Hello! My name is Max Marino and I was a JUF 18 under 18 Honoree in 2018. Currently, I am a sophomore at Tulane University majoring in Political Economy with a minor in Public Policy in the Murphy Institute.

Since graduating Highland Park High School in 2019, I have enjoyed taking classes while exploring the city of New Orleans and becoming an active member of Tulane's student body. On campus, I am very involved in Hillel as a member of the Tulane Jewish Leader's program and as a song leader for shabbat services my freshman year. Additionally, I am a tour guide and orientation leader, a chair for the Tulane High School Model United Nations conference, and a member of social Greek life.

Professionally, I have had the honor to serve as a Congressional intern for Congressman Brad Schneider (IL-10) in his district office over the previous nine months. My main role in the office was to track the progression of the COVID-19 pandemic and the vaccination effort in the district. Additionally, I worked on data management and constituent outreach for the office and advocated for court reform to the legislative team. I am forever thankful for the opportunity to have been involved in the Chicagoland Jewish teen community.

The leadership skills I learned as a fellow and Junior Counselor in the Diller Teen Fellowship, the advocacy skills I learned in Write On for Israel, and the professional skills I learned as a Voices Alumni board member I still use today and have made me successful in my endeavors on and off campus.

Additionally, I continue to maintain the relationships I made in these programs and have made lifelong friends through them. I would like to give special thanks to Sam Rodin, Shiran Posner, Stephanie Goldfarb, and Hallie Shapiro for being invaluable role models during my high school career.

My advice for high schoolers today would be to take advantage of the many amazing programs that JUF and Springboard have to offer. I can confidently say that I would not be the person I am without the experiences I had through these programs. Congratulations to the 2021 JUF 18 under 18 Honorees and I look forward to seeing the amazing work you all will continue to do!