2025 McIntyre Youth Leadership Challenge

The first Friday in May is celebrated across North Carolina as Law Day. As part of the Law Day events and festivities, the North Carolina Bar Foundation and North Carolina Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division host students from across the state to celebrate the hard work of those trying to improve their communities.

The NCBF McIntyre Youth Leadership Challenge, in its eighth year, aims to provide students in grades 6-12 with a chance to demonstrate qualities of good citizenship by analyzing problems in their communities and researching solutions for them. After being selected to participate in the final round based on the video submissions of their speeches, four students were able to present their ideas to judges from the North Carolina Court of Appeals.

The first student to speak was 10th grader Isla Jennings from Raleigh. Jennings discussed the issue of ‘fast fashion’ and its impact on the environment. ‘Fast fashion’ is a term used to describe cheaply produced clothing that often is worn for a short period before being discarded. Problems with this cycle of production begin at the factories where articles of clothing are made, which often use unsafe work practices and emit large amounts of greenhouse gases. At the end of the short life cycle of these items, they take up large amounts of room in landfills or get shipped to poorer parts of the world to slowly break down. To combat these issues, Jennings encouraged the audience to consider purchasing high quality items for long-term wear, or to look at consignment stores for new additions to one’s wardrobe. The nonprofit Jennings identified is Redress Raleigh, a group committed to educating the public on ways to shop for sustainably made items.

The second student to present was Swara Shah, a sixth grader from Cary. Shah found that the city of Cary was identified as the fourth most likely city to become a “blue zone” in the United States. Blue zones are areas around the world where inhabitants tend to lead long and healthy lives. Shah argued that with promotion of community events, access to outdoor public spaces, nurturing intergenerational connections, and more availability of healthy foods for everyone, Cary could succeed in becoming such a location. The nonprofit Shah identified that could help Cary achieve ‘Blue Zone’ status is the Foundation for Health, Leadership, and Innovation. This organization’s mission is to promote policy changes and educate community leaders about ways to help citizens improve their health and wellness.

The third presenter was Sandhya Vijay, an 11th grader from Cary. Vijay’s speech focused on the health issues associated with vaping, and how dangerous it can be for teenagers to get hooked on these products. Their speech referenced a WRAL investigation that exposed the large number of vape shops that are willing to sell products to underage customers, like Vijay’s peers. One solution identified in Vijay’s presentation is to bring forth legislation that restricts the number of vape stores within a certain area, therefore decreasing the exposure teens have to such products. The nonprofit Vijay identified as working towards similar solutions is the North Carolina Alliance for Health.

Fourth was Vartika Sharma, an 8th grader from Cary. Sharma tackled the topic of mental health issues among middle and high school students. While many students struggle with their mental health, Sharma found that they are unaware of the resources available to them, nervous about getting help, or are unaware of how serious an issue mental health struggles can become. Sharma identified multiple solutions for this problem, including a campaign to educate the public, increased funding for mental health services, a plan to identify areas of North Carolina with the greatest need for professionals, and training more individuals to help those experiencing mental health problems. The nonprofit Sharma identified is the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, which has a broad range of free resources for those in need.

All four finalists impressed the audience with their passion, research, and presentation skills. While it was a difficult decision, the judges awarded Vartika Sharma with first place and Swara Shah with second. Donations to the organizations they identified of $1,000 and $500 will be made thanks to the Douglas Carmichael McIntyre II Justice Fund.

We are thankful to all the assistance provided by Congressman McIntyre, Judge Stroud, Judge Freeman, Hunter Walsh, Ashley Oldfield, Sarah Mink, and the NCBA Young Lawyers Division.