News Room
Secretary Simon Presents National Award to Youth Leaders
SAINT PAUL — On Sunday, January 11, 2026, Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon recognized two high school seniors with the National Association of Secretaries of State John Lewis Youth Leadership Award during the annual Minnesota Youth in Government Conference. The award recognizes outstanding young people 25 years or younger who demonstrate leadership abilities, have a passion for social justice, and are motivated to improve the quality of life in their community.
Minnesota’s recipients of the 2025 John Lewis Youth Leadership Award are:
- Ankita Kumar of Plymouth
- Maitreya Reeder of Minneapolis
“Our youth are our future, and Ankita and Maitreya’s work and commitment to leadership and service proves that our future is bright,” said Secretary Simon. “Both of these outstanding young women have aptly identified a problem in their community and demonstrated impressive resolve and talent by finding a solution. I am honored to be able to bring a spotlight to their work and recognize their accomplishments with this award. I look forward to seeing all they accomplish in the future.”
Ankita Kumar is a senior at Wayzata High School. Ankita developed a program - the Wayzata School Board Spotlight - to engage fellow students around school board elections. Through the program students interview candidates, attend and report on school board meetings, and do community outreach around local elections. Ankita won an Aspen Institute Center for Rising Generations grant to seed-fund this effort.
Maitreya Reeder is a senior at St. Anthony Village High School. As a part of the Catalyst for Systems Change Changemakers event, Maitreya created a piece of legislation involving the addition of naloxone administration training to middle and high school health classes. She helped develop the coalition of doctors, community members, and other young people to support a bill, recruited sponsoring legislators, testified, lobbied, and saw passage of her idea into law as a part of the 2025 K-12 Education Omnibus Bill.
About the NASS John Lewis Youth Leadership Award
The John Lewis Youth Leadership Award was established in 2021 by the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS). The award honors the extraordinary accomplishments of Congressman John Lewis. His courageous achievements during the Civil Rights Movement and his long tenure of public service have inspired and will continue to inspire Americans for generations to come.
In 1961, at the age of 21, Lewis was one of the original thirteen Freedom Riders. In 1963, Lewis was the youngest speaker at the March on Washington and one of the “Big Six” leaders who organized the march. In 1965, Lewis helped lead the Selma to Montgomery marches. The first march became a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement when unarmed marchers were attacked by state troopers as they crossed Edmund Pettus Bridge. His activism continued throughout his life.
He served as a U.S. Congressman for 33 years until his death in 2020.