Meet the 2026 Creative Economy Career Day Youth Advisors

Written by Claire Kroman and Lake Neill, Creative Economy Career Day Youth Advisors

For young people in this generation, it seems that the stigma surrounding work in the fields of arts and humanities is growing. With the rise of artificial intelligence, it is difficult to look forward and envision oneself on the path to a creative career when it feels like we are being herded into the tech and medical fields.

Through engaging sessions, tabling, and networking, Creative Economy Career Day (CECD) serves as a reminder to young people that creative careers do exist—and are possible for them. CECD is an annual event coordinated by the City of Seattle to connect young people with creative careers and working professionals within them. It helps to spotlight the wide variety of careers that are present within the creative economy, beyond the black-and-white definitions of “jobs in the arts” we might imagine upon first consideration.

This year, the CECD team introduced a youth perspective to the event through the newly formed Youth Advisory Team. The group of nine teens from across the greater Seattle area met with CECD organizers throughout the summer to give feedback and find ways to contribute to the process. The Youth Advisory Team helped create promotional social media content, write up blog posts, table at an event in support of CECD attendance, give youth input on sessions, and prepare for day-of event operations such as giving speeches and covering the event on social media.

Photos by Irene Tsao

A laptop with a teenage boy on a video call wearing glasses with short brown hair.

Lake Neill is a recent graduate of Ballard High School who started at Reed College this fall. As an artist, Lake primarily enjoys videography and photography. He’s been volunteering with NFFTY (The National Film Festival for Talented Youth) for the past couple years and has recently started his own freelance photography business. Of the sessions offered at CECD, he is most excited for the small-group, interactive session, “Inside SAM: The People Who Make a Museum.” Lake’s advice for future CECD attendees is simple: attend the sessions that look most interesting to you and ask a lot of questions!

Sara Tewoldeberhan, a student at Cleveland High School, engages with the arts in many ways; a significant medium of hers is ceramics. At her school, Sarah helps out with designing decorations for the library, themed after school and worldwide events. She is most interested in Ross Monroe’s session “Somewhere Between Artist, Engineer, and Storyteller” at CECD, and has a lot of good insight for upcoming attendees: “Ask questions to the people you see around, make sure you fully understand what’s going on so you get the chance to connect with others, and don’t judge a book by its cover!”

Portrait of a teenage girl with glasses and a black shirt and hair tied back.

A teenage girl with long black hair wearing a red sweatshirt sits and smiles on an outdoor bench.

Sydney Yeung attends West Seattle High School where she practices both drawing and painting. As vice president of her school’s National Arts Honor Society, she helps out with events, poster making, and decorations. Of the sessions at CECD, she is especially excited to learn more about “The Corporate Bridge: How Creative Minds Shape Big Business.” Sydney recommends this year’s CECD student attendees stay curious about new creative mediums and art processes and make sure they explore something unfamiliar.

Greta Gronewold is a student at Roosevelt High School and is interested in the creative processes behind architecture. She has shadowed local architectural firms, seen projects throughout all stages, and is currently shadowing one from start to finish. Of this year’s CECD panelists, she is looking forward to meeting presenter Ross Monroe. She advises future CECD attendees not to take anything too seriously, make as many connections as you can, and have fun!

A teenage girl with long brown hair wearing jeans and a sweater smiles and sits on an outdoor bench.

A teenage boy with messy brown hair and a striped sweater with a skull necklace smiles and sits on an outdoor bench.

Jordan Hing, a student at Nathan Hale High School, is most interested in graphic design and illustration. An active member of clubs at his school, he helps to make promotional graphics and enjoys drawing and painting in his free time. He is looking forward to the Game Design sessions. Jordan has three pieces of advice for upcoming CECD attendees: pay attention, immerse yourself in the sessions, and learn something new.

Michelle Nguyen attends Garfield High School and is passionate about graphic design and poster making. As social media manager for her school’s Debate Club and Vietnamese Student Association, she has been able to use her creative interests to give back to her community. Michelle advises upcoming CECD attendees to always seek the creative side of things and enjoy the event to its fullest.

A teenage girl wearing a white sweatshirt smiles and thumbs ups the camera.

A teenage girl in a blue outfit and long black hair smiles and sits on an outdoor bench.

Claire Kroman attends Roosevelt High School and is passionate about all things writing and literature. She serves as editor-in-chief of her school’s newspaper and writes for different publications outside of the classroom. Of CECD’s list of sessions this year, she is very excited about “Behind the Mic: Careers in Modern Broadcasting” with Everett Fitzhugh of the Kraken and Kennady Quille of KEXP. Her advice for this year’s CECD attendees? Take advantage of the many opportunities CECD has to offer and learn from the expertise of the event panelists!

Shrihan Patil attends Interlake High School and is enthusiastic about the culinary arts, and as of recently, drawing. Of CECD’s many sessions, he is most looking forward to learning more about game design and worldbuilding. Shrihan drew on his personal experiences when thinking of advice for future CECD attendees; before he was set on the path that was right for him, he tried out plenty of things that he wasn’t interested in. He kept searching, discovered more about himself, and found something he was passionate about, an experience he hopes others have at CECD.

A teenage boy with black hair and a brown GAP hoodie stands against a banister and smiles.

A teenage girl wearing a grey hoodie with black and green hair sits on an outdoor bench.

Irene Tsao is a student at Nathan Hale High School whose creative interests include photography and graphic design. She is most looking forward to CECD’s Game Design session led by returning speaker Josh Herman, the Head of Worldbuilding at Dungeons & Dragons. When asked about her recommendations for students attending CECD, Irene advises others to truly engage with the sessions and be fearless when trying new things.

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