partner of the Major League Soccer team based in Washington, D.C. As Co-Chairman and CEO of D.C. United, he has been instrumental in constructing Audi Field, a new 20,000-seat stadium. Audi was the host of the 2023 MLS All-Star Game. Levien is working to build soccer infrastructure around the D.C. metropolitan area. He created the USL Championship Club, Loudon United, and the United Performance Center in Leesburg, Virginia. Another one of his projects was constructing Segra Field. Before his achievements in the D.C. area, Levien was the CEO and managing...

Christopher Dunlavey co-founded Brailsford & Dunlavey and currently serves as president. He is also the co-founder of CENTERS. Dunlavey's roots are in his experiences as an architect and earning an advanced real estate development and finance degree. Dunlavey is known for managing the development of sports venues and "quality of life" projects in higher education. Notable clients are Howard University, Johns Hopkins University, the Catholic University of America, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Marshall University, Jackson State University, and the University of Pittsburgh. Another notable client is his alma mater, George Washington University, where he earned his Master of Business Administration. He...

Dr. Jean Accius's accomplishments are filtered through his work around building health systems that are sustainable and equitable. Accius has served on the policy team for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and as the Senior Vice President of International Affairs and Global Thought Leadership at AARP. He is widely published in outlets such as TIME Magazine and The New York Times. Dr. Accis received bachelor's and master's degrees from Florida State University and a Ph.D from American University School of Public Affairs. He is also a Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health program on Health...

Barbara Humpton is the President and CEO of Siemens Corporation, where she can operationalize her love of diversity and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education. Before Siemens, Humpton contributed to new business development for technology consulting in the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security. She oversaw Biometrics Programs, Border and Transportation Security, and Critical Infrastructure Protection at Lockheed Martin Corporation. Humpton earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics at Wake Forest University. Her story and experiences have much to offer young people seeking a STEM career and learning from an innovative thinker.

Nikhil is an amazing example of an individual who has taken the time to choose the right path for themselves. He began his career path in engineering like his father but quickly switched his path to the medical field when he discovered his love of biology and anatomy. In his senior year of undergrad at Clarke University he was accepted to four medical school programs but decided instead to take the LSAT so he could explore the Law of Science. He believes this will allow him to combine his passion for biology and the medical field, with his passion...

Currently in her senior year of High School, Medhnaa was inspired at the age of seven to begin raising funds for the Bal Ashram orphanage in India after a visit with her family. During her first fundraiser she raised $4K for the orphanage and began hosting more bake sales and reaching out to donors. She started her own Foundation called Touch of Life which has helped pass bills, work towards advocacy outreach, and has raised over $300,000 for the orphanage. She has a passion for STEM and has volunteered hours towards helping students in India learn robotics, math, and coding...

Alexis began her award journey when a mentor at Beaches Habitat told her about the program and signed her up. Through this mentor she was able to work with multiple students at all levels of the Award and grow as an individual as well as network with her peers. During her Award journey she was able to work with the nonprofit Junior Achievement, where she was able to reach her personal development goals by focusing on financial literacy and business development. Because of this focus on business and financial literacy, she has been inspired to one day start her...

Before obtaining his LLM in Trial Advocacy, Christopher attended the University of Delaware for political science and Villanova for law school. His past experiences include interning for Vice President Joe Biden, working as a judicial clerk, and being an adjunct professor of law at the Delaware Law School. His award journey began in the eighth grade when he took on the self-motivated initiative to find a program that would highlight all the activities he was already doing. His award experience was key to helping him in his future career and he has discussed the experience before in interviews and...

During her time as a participant of the Award, Bailey lived in Kansas City before completing her BFA in Recorded Music at NYU. The Award motivated her to continue into adulthood her work on Award program pillars such as physical fitness through tennis, personal development through music, and volunteerism through her local junior league. Her love for music has led her to become the Music Licensing Specialist for The Tonight Show where she oversees all the music licensing for the show. Without the Award giving her the motivation to continue her love for music, she may not have decided...

Originally for Los Angeles, Bonnie now lives in Seattle where she has held multiple positions within Microsoft. In her current role she works on the environmental sustainability team where she focuses on corporate environmental strategy. This career path stems from her love for biology and her want to make an impact through conservation. Before Microsoft, she trained as a conservation biologist, in which she was recognized as a National Geographic Explorer for her work in environmental education. Previously, she helped initiate the marine program for the Wildlife Conservation Society in Myanmar, discovered a new sea slug species in the...

Florida Gubernatorial Fellow, Congressional Award Communications Intern, and 2015 Silver Medalist Zenani Johnson speaks on her career in advocacy and lifelong dedication to community service.

Senior Manager at The Recording Academy and 2009 Bronze Medalist Nicole Brown speaks on overcoming challenges and her career in the entertainment industry.

Government at LYFT and 2008 Gold Medalist Victoria Willingham speaks on her career in law and the tech industry.

Facebook intern, full-time college student, and 2018 Gold Medalist Swati Bhageria speaks on her journey to a career in tech and discusses how she's navigated the challenges of breaking into the STEM field.

Accounting firm KPMG intern, student-athlete, and 2019 Gold Medalist Fernando Miranda-Fred reflects on his experience with leadership and how to become a strong leader no matter what stage of life you're in.

Fox News Reporter and 2015 Bronze Medalist Joshua Q. Nelson speaks on the communications industry and using storytelling as an effective communications tool.

Season 1 of this podcast was launched in partnership with DC Radio, Eliot-Hine Middle School, and The Congressional Award Foundation. The series is produced by The DC Office of Cable Television, Film, Music, and Entertainment (OCTFME) in collaboration with Eliot-Hine Middle School students.

The Congressional Award Board of Director's Chairman Paxton Baker provides an introduction to The Congressional Award program.