Edina Young, Featured By Influential Women, Champions Inclusive Education And Youth Leadership Through Art And Advocacy

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, September 22, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — A Future Special Education Teacher and Nonprofit Leader is Creating Opportunities for Young People Through Creativity, Inclusion, and Purpose

Washington, DC – Edina (Edie) Young, CGSP, CPM, CFDR, is building a path that connects education, nonprofit leadership, creative expression, and advocacy. An aspiring special education teacher and undergraduate student at Salisbury University, Edina is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Special Education. Her academic and professional goals are rooted in creating inclusive, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive environments where children and young people feel safe, understood, supported, and valued.

Alongside her studies, Edina serves as the Founder and Executive Director of We Are Artistic, a youth-led nonprofit that grew from a simple social media platform into an international volunteer network. The organization began when Edina launched an Instagram account to connect young creatives and provide a space where artistic expression and community could intersect. As interest increased, she recognized the opportunity to develop the idea into a more structured organization, eventually bringing on volunteers, establishing leadership systems, and using tools such as Google Classroom to coordinate activities.

The journey has required Edina to learn many lessons that extend beyond the classroom. She has experienced the challenges of leading volunteers, creating reliable systems, delegating responsibility, and adapting when circumstances change. One of the most significant setbacks occurred during her sophomore year, when We Are Artistic lost access to its primary Instagram account. Rather than allowing the setback to define the organization, Edina reached out to media outlets to raise awareness. Her efforts resulted in a feature by WUSA9, helping increase visibility for the organization and supporting its recovery.

That experience reinforced one of the principles that continues to guide her leadership: setbacks can become opportunities to learn, adapt, and find new ways forward.

As We Are Artistic developed, Edina also learned that sustainable leadership requires more than enthusiasm. It requires communication, accountability, delegation, and clearly defined expectations. Managing volunteers has challenged her to think carefully about commitment structures and the importance of ensuring that people understand what they are agreeing to before joining an organization. She has become increasingly intentional about creating systems that help volunteers follow through while also recognizing that young people have different schedules, responsibilities, communication styles, and levels of experience.

For Edina, this has been an important part of becoming a leader. When she first started the organization, she was accustomed to handling responsibilities independently. Over time, she learned that meaningful growth requires trusting others and giving them opportunities to contribute. Some of the people she initially gave opportunities to eventually became strong directors and volunteers, reinforcing her belief that leadership can be about recognizing potential and giving people the chance to demonstrate it.

Her approach is closely connected to her belief in kindness and understanding. Edina believes that nonprofit leadership requires assuming the best possible intentions when situations become difficult. Rather than immediately interpreting a mistake or disagreement as evidence of poor intentions, she prefers to consider whether someone may have misunderstood expectations or simply approaches work differently.

That philosophy has influenced the culture she hopes to create through We Are Artistic. She believes people of different abilities and backgrounds should have opportunities to come together through shared leadership, creative expression, and the celebration of individual identities. Inclusion, for Edina, is not simply a concept associated with her academic interests; it is something she seeks to incorporate into the communities she serves.

Her academic preparation reflects that commitment. In addition to her studies in elementary and special education, Edina has completed training in areas including working with autistic employees with higher support needs, Autism Friendly Ally education, trauma-informed care for educators, trauma-informed care for nonprofits, trauma-informed care for caregivers, and trauma-competent care. She has also completed certifications and training in safe sleep, babysitting, cat and dog first aid, anaphylaxis and epinephrine auto-injector administration, water safety for parents and caregivers, and Narcan training.

These experiences contribute to her broader understanding of how children, families, employees, volunteers, and communities may need different forms of support. Her long-term goal is to become a special education teacher who combines compassion with structure and high expectations, helping students recognize their own strengths and potential.

Edina’s involvement extends beyond We Are Artistic. She has connections with organizations and communities including the Hack Foundation, Special Olympics through advocacy and awareness campaigns associated with We Are Artistic, the Greenbelt Museum through her family’s nonprofit connection, Cardz For Kidz at Salisbury University, TRIO at Salisbury University, and Best Buddies. These experiences have exposed her to different forms of community engagement and reinforced her belief that collaboration can create opportunities that individuals may not be able to develop alone.

