Our Team

The founding four members of Young Citizens Society (YCS) met at the University of California, Berkeley. Although their backgrounds and academic interests differed, their shared passion for books and their galvanizing power cultivated friendships and planted the genesis of YCS. Today, the four friends lead YCS and aim to share as many books as possible, fervently reading along the way.

President


  • Kelly grew up in Pompano Beach, Florida, where he began his life of community service as both a lifeguard and swim coach. He went on to study applied mathematics at Berkeley, and while there he discovered a passion for all things national security. He lives in Washington, DC now, but still finds any way he can to get back in the water. Kelly serves as our President, and looks to leverage Young Citizens Society to inspire the next generation of students to develop and maintain the practice that changed his life: reading.

Vice President

  • Garrett Layton serves as Vice President of Young Citizens Society, heading strategic development and fundraising operations. He traces his passion back to days of dedicated reading at home, and provocative discourse with friends on the cliffs of his hometown, San Diego. Garrett continued the fervent approach to life at UC Berkeley where he studied philosophy, wrote for journals, and led grassroots advocacy movements. He tried to share a zealous mindset during this work to expand worldviews, and to act for others, always with intention. He is privileged to focus on that mission now by working in public service and by helping turn students into lifelong learners, with the same books that continue to challenge him.

Treasurer


  • Born and raised in Oakland, CA, with parents from opposite sides of the globe, Malik always had the privilege of being exposed to a diverse set of people, places, and beliefs. With an innate thirst for both academic and cultural knowledge, adventure, and independence inspired by his family, reading remained a perennial habit since he could physically pick up a book. After graduating from UC Berkeley with a B.S. in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research, Malik now resides in New York City, where he strives to intertwine his commitment to social justice and moral ideology with the quantitative and methodical mindset of an engineer. As Treasurer of Young Citizens Society, Malik aims to continue to utilize his affinity for numeric and logical theory to engage and educate our members in the most efficient, effective, and economical manner possible.

Secretary, Editor in Chief

  • From Los Angeles, California, Jordan spent many happy days reading in the sunshine, from the beaches to the barrios of the metropolis. At university, he majored in economics and studied abroad, from Peru to Singapore, further developing his appreciation for travel and global cultures. It was from his international and domestic adventures which budded a love for writing, equal in passion to reading. With these two loves, Jordan is our Secretary and Editor in Chief and manages the website and social media content, striving to make Young Citizens Society an incubator for those very two passions.