NAZ scholar Isiah Martin is a junior at Camden High School and already a powerful advocate for young people across North Minneapolis. As a student leader involved in the Camden Beacons Leadership Team, Good Trouble (a youth-led movement focused on transforming schools into places where young people feel engaged, valued, and empowered), and Student Council, Isiah is known for showing up, listening deeply, and speaking out on issues that affect him and his peers.
Isiah has played an active role in key moments for his school community, including the final conversations and transition of Camden’s “Change the Name” movement. He is now helping shape what comes next by contributing to the development of a new mascot, work that will impact Camden students for generations.
Beyond school, Isiah serves as a Teen Tech Agent at a Hennepin County Library and has provided testimony at the Minnesota Capitol, advocating for a fuller understanding of the Minneapolis Public Schools student experience and lifting up voices too often left out of decision-making spaces.
Isiah’s peers describe him as a thoughtful, critical thinker and a strong champion for an authentic youth perspective. One person put it simply: Isiah is “extremely kind in a world that often lacks kindness.”
This year, Isiah will bring that leadership to a broader platform as one of Minneapolis Public Schools’ (MPS) Student Representatives to the Board of Education. Since 2015, student representatives have played a vital role in ensuring decisions are informed by the lived experiences of students themselves. In 2022, MPS expanded the program to include a second student representative, recognizing the importance of diverse student perspectives.
Isiah and fellow 2025 student representative Lyn Ampey will share responsibilities, alternating as primary speakers at Board meetings while staying fully engaged by reviewing materials, watching meeting recordings, and meeting regularly with board staff to prepare and coordinate their work.
At NAZ, we know that when young people are supported to engage in advocacy, they do more than learn how systems work. They help change them. Youth leadership builds confidence, strengthens civic participation, and ensures policies are grounded in real experiences. Isiah is a powerful reminder that when we invest in young people, we invest in a more just and inclusive future for our entire community.
