By Zoë Ogilvie, Pierson Gammage, and Asia Rinehart

When Alejandra began to raise awareness about human trafficking in Spain at age 18, she never would have guessed that five years later, she would be discussing modern slavery with the queen of Spain—who, as it turns out, is also passionate and informed on the subject.

Along with a group of Ashoka Fellows, Alejandra, Eduardo, and Guzmán, three changemakers in their twenties, visited the Spanish royal family to share their stories and communicate the critical role of young people to shape a better future. The royal family has “power of influence,” Alejandra says, “[to share] ideas with the different stakeholders.”

We caught up with them after their royal visit to learn more about their own stories. Meet three young leaders using influence for good in Spain.

Eduardo Fierro: Weaving generations together

Although our world is more globalized and interconnected than ever before, Eduardo Fierro sees a rise in intergenerational disconnection. Both young people and the senior citizens are often seen as dependents rather than changemakers.

To Eduardo, age creates opportunities, not barriers.

Eduardo attended school in the Canary Islands, and many of his peers migrated to Spain for job opportunities after graduating. In college, Eduardo developed a mentoring program that matched students with professionals to help them access more professional opportunities, grow their leadership skills, and discover future careers while in school on the Islands.

Eduardo realized that social connections, especially intergenerational ones, are a valuable form of currency. At the same time, he saw senior citizens struggling with loneliness and social isolation. “My grandmother was living alone for a long time,” he says. “When I went to university, I told my parents I wanted to live with my grandmother.”

Concerned that Eduardo wouldn’t enjoy living with an older family member, his parents discouraged it. But he still moved in. He immediately started hosting coffee conversations with his grandmother and her neighbors to build community.

“I did not have a strategy at first,” he remembers. But the initiative became something bigger. As a young professional, Eduuardo co-founded Kuvu, an organization that offers a home-sharing program that unites young people and older adults to live together through mid-term rental agreements. Older adults benefit from more social interaction and additional income, while young adults benefit from affordable housing and often transformative living experiences.

For Eduardo, visiting the royal family was an exciting — if nerve-wracking — opportunity:

“I was thinking this could be an inflection point [in my journey],” he says, “where I’m getting closer to decision making and policies and make an influence.”

Guzmán Fernandez: Amplifying Students’ Voices

Guzmán Fernandez grew up in a stable Spanish household that encouraged exploration and self-expression. Although his high school focused on social innovation, Guzmán wasn’t quite sure where to start for his own social venture.

When Guzmán started working at age 16, his supervisor trusted him to lead and share his opinions with people much older than him. Learning how to use his voice, Guzmán became determined to use his privilege and power for social good. He empathized with other young people hungering for opportunities to speak up and be validated for their ideas.

With a group of over 20 peers, Guzmán launched a magazine at his high school called Opinion20. The goal: promote collaboration and form community among readers. After graduating, he evolved the magazine into a digital media platform where thousands of young people can share their ideas on any subject. This digital community offers young creatives the space to embrace their power and voice.

“The future we want to live is our present,” he says. “If we want to live in a better future, we need to make change right now.”

Three years later, Opinion20 reaches over 90,000 readers. By exposing people to diverse views, storytelling, Guzmán believes, is crucial for creating solutions for the good of all.

Meeting the royal family, Eduardo wanted to communicate the need to get young leaders in the room with longtime leaders and politicians.

“If people in institutions like the royal family and the government of Spain don’t have young people, where are we going?” he asks. “We can give lots of ideas about our future.”

Alejandra Acosta: Breaking the Silence

Alejandra Acosta’s journey started with statistics. As an 18-year-old student, Alejandra attended a workshop called Slavery in My City, where she learned about the staggering levels of human trafficking throughout Spain. She decided to challenge the lack of awareness around human trafficking and modern slavery.

She dove into research: reading books and articles, contacting organizations, and interviewing victims and experts to understand the systems that enable modern slavery to continue. Then she piloted a workshop about human trafficking at her former high school, and soon enough, she was conducting workshops across the city.

In six months, Alejandra received an invitation to visit Parliament and talk to the President about how social awareness is crucial for teenagers in Europe. When she received the invitation, Alejandra questioned her readiness.

“I am 18 years old, I don’t even have a formal nonprofit, how did I get invited to this?” she wondered. The Secretary of the President responded with “There is not an initiative like this anywhere in Europe.”

In her 20s, Alejandra launched Proyecto BTS, or Project Break the Silence, to speak out about sexual violence against women. Her team of young women generates awareness for human and sex trafficking, building on the workshops she developed as a teenager. They also partner with local policymakers to advance national laws regarding women’s and children’s rights. Today Alejandra and her team have reached over 80,000 teenagers with their workshops, building demand to protect young people and women from violence and exploitation.

Discussing the issue with the royal family encouraged Alejandra in her mission:

“When I put the topic [of human trafficking] to the table and learned that the queen is interested and informed about it, that gives [me] hope,” she says.

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Check out the full, virtual conversation with Alejandra, Guzmán, and Eduardo, where they discuss their unique changemaker journeys, visit with the royal family, and advice for other young leaders.