Founder
Caitlyn Tablada
My name is Caitlyn Tablada, and I am a senior at Trinity School in New York City. I have always enjoyed learning about how societies organize themselves. From studying the foundations of democracy in middle school to Roman law in high school, I have developed a deep interest in law and government. I vividly remember my sixth grade class about Greek Democracy; I was struck by how a single change in the political structure changed the course of political freedom.
I joined my school’s mock trial team my sophomore year; this not only allowed me to delve more deeply into my passions and expand my legal knowledge, but also enabled me to understand how crucial it is to see issues from different points of view. In a trial, I had to consider the other side’s arguments before I could craft my own.
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We are currently living in an extremely polarized world. It is harder to find a forum where different points of view can be presented and debated. Understand Justice will encourage open dialogue, civil discourse, and a deeper understanding of the issues that our society faces today. It is imperative that we profoundly understand these issues before we can tackle them. It is going to be up to our generation to make a difference in the world, and I hope Understand Justice can help to educate and empower young people to do just that.
Ambassadors
Caleb Frey
Seventeen-year-old Caleb Frey is fascinated by media, and passionate about criminal justice reform. Determined to end mass incarceration, he enrolled in the FBI Teen Academy in 2022 to further explore the unconstitutional over-policing of people of color from the perspective of law enforcers. The same year, he embarked on a research project under the guidance of Dr. Natasha Frost--Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Northeastern University and Vice President of the American Society of Criminology--growing his knowledge of how American prisons and the prison reform movement have evolved. In his spare time, Caleb is a drummer and a fervent advocate for arts and music education.
Jake Craner
Jake Craner is a high school junior based in New York City and the founder of Carpe Diem Classics. Jake has taken Latin since 6th grade, and has recently also begun taking Ancient Greek.
Through the Classics, Jake has been exposed to rhetoric, and become fascinated by how these ancient techniques can be employed to better understand political discourse today. His contributions to Understand Justice focus on this theme; analyzing speeches through the lens of rhetoric, and educating others on how this information can empower and enfranchise.
Jake also believes that everyone should have the opportunity to experience Latin and Greek, not only to benefit their education but also to help them understand the empirical fact that almost all parts of modern society draw on the classics. In this vein, Jake teaches Latin to middle school students in Manhattan and The Bronx.
Sahan Clements
Sahan Clements is a senior at Marist High School in Chicago, Illinois. She has a range of experience in politics and community service; most notably, as a Senate Page in Washington D.C. for the Spring semester of 2022. Senate Pages work closely with senators and distribute communications and legislative materials within the Congressional complex. Sahan is also part of Mock Trial, Model UN, and Debate at school, and serves as a member of Congresswoman Kelly's Youth Cabinet. Sahan has a strong desire to pursue a career in academia in the fields of law and social justice, and is excited to be involved with Understand Justice.