Co-Founder and Lead Youth Ambassador

Aaliyah Shaneé Lyin Taylor is an accomplished young author, youth leader, student advocate, keynote speaker, and Co-Founder and Youth Ambassador of the Pittsburgh Street Team. A native of Pittsburgh, Aaliyah has dedicated her voice and leadership to empowering young people, encouraging positive decision-making, and creating meaningful opportunities for youth to be heard, supported, and engaged in their communities.

Aaliyah recently graduated from Taylor Allderdice High School in June 2026 and is now continuing her academic journey at Norfolk State University. As a college student, author, and emerging community leader, she represents the power of young people to turn their experiences into advocacy and action.

Aaliyah is the author of Girl in the Shadows and Conversation in the Shadows, two works that explore the realities, emotions, challenges, and conversations that often exist beneath the surface of young people's lives. Through her writing, she gives language to experiences that many young people struggle to express and creates opportunities for deeper conversations around identity, confidence, challenges, resilience, and personal growth.

As Co-Founder and Youth Ambassador of the Pittsburgh Street Team, Aaliyah plays a critical role in ensuring that youth are not simply the recipients of community programming—they are active participants in shaping it.

Her work centers on youth engagement, mentorship, advocacy, violence prevention, leadership development, education, and helping young people recognize their ability to positively influence their communities.

Aaliyah brings an important perspective to the Street Team because she is close enough in age to the young people being served to understand their language, culture, challenges, aspirations, and concerns firsthand. She helps create a level of trust and authenticity that cannot always be established through traditional adult-led programming.

As a Youth Ambassador, she helps represent the voice of Pittsburgh's young people, encourages youth participation in positive initiatives, supports community events and outreach efforts, and demonstrates through her own accomplishments what is possible when young people are given opportunities, responsibility, and a platform.

Her presence reinforces one of the Pittsburgh Street Team's most important principles: young people should not only be talked about—they should have a voice in the solutions.

As a keynote speaker, Aaliyah uses her personal experiences, writing, leadership, and advocacy to challenge young people to see themselves beyond their circumstances. Her message emphasizes the importance of finding one's voice, making positive choices, pursuing education, developing confidence, and refusing to allow difficult circumstances to define one's future.

Aaliyah's ability to speak from the perspective of a young person actively navigating education, leadership, creativity, and community service makes her a powerful voice for schools, youth organizations, community events, conferences, and leadership programs.

She represents a generation of young people who are not waiting for permission to lead.

Aaliyah Shaneé Lyin Taylor is more than an author or student. She is a young leader building a legacy while still writing her own story.

Through her books, public speaking, advocacy, and work with the Pittsburgh Street Team, she continues to demonstrate that youth leadership is not something that begins in adulthood. It begins when young people are trusted with responsibility, given a platform, and challenged to use their voices for something greater than themselves.

Author. Youth Advocate. Keynote Speaker. Co-Founder. Youth Ambassador. Student Leader.

Aaliyah is helping to ensure that the next generation of Pittsburgh youth knows one thing clearly: your voice matters, your story matters, and you have the power to help change your community. about exploring new ideas and expanding their horizons.