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Meet the students exploring the future of work through Artificial Intelligence (AI)

By

IYF Team

A classroom of high school students in green uniforms sit at desks, working on assignments or looking at their phones. Some students are writing, and others are reading or talking. The room has white walls and tiled flooring.

What does artificial intelligence mean to a marketing major in Kansas? An IT student in Michigan? Or someone studying English literature in Florida?

This summer, International Youth Foundation (IYF) and EY Ripples, the EY Global Corporate Responsibility Program, are putting that question directly in the hands of young people. Through the EY Microsoft AI Skills Passport, seven college students from across the U.S. are exploring how AI intersects with their studies, their goals, and the real-world skills they’ll need to lead in a rapidly evolving job market.

Along the way, they’ll share reflections, challenges, and “aha” moments as they move through the course. Their voices will be featured across LinkedIn and other platforms, offering a real-time look at how young people are thinking about AI — not just as a technical tool, but as a force reshaping every field and industry in a rapidly changing job market.

Where digital skills meet human skills

At IYF, we believe that young people are not just future workers — they are future leaders, creators, and changemakers. As AI continues to transform the world of work, it’s essential that youth are equipped not only with technical knowledge, but also with the human skills — like adaptability, communication, and critical thinking — that will help them thrive.

This campaign builds on IYF’s broader Human Skills x AI initiative, supported by Microsoft and LinkedIn, which has reached over 750,000 young people in the U.S., India, and the Philippines with engaging, youth-centered content that bridges the gap between life skills and emerging technologies. Now, through additional support from EY Ripples, we’re spotlighting how AI can enhance — not replace — the uniquely human strengths that young people bring to the workforce.

Meet the students

Our seven storytellers represent a wide range of academic backgrounds and career interests. Here’s a quick look at who they are:

  • A marketing major with aspirations for a sales career, curious about AI in creative content development.
  • A finance student eager to see what new career opportunities AI will offer her.
  • An English Lit and Political Science major planning to use AI for her future law school study guides.
  • An IT systems and analytics student excited to see how AI enhances data use in the nonprofit world.
  • A marketing student pursuing the media entertainment space, tracking AI’s impact on unique brands.
  • An international business student using AI to help her plan her next travel adventure.
  • And another finance student pumped to see AI tackle repetitive, time-consuming tasks.

Each student brings a unique lens to the course — and we’re excited to learn from their perspectives.

A young woman with straight brown hair, light skin, and green eyes is facing the camera. She is wearing a red top and is posed against a plain white background.

Samara Aguilar Truebas

Florida International University

Home State: Florida

Major: English Literature & Political Science

Class of 2026

A person with long, straight, dark hair and medium skin tone smiles at the camera. They are wearing a dark jacket over a gray top, with a plain light-colored wall in the background.

Varsha Battina

Indiana University Bloomington

Home State: Ohio

Major: Finance

Class of 2028

A young woman with long hair wearing a wide-brimmed black hat, a white patterned blouse, and black pants, stands and smiles while leaning against a blue and gray geometric-patterned wall.

Ariana Fletcher

Kansas State University

Home State: Kansas

Major: Marketing

Class of 2025

A young man with curly hair wearing a gray suit and white shirt stands in front of a blue backdrop that reads UConn School of Business.

Jaden King

University of Connecticut

Home State: Connecticut

Major: Finance

Class of 2028

A young woman with long, straight blonde hair smiles at the camera. She is wearing a black blazer over a white top and standing in front of a plain, light-colored background.

Paige Petty

Rollins College

Home State: New Jersey

Major: International Business

Class of 2026

A woman with long dark hair wearing a gray sweater stands in front of a plain dark background, looking at the camera with a neutral expression.

Diana Taimo

Wayne State University

Home State: Michigan

Major: Information Technology & Analytics

Class of 2026

A person wearing glasses and a white blouse stands outside, smiling at the camera. Behind them are trees, grass, and a building under a clear, sunny sky.

Elizabeth Williams

University of Kansas

Home State: Arizona

Major: Marketing

Class of 2027

About the EY x Microsoft AI Skills Passport

The EY Microsoft AI Skills Passport is a free, self-paced digital course designed to equip learners ages 16 and up with foundational knowledge of artificial intelligence and its real-world applications across sustainability, technology and business/entrepreneurship.

EY is deeply committed to helping the next generation of leaders understand and responsibly harness the power of AI — not just as a technical tool, but as a catalyst for innovation, inclusion, and impact. Through this program, EY is excited to empower students and professionals alike to build the human and digital skills needed to thrive in an AI-enabled future.

Follow along

We’ll be sharing highlights from the campaign on IYF’s LinkedIn and blog throughout the summer. You can also follow the students directly as they post their reflections using the hashtags #EYMicrosoft #AISkillsPassport #StudentVoices #AIandMe.

Interested in joining them? The EY Microsoft AI Skills Passport course is free and open to all. Follow this link to start your own journey.