Miles Mariano-Ortilla, 2019 Nyah Fellow, youth activist, and head coordinator of the TAP Scholarship Fund, sits down with Leigh-Ann all the way from Ritsumeikan University in Japan. They discuss why he struggles with the label “Filipino-American,” his concept of home as a self-proclaimed wanderer, and why he’s passionate about education access for all. Also find out how his Nyah Project experience inspired him to create a scholarship program in the Philippines, and more!
"It's one of my principles that education is a human right, and that everyone deserves a fair and equal education, not only in the US or in the Philippines, but everywhere in the world." - Miles Mariano-Ortilla
They discuss:

Importance of service to youth

Being on a joint-degree program between Ritsumeikan University in Japan and American University in Washington, D.C. 

Navigating different cultural identities as both Filipino and American, in Miami and beyond

His love for spontaneity and adventure to experience new places

Leadership identity and how he prefers to lead from the back

The influences of his Nyah Project fellowship to Bali, Indonesia, and visits to Stella’s Child, which inspired him to establish his own scholarship program in the Philippines

Navigating the college application process as a first generation college student in the U.S., and the support he received through Nyah Project’s Access Coaching, especially with interviews and crafting his resume 

His admiration for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as a trailblazer in social activism and pacifism 

Grassroots activism and local community impact 

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