At a time when headlines about school shootings and gun violence weigh heavy on parents, teachers and students across the nation, one local teenager is stepping up to make a difference.
This summer, Amos Alonzo Stagg High School senior Quwiyya Folaji walked the halls of Congress, met with staff from Illinois lawmakers’ offices, and shared her vision for safer schools as one of just 12 members of the Sandy Hook Promise National Youth Advisory Board.
Folaji, 16, of Palos Hills, joined the board earlier this year after becoming active in Stagg’s SAVE Promise Club. Members of the national board are selected through a competitive process and represent students from across the country who are committed to preventing violence and self-harm in schools.
“Every couple of years the National SAVE Youth Advisory Board has a Hill Day where the YAB advocates for the STOP School Violence Act,” Folaji said.
“It’s bipartisan legislation that funds hotlines and gets people educated on knowing the signs of self-harm or planning violence. This is my first year on the board, and the summer institute was held in D.C. for Hill Day. I have always been fascinated with American history and it is such a historic place, so I was extremely excited to start my first year on the YAB with such a packed and changemaking-filled schedule.”
During the five-day summer institute, Folaji trained with fellow students, shared ideas for national programming, and met Sandy Hook Promise co-founder Nicole Hockley, who lost her son Dylan in the 2012 shooting that launched the organization. She also gained practical skills she plans to bring back to Stagg.
“I learned so much throughout the five-day institute,” she said. “I learned leadership skills and how to plan effective school-wide activities that draw engagement and can also include the community. I got plenty of ideas from my fellow YABs to bring back to Stagg. I learned even more about SAVE and Sandy Hook Promise’s history.”
Her advisor, Erin Wendt, said Folaji’s commitment to school safety has already made an impact locally.
“Quwiyya, one of my standout students, has been an active and dedicated member of our SAVE Promise Club over the past year,” Wendt said. “Her exceptional character and commitment make her an invaluable asset not only to Stagg High School but also to the broader mission of Sandy Hook Promise.”
Hill Day proved to be a highlight of the trip. Folaji and her peers met with staff from Rep. Sean Casten’s office and Sens. Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin. They also spoke with Sen. Cory Booker, who encouraged the group to keep raising their voices.
“I believe it is important to advocate for safer schools because so many tragedies have happened that could have been avoided,” Folaji said. “Statistics show in four out of five school shootings, people had knowledge but did not report. These Know the Signs programs have improved safety in so many schools, Stagg included. As a student I know we deserve to feel safe in somewhere we spend so much time. I am willing to advocate for my peers and younger people who will help build everyone’s future.”
Folaji said every congressional staffer she met was supportive and impressed by young people speaking out. “It made me realize how much of a difference students can make when we speak up,” she said.
Looking ahead, Folaji hopes to pursue a career in science and medicine. She has been exploring programs at the University of Illinois Chicago, Loyola, and other schools with strong pre-med tracks, with an eye toward becoming either a dentist or pediatrician.
For now, she’s focused on carrying the lessons she learned in Washington back to Stagg, continuing her work to make schools safer, one student voice at a time.