Zoya Kalinsky, an 8th grader at iLEAD Hybrid Charter School—a tuition-free TK-12 institution—has emerged as a powerful voice for global education reform. Her journey began when she first stepped onto the world stage during the UN’s official commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women in 2023. As part of the UN Women’s UNiTE Campaign’s 16 ...

Santa Clarita resident Thomas Iland is scheduled to speak at the United Nations headquarters in New York for World Autism Awareness Day in April. Iland, an autism self-advocate, was diagnosed with autism when he was 13 years old and has achieved many of his goals, such as being employed full-time, driving, living on his own and having a girlfriend. Being ...