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Meet the officers

History

The Palm Beach Turkish American Youth Council was born out of a clear need for connection, culture, and community. Growing up, Cansu Buyuknisan realized that while there was a vibrant Turkish-American community in the region, there wasn't a dedicated, youth-led space where the next generation could come together to celebrate their heritage while building leadership skills.

Driven by a desire to bridge her cultural roots with civic engagement, Cansu founded the council to empower young Turkish-Americans to find their voices. She envisioned an organization that would not only preserve cultural traditions and foster cross-cultural dialogue, but also provide a platform for students to lead community service initiatives and develop into active civic leaders.

What started as a singular vision to connect a local community has quickly evolved. Today, the Palm Beach Turkish American Youth Council is a growing collective of young leaders dedicated to cultural pride, community impact, and shaping a brighter future together.

Who we are

Meet our officer team!

Cansu Buyuknisan

President and Founder

Hi everyone! My name is Cansu Buyuknisan, and as the Founder and President of Palm Beach Turkish-American Youth Council, I am excited to welcome you to our community. 🇹🇷❤️🇺🇸 As a senior at Suncoast Community High School, my background sits at the intersection of STEM, artificial intelligence, law, and competitive policy. Whether I'm learning about engineering modules, ensuring every student has a fair shot at the mic as the Parliamentarian for National Honor Society, or coaching Varsity Congressional debaters to find their confidence, my favorite part about leadership is helping people realize the power their voice holds. That passion is why I founded this council. You don't have to be Turkish to join us. You just need a passion for culture, leadership, and making a local impact. We have some incredible initiatives planned for Palm Beach County this year, and I can't wait for you to be a part of it!

Deniz Akar

Vice-President

Hello everyone! My name is Deniz Akar, and I am proud to be the vice president of this organization! I will be entering my junior year at Suncoast High School, where I participate in HOSA, Red Cross, UNICEF, and many other organizations. I am passionate about medicine, helping people, and helping our community. As I continue my journey, I have become the head of the blood drive committee for the NHS and found the opportunity to volunteer at an Alzheimer's center. I believe that, through this Turkish-American youth group, I will be able to share my passions and even some of the Turkish home remedies that our parents have used on us. I am so excited to be a part of this council, and I want you guys to understand that culture is meant to be experienced, learned, and used to foster unity amongst the people. We are all so excited to be here, and for you guys to join us in our mission! 🇹🇷🇺🇸❤️

Neylin Gultepe

Secretary

Hello friends, I am Neylin Gultepe and I will be serving the role of Secretary! I am a Junior at Alexander W. Dreyfoos High School. Some of my passions are playing violin, swimming, reading, creating music with friends, and volunteering in the community. Outside of school, I serve as the Vice President of a community non-profit organization that brings access to musical events to senior homes and children’s hospitals every month. However, in addition to sharing the beauty of music, I have had the opportunity to join this impactful youth group!🇹🇷🇺🇸 I will serve to represent Turkish and American culture and history through fun events and joyous meetings! By showcasing my leadership, organization, and teamwork, I aim to highlight the impact of Turkish-American youth initiatives and inspire greater engagement in our missions!

Elif Oz

Public Relations

Hello, my name is Elif Oz! I am a junior at Suncoast High School. I am the head of the PR team. I am interested in strengthening connections between Turkish and American youth, promoting cultural understanding, developing leadership skills, and participating in community service projects that make a positive impact. I volunteer to coach flag football for beginners. Volunteering helped me learn fundamental skills, teamwork, and sportsmanship. I also love to see players become more confident as they keep practicing. I also tutor as an act of service to help children with anything that they might be struggling with. An accomplishment I have is that I am certified in multiple AutoCAD programs and am very passionate about becoming an architect. I love being creative and imaginative! Using my skills of creativity, leadership, and teamwork, I hope to enlarge the Turkish-American youth and motivate new people to join us for our new projects! 🇹🇷🇺🇸

Selin Demiray

Public Relations

Hi! My name is Selin Demiray, and I am a freshman at Suncoast High School. I am really looking forward to being part of the Palm Beach Turkish American Youth, as this is something that is very special to me. Not only do I get to share my culture and heritage with the community, but I also get to share it with people who also share this amazing culture and heritage with me! I was part of the NJHS chapter in my middle school years, where I got to help volunteer in the community, such as buying goods to give to struggling children and helping with volunteering at my swim meets. A few hobbies that I like to do are swimming, riding my bike, shopping, and playing the violin. As also being part of the head PR team, I am really looking forward to getting this youth group out more in the public, and I am really looking forward to promoting and helping share this with the world! 🇹🇷🇺🇸❤️

Canan Ozaktay

ATAA Southeast Region VP

Canan Özaktay was born in Istanbul and moved to Michigan in 1969. She received her BS degree from Michigan State University in 1978 and spent most of her career through 2005 in the Automotive Industry and later moved to New Hampshire where she received her MS degree in Healthcare Management from Franklin Pierce University. In 2007 Canan moved to Florida where she received her Real Estate license in 2012 and Broker’s License 2019. Currently she is the Broker/Owner of Epic Solutions Realty, Boca Raton FL. Canan is an enthusiastic member of the community and believes in service. While she lived in Michigan, she was a member of Turkish American Cultural Association of Michigan (TACAM) and served in various positions which included the President of the organization (2004-2005). She joined Florida Turkish American Association (FTAA) as a member in 2008 and volunteered in several committees and was the President 2022-2024 term. She is a proud new member of the ATAA UN Relations Committee. Living in Boca Raton, Fl, Canan is married to Dr. Cüneyt Özaktay. She is mother of Crystal Smith, Brandon Hampton and Levent Özaktay.

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