Mt. Lebanon High School sophomore Vanshika Jain of Jefferson Drive is a young leader who breaks barriers and encourages others to do the same. Recently recognized by City of Asylum as a Youth Poet Ambassador, Jain is a talented writer, poet and a passionate advocate for diversity and representation.

Jain’s parents are originally from South Africa and India, and being of mixed heritage has deeply influenced her perspective on life.

“Growing up here, I’ve been exposed to a lot of different viewpoints and comments,” she said. “It hasn’t always been easy, but it’s been my biggest inspiration.”

Her experiences have also shaped her writing and driven her to initiate change within the school district. In seventh grade, she started Mellon Unites, with the goal of making the school more inclusive and bully-free.

“Doing this, I’ve had to tackle topics that aren’t spoken about as openly and are a factor that divided our community and students, such as racism, LGBTQ diversity and women’s rights.”

In 2022, Jain joined DTCare, a city-wide charity, as student president. In that role, she orchestrates fundraisers to help refugees get the medical attention they need. Securing $10,000 to establish centers in Zimbabwe and India, collecting more than 50 bikes for Ukraine and packaging more than 100 holiday gift bags for children in need are key accomplishments.

“Through each achievement, I’ve embraced challenges as opportunities for growth,” Jain said. “My journey reflects my drive to affect the world in a positive way.”

Jain’s interest in poetry and creative writing began with a love of reading, enjoying books like the ones in the Percy Jackson and Harry Potter series. Her passion for writing intensified after her maternal grandfather’s passing in 2021, prompting her to use poetry as an outlet for grief and reflection.

“Writing poetry has always been an escape for me,” she said. “It’s a way to process emotions and navigate challenges.”

Caro Llewellyn, executive director of City of Asylum, said the nonprofit provides sanctuary to writers imperiled in their own countries. “We also want to build a literary ecosystem offering opportunities to emerging voices,” she added.

City of Asylum nurtures young voices like Jain’s through programs such as the Youth Poet Laureate initiative which is open to artists between ages 13 and 18 who are passionate about their art and communities. This year, one youth poet laureate was selected along with four youth poet ambassadors.

“The ambassadors are essentially the runners-up to the poet laureate. They receive a cash prize and participate in most official events,” explained Alexis Jabour, City of Asylum senior production manager. She said Jain is the youngest of this year’s Poet Ambassadors.

“Her resume was impressive on its own,” Jabour said. “And considering her age, it becomes even more impressive. I don’t know how a tenth-grader has had time to accomplish all these things,” she added, highlighting Jain’s wide range of community work.

“Her poetry is equally impressive, but what stood out was her community and social justice engagement,” Jabour continued. “Some ambassadors leaned more on the poetry side, but Vanshika brought a balance of both.”

Jain’s poetry addresses themes of identity, belonging and advocacy. Influenced by poets like Sylvia Plath, her writing blends emotional depth with sharp social commentary.

“Reading The Bell Jar in middle school made me realize poetry can be a tool for healing and social change,” Jain said.

Her recognition by City of Asylum has given Jain a platform to share her voice on a broader scale. Throughout the year, Jabour finds performance opportunities for youth poets and people solicit City of Asylum for youth poets to speak at events. Additionally, ambassadors all get to be interviewed on The Saturday Light Brigade, a public radio program.

“Being named a Youth Poet Ambassador has given me an outlet,” Jain said. “I never really shared my poems — not even with my parents, who I share everything with. They’ve always been very personal to me, especially since a lot of them stem from the death of my grandfather.”

Jain’s grandfather encouraged her from a young age to immerse herself in reading and writing, sparking her passion for storytelling and advocacy through words. Beyond poetry, she has written an upcoming historical fiction novel, Letters to Empire, exploring untold historical narratives, particularly around slavery that she hopes to have published by August.

“In fifth grade we had a lesson on Christopher Columbus and sort of the idea that he discovered America, and I come from a very different side of history with my parents being South African and Indian,” Jain said. “They’ve always taught me the history that isn’t mentioned in textbooks.”

Jain has also published research papers on historical events, collaborating with professors from UCLA and the University of Pittsburgh. She said her work has been guided by Mt. Lebanon High School’s social studies teacher and global studies program director, Julianne Slogick.

Slogick first met Jain through the Leadership in Genocide, Humanity and Human Rights (LIGHT) program and said what stands out to her about Jain is she is always looking for her next contribution.

“She’s never settled, and I love that about her,” Slogick said. “She rallies other students around her and is able to attract interest from the student body and get her peers to take notice of the kind of projects or initiatives that she’s involved in.”

Balancing academic work, extracurricular leadership and creative pursuits is no small feat. Jain views her poetry as a natural extension of her life.

“I never feel forced to write,” she said. “When I have something to say, whether about personal struggles or societal issues, I turn to poetry.”

Looking ahead, Jain hopes to continue using her voice to inspire change. “Young people have a unique perspective on the world,” she said. “It’s important that our voices are heard.”

Read two of Jain’s poems here: Worlds Apart and Pieces of People