Jill Aguiling  

Jillian Aguiling is 17 years old and a senior at Oxford Academy. They currently serve as president for their school’s Queer Student Association along with their co-president, Ella Camarena. They initially joined this club as an enthusiastic 7th grader, relieved to have found a safe space. During their six years in this organization, serving as secretary for one year and treasurer for another, they have helped cultivate a space for students to express their true selves while keeping them educated about the queer community. Within QSA, Jillian has worked on such projects as planning pride parades during their campus’s Equality Week and issuing safe space posters to classrooms in Oxford. Their most recent project was presenting alongside their board members to Oxford staff about creating a welcoming environment in class for queer and transgender students. Jillian plans to become an elementary school teacher to continue the encouragement of youth to express themselves freely.

Ella Camarena  

Ella Camarena, 18, is a senior at Oxford Academy. She’s been a part of Oxford’s queer community since seventh grade and was one of the founding members of OA Queer Student Association in 2018. That year, she worked as secretary and helped to reform the club from a Gay Straight Alliance into an organization focused on uplifting and educating queer students and creating a safe space on campus. The following two years Ella served as vice president, and is currently serving as co-president. The club has since expanded from a handful of students to a group that’s 70 members strong. In QSA she’s worked on projects like OA Equality Week and their annual pride month celebrations on social media. Most recently, she presented to Oxford’s teaching staff on how to understand and support queer and trans students, including educating them on non-binary and transgender identities, chosen names, and preferred pronouns.