Standout Spartan: Nadine Odibo '26

Congratulations to Nadine Odibo ’26, who was one of 18 students nationwide chosen to participate in the inaugural Snap Council for Digital Well-Being, an 18-month pilot program hosted by Snapchat, a popular social media app. The council aims to gain diverse perspectives from teens on the state of life online today, as well as their hopes for more positive experiences. The Snap Council for Well-Being features monthly Zoom calls, plus project work and engagement with the council’s global Safety Advisory Board. More than 150 students applied for this opportunity; participants were chosen after submitting five essays about social media and its role in their lives. 

This summer, Nadine was invited to Snap’s headquarters in Santa Monica, California, for a two-day summit. The event included small-group discussions, guest speakers, and meetings with Snap leaders. The ultimate goal is that the student participants will serve as ambassadors for digital well-being in their schools and communities.

“I got to meet kids from all over the country who shared their different backgrounds and ideas,” said Nadine. “During our guest-speaker sessions, I learned about new features Snapchat is implementing to promote online safety, how mental health and online experiences go hand in hand, and how AI is becoming more integrated into our lives.”

Nadine said that the highlight of the summit was hearing fellow students’ thoughts on social media and the dangers surrounding it.

“I hope to center my Leadership Program capstone project around digital well-being as well as educate my peers and teachers more on the subject,” she said. For the next 18 months, Nadine will conduct a solo project for Snapchat about topics that were discussed at the summit. She will also participate in monthly Zoom meetings. 

“The program also plans on having one big group project that all the students will take part in,” she said. “I think it is really important if you have a platform to use it for good. Snapchat has done a good job with that, especially being such a young company. What appealed to me about the program was witnessing that Snapchat is making an effort to improve an app for young people by getting feedback and criticism from their young users.”