Meet The Team

Nellie Fouksman is a Ukrainian American youth organizer, writer, and advocate for cross-cultural connection. A high school student based in San Francisco, Nellie co-founded Slavic Voice with a vision of creating a space where Slavic youth around the world could speak freely and be heard widely.

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Leah Mordehai is a Ukrainian American writer, youth journalist, and advocate for cultural justice. A high school student based in San Francisco, Leah co-founded Slavic Voice to create a home for Slavic stories often overlooked in Western media—and to build bridges between diaspora communities through language, memory, and truth-telling.

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Vick Volovnyk is a Ukrainian American youth interdisciplinary researcher, civic advocate, writer and leader. A high school student based in New York City, Vick joined Slavic Voice after meeting the founding duo through Civic Unplugged’s Civic Innovators Fellowship, aiming to help the organization grow and connect Slavic peoples across the globe through Slavic stories.

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Cedar Wara is a non-binary high school student who splits their time between the mountains, the ocean, and the stage. They’re the Director of Communications as well as the Director of Human Resources for Dolphin Defenders, where they amplify youth-led conservation work, and a lighting designer and master rigger, bringing stories to life through theatrical production. Whether climbing summits, advocating for the environment, or building shows behind the scenes, Cedar works to connect adventure, art, and activism in ways that inspire others to protect and re-imagine the natural world.
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Raised in the US, Vera Sorotokin is a Russian Ukrainian youth leader, writer, and advocate for global connection. She co-founded the Slavic Student Association at her high school in San Jose in hopes of creating spaces where Slavic youth can share stories, celebrate identity, and strengthen connections. With a passion for bringing peace and awareness to the Slavic community, Vera is working towards a future where our voices are both heard and united worldwide.

Raised in the Southern Bay Area, Stellan Lindh is a Russian and Swedish youth organizer, advocate for cultural connection, and leader. Based in San Jose, he co-founded the Slavic Student Association at his high school to connect Slavic youth and foster a place where people can bond, forge friendships, and connections through food, language, and story-telling. Stellan ultimately works to bring people together to create a more united future where people can be proud of and celebrate their identity and heritage.​

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Shira Avidan is a senior at Don Soffer Aventura High School in Aventura, Florida. She has a passion for cross-cultural exchange and learning languages, having mentored Ukrainian peers through ENGin and studied Russian through NSLI-Y.​

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