Akhila Mahidhara is a 17-year-old high school student from Edison, New Jersey. She has always been intrigued by the ocean, and growing up near beaches such as Point Pleasant has inspired her to take action to help preserve and protect oceans and marine ecosystems.

Currently, she works as a Legislation & Advocacy intern at Seaside Sustainability, where she is working to install reef-safe sunscreen dispensers for beach-goers in New Jersey. Akhila also serves as a Mainstream Media Student Representative for the New Jersey Student Sustainability Coalition, writing articles for local news sites to advocate for the passage of the NJ Green Amendment, as well as the Student Liaison for the Raritan Valley Sierra Club. She is also involved in the student-led organization Ocean Busters, which aims to educate and spread awareness about ocean pollution, and is also investigating environmental bioinformatics with the Stevens Institute of Technology. Akhila believes that lacking a right to vote does not equate to lacking a voice, and that youth everywhere should take it upon themselves to contribute to protecting the planet and its oceans.

In her free time, she enjoys running cross country, finding new hiking trails, and solving crossword puzzles.