Ariona Cook (she/her) is a Public Policy and Child Policy Research undergraduate at Duke University. Originally from Marysville, Kansas, Ari is passionate about community organizing, social justice, child and family welfare, and LGBTQ rights. She’s channeled these passions through public service and direct advocacy with organizations like GLSEN, the National Conference of State Legislatures, and Loud Light.

 

Ariona founded RFHI in August 2025. Motivated by her lived experience of discovering her queer identity outside of the care of her biological parents, she built RFHI to provide education, advocacy, and best policy practices to LGBTQ+ foster youth, their caregivers, and agencies.

 

Outside of RFHI, Ari serves on the executive team of two Duke first-generation, low-income student organizations, the Associate Committee of Children’s Advocacy Centers of Kansas, and the Communications Committee of the Public Interest Law Association. In her free time, she does theater, sings in the Duke Chorale, reads, and plays chess.

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Jojo Katsbulas (he/they) is an alumni of the University of Kansas, Class of 2023, with Dual Degrees in Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies, and Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences. Their award-winning senior capstone, Something About Space Dude: An Auto-Ethnographic Study on Queer Identity Formation, built a foundation for his career to draw inspiration from. 

 

Since graduation, Jojo has focused their efforts on platforming the experiences of the LGBTQ+ Community via their website, SNSTVDUDE Productions. In 2024, they released their debut independent publication, The Inevitable Queer, serving as a living auto-biography; And in 2025, they launched the Kansas Trans Oral History Project.

 

Professionally, Jojo seeks to engage with their community on the front-lines: formerly serving as Braided Haven’s inaugural Shelter Manager, and now in Independent Living Case Management. Regardless of a title, Jojo is committed to amplifying community voices that are often unheard.

 

Trinity (she/her) is a student at Wichita State University majoring in Political Science and International Business, with a minor in Spanish. Her interests center on human and civil rights, particularly the ways policy, power, and institutions shape lived experience. She is driven by a commitment to equity, advocacy, and systemic accountability.

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Through her academic work and community involvement, Trinity focuses on advancing civil liberties and supporting initiatives that promote dignity, inclusion, and social justice. She approaches this work with intention, curiosity, and a strong belief in the importance of creating more just and humane systems.

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Victoria Owens (they/she) is a senior at Wichita State majoring in Political Science and Sociology. Her academic and professional work centers on the ways policy and systems shape the lived experiences of marginalized groups. They are especially passionate about research that examines social movements, institutional responses, and the conditions that allow inequity to persist.

 

Victoria works as a Student Assistant at the Public Policy and Management Center, where they support clients through data-driven research. Her previous organizing and voter engagement work with Loud Light fostered a commitment to civic engagement and community-centered policy. 

 

On campus, Victoria serves as President for DREAM, which works to build a more inclusive campus community for disabled students. Her work as Vice-President on the WSU Model UN team has further shaped her interests in human rights, diplomacy, and collaborative problem solving.

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Kaitlynn Sedich (they/she) is currently an undergrad student at the University of Kansas, working towards a degree with majors in Political Science and Sociology and minors in Global International Studies and Women, Gender, Sexuality Studies. 

 

In previous roles with advocacy organizations, Kaitlynn has prioritized work on restorative justice in schools, specifically getting rehabilitative practices implemented while funding teacher trainings in the USD497 district. She has also worked on Youth Trauma initiatives as a lead coordinator, where she conducted qualitative research and managed fellow advocates. Most of their efforts consist of establishing communication networks, whether through email, platform speaking, or group discussions. Additionally, Kaitlynn’s work as the Service Chair for the Dole Institute of Politics Student Advisory Board has led to successful volunteer initiatives in and around the Lawrence, Kansas community.

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Hayden Gust (He/They) is a freshman at Emporia State University seeking a Communication and Social Change degree. Originally from St. Louis, Missouri. In high school, Hayden was Editor-in-Chief of his student newspaper and president of the Gender & Sexuality Alliance (GSA). In these roles, he was responsible for tracking legislation on the state and national level that may affect the school's population. 

At Emporia, Hayden continues to channel these passions into the non-profit he runs, called TORCCH (Teaching Others Rhetoric, Civics, Compassion, and Humanity). Additionally, he is the vice-president of the Philosophy Club and a student senator in their school's Associated Student Government. These extracurriculars have furthered his experience and broadened their worldview.

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Jake Makela (he/him) is a trans studies scholar, artist, and PhD student at The University of Kansas. Working across visual art, rhetorical analysis, critical theory, and creative writing, he explores alternative, trans ways through and beyond oppressive systems. Grounded in scholarly and ethical commitments to prison abolition, trans animacy, and veneration for the more-than-human world, his research contributes new frameworks for understanding embodiment, subjectivity, and relationality. 

 

Outside of school, Jake works as an Office and Program Assistant for Douglas County CASA, helping connect volunteer advocates to kids involved in the child welfare system. A creative community organizer and outspoken LGBTQ+ advocate, Jake is passionate about identifying and addressing gaps in the child welfare system and beyond.

Adriana Owens (she/her) is a proud first-generation college student at Wichita State University, where she is currently obtaining a Master’s in Criminal Justice. Her leadership experience and academic coursework sit at the center of justice, wellness, grassroots advocacy, and equity. 

 

Passionate about advocacy, Adriana is the Treasurer and Membership & Outreach Coordinator of the Disability Rights, Education, Activism, and Mentorship (D.R.E.A.M) student organization, co-creator of the Accessibility and Disability Pride Task Force, and head of research for the Shocker Organization for LGBTQIA+ Advocacy and Research (S.O.L.A.R). Adriana is also passionate about civic engagement and policy change, having completed multiple fellowships with Loud Light and done work for United for Reproductive & Gender Equity (URGE).

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Having recently earned a BA in Mathematics & Statistics with a minor in Economics from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, Bailey (they/them) is excited to use their quantitative skills to help RFHI continue to create safe, affirming, and inclusive environments for LGBTQ+ foster youth in a way that is both strategic and sustainable.

Bailey is most interested in work and research that examines the mathematical aspects of social and political issues. Their forthcoming paper, “Electoral Evolution: The Centuries-Old Methods Underlying Modern Democracy,” uses game theory and statistics to analyze historical voting methods and the tradeoffs in designing fair democratic processes.

 

They currently work as a substitute teacher in Jackson County, Missouri and are passionate about supporting girls and non-binary youth in STEAM. Bailey spends their free time running or kayaking outside, cheering for the Kansas City Current, and watching documentaries.

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Ryan Soehlke (he/him) has experience in the Kansas Statehouse, managing political campaigns, and is a Washburn University alumnus with a degree in Political Science. Ryan currently calls Johnson County, Kansas, home and works directly in the Kansas City, Kansas, community. He brings a sustained commitment to helping underserved populations, specifically in Kansas, and prioritizes equality, inclusion, and empowerment. 

 

As Director of Strategic Development, Ryan works with project management and coordination, and helps to assist the various projects that RFHI is working on. The people and priorities of RFHI are what he takes the most pride in; this is a grassroots organization that is addressing a real need in society. Ryan joins the rest of the board members with excitement and determination to bring valuable resources to those who need them the most! 

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