Honors student Jay’Len Boone aims to empower his peers

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FEBRUARY 21, 2020 — UTSA senior Jay’Len Boone is a big believer in conversation. From his internship at CivTechSA to his nonprofit work with Sustainable Youth in Action, he says the most valuable experience he’s gained has come from simply listening to his fellow students. That’s why he tries to strike up a chat every time he gets the chance.

“They always ask me, ‘Jay’Len, why are you talking to us?’ And I always say, ‘Because you’re an expert in something I don’t know,’” explained Boone, who is an Honors College student, a double major in global affairs and sociology, and a 2019 Truman Scholarship finalist.

His willingness to converse goes well beyond a thirst for knowledge. It’s an approach that emphasizes compassion, community and cross-collaboration—three C’s that are at the root of just about everything Boone has accomplished as a student at UTSA. The Ypsilanti, Michigan, native has rubbed elbows with local and national leaders while embracing activist causes and working with his peers to tackle grand challenges.

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“We want to get [students] engaged with the city and solve social issues through education, advocacy and innovation.”

—JAY’LEN BOONE, Honors College Senior

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Boone’s interest in public service began in his high school years. He was compelled to launch the U-N-I campaign against violence in Cypress, Texas, and his interest in activism only grew from there. He would go on to found his own nonprofit, Sustainable Youth in Action, as a sophomore at UTSA. SYA’s mission is to empower young people to craft solutions for global sustainability issues as well as social issues in their communities. The nonprofit aims to equip students with the necessary tools and connections to take their entrepreneurial and socially conscious ideas to the next level.

“We want people to get out of the bubble here at UTSA and get to know Greater San Antonio,” Boone says of SYA and its membership. “We want to get them engaged with the city and solve social issues through education, advocacy and innovation.” Through an internship at CivTechSA that was part of the Honors College’s Citymester program, Boone was able to connect SYA to innovators such as Tech Bloc chief talent officer Dax Moreno.

Over the past year Boone has gone from addressing issues at UTSA and in San Antonio to tackling the some of the world’s most significant problems. Because SYA’s aspirations largely aligned with the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development goals, Boone was selected by the United Nations Association of the United State of America as Youth Observer to the United Nations for the 2019–2020 school year. He was chosen from a competitive pool of more than 200 students.

Boone has engaged directly with many global issues pertinent to the UN’s goals, studying in South Africa as a Global Poverty Project Curtis Scholar, interning in Hong Kong as a Cultural Vistas fellow and working with communities on the ground in Saudi Arabia and Japan.

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One of his greatest passions is encouraging actions that can reduce the threat of climate change, a topic he spoke about at the 2019 Social Good Summit in New York. He has met with young people and spoken at high schools, colleges and conferences around the country as part of his duties as UNA-USA Youth Observer, and if anyone knows the incredible value of making those connections and having those conversations, it’s Jay’Len Boone.

“So many of us have this mission to draw from our experiences to think forward and make things better for the next generation,” Boone says. “Wherever I end up after UTSA, it’s going to be with that mission in mind.”

— Shea Conner

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