Azel (he/him) received the Thrive Youth Leadership Award in 2021. 

What’s one of your memorable moments from your time with Thrive Youth?

“The first course I did was right in the middle of the first covid lockdown, so it was online. I remember hiding out in the basement, right by the router, wrapped in blankets. It may sound strange, but those evenings spent in that basement on my laptop were a lot of fun. I was able to connect with peers with shared interests and socialize during the otherwise bland and repetitive experience that was lockdown.”

What are you doing now?

“This year I’m spending my summer working two jobs, as a tour guide and a dishwasher at a restaurant in downtown Kingston. I’m also studying to write the MCAT in august. I’m still in school, I’ll be going into my 3rd year of a bio/psych program at Queens in September.”