Mentorship has also played a central role in Edina’s development. She attributes much of her progress to the educators, mentors, colleagues, directors, family members, and supporters who have encouraged her along the way. She is especially grateful to Miss Maria for inspiring her artistic development and helping her find her creative voice. Former teachers Katherine Dorsey and Denise Hodge have also provided continued encouragement and helped reinforce her confidence in her abilities.

Within We Are Artistic, directors Alyssa Pendon, Kai, Erin, Fadilah, and Morgan Moots have contributed to her development as a leader and helped demonstrate the value of shared responsibility. Her mother has been another important influence through her experience leading a nonprofit and her work with the Greenbelt Museum. Through her mother’s example, Edina has gained practical insight into leadership, nonprofit operations, and community engagement.

The Hack Foundation has also provided important support. Its role has helped Edina access resources and structure as We Are Artistic developed from an idea that began in her bedroom into an international volunteer organization.

Edina’s experience in babysitting has provided another avenue for working directly with children and families. She credits her first client, Lana, a neighbor who trusted her when she was starting out without references, as an important part of that journey. That initial opportunity helped Edina establish herself and eventually develop a client base extending across the DMV area.

For young people interested in babysitting, Edina recommends obtaining foundational training, including the Red Cross babysitting basics and CPR courses. She also suggests exploring platforms such as Bambino and UrbanSitter, along with neighborhood Facebook groups, to connect with families. Her practical advice reflects the same philosophy that informs her nonprofit work: use available resources rather than unnecessarily recreating systems that already exist.

Her advice to young women interested in nonprofit leadership is similarly grounded in preparation and purpose. Before creating an organization from scratch, Edina encourages aspiring leaders to research whether a national nonprofit already exists that aligns with their goals. In some cases, establishing a local chapter may be more effective than creating an entirely new organization.

For those who do move forward independently, she recommends exploring resources such as fiscal sponsorship, banking assistance, and operational support through organizations such as the Hack Foundation. She also points to platforms including Idealist, local volunteer networks, and Taproot as useful resources for recruitment and professional support.

Above all, Edina encourages young women to make sure their motivation is rooted in genuine impact rather than credentials. She believes leaders should remain connected to their mission and ensure that their own leadership voice remains present throughout the process.

Her experiences have also taught her the importance of setting expectations before volunteers begin. She encourages young volunteers to check with their parents when necessary, confirm that they are genuinely able to make the commitment, and review their schedules before signing up. When these steps are skipped, misunderstandings and no-shows can affect an organization and create unnecessary frustration for everyone involved.

Edina’s own path demonstrates why these lessons matter. She has had to develop leadership skills while simultaneously learning how to create sustainable systems, respond to setbacks, work with volunteers, and remain committed to an evolving mission. Rather than viewing those challenges as separate from her development, she has used them as opportunities to refine the way she leads.

Her guiding philosophy is reflected in the words she shares with others: “Not everyone needs to understand your choices, and that’s okay. Do what’s best for your nonprofit, even if others disagree with your decisions.”

For Edina, leadership is ultimately about purpose, opportunity, and people. Whether she is supporting young creatives through We Are Artistic, caring for children and families, advocating for inclusion, or preparing for a future career in special education, she remains focused on creating environments where individuals can be recognized for their strengths and encouraged to participate fully.

With an academic foundation in elementary and special education, a growing portfolio of specialized training, extensive nonprofit leadership experience, and a commitment to inclusive communities, Edina Young is continuing to shape a career centered on service. Her journey reflects the value of mentorship, resilience, thoughtful leadership, and the willingness to give others an opportunity. As she looks toward her future as a special education teacher and advocate, she carries forward the lessons learned through every classroom, volunteer team, artistic community, and leadership challenge that has helped shape her path.

Learn More about Edina (Edie) Young:

Through her Influential Women profile, https://influentialwomen.com/connect/edina-young

Influential Women

Influential Women provides a platform where women from all backgrounds can connect, share their perspectives, and create content that empowers themselves and others. Through storytelling, thought leadership, and creative expression, Influential Women amplifies voices that inspire change.

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