MANCHESTER, NH – Serena Althea Blaire D. Mackay, a junior at The Founders Academy Public Charter School in Manchester, NH, was selected from nearly 200 entries worldwide as one of 10 finalists for Emerging Global Filipino Icon 2026. Mackay is the youngest nominee to advance as a Top 10 Finalist.
Serena, a first-generation immigrant, moved to the United States a year ago at age 15 and has built an impressive resume by anyone’s standards. Mackay is the founder and executive director of LUHOG Youth Organization, a nonprofit, youth-led civic education and advocacy network across three countries. Her goal with the nonprofit is to mobilize young Filipinos with the tools to understand power, history, and policy, and then provide them with the pathway to act.
Additionally, Mackay helped organize “MAMULAT: The Pulse of Youth in Political Consciousness,” a webinar on the 1987 Philippine Constitution. At the age of 14, Mackay was the youngest intern at the Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO) Tayo Help Desk Initiative, where she worked on grant research, database development, and nonprofit funding strategies tied to public health, policy, and advocacy.
Her most visible contribution came in 2025, when she served as the sole project proponent and lead organizer of Tayo’s Annual Virtual Youth Summit. The summit convened young Filipino leaders to confront disinformation and defend historical truth. Mackay went on to co-found the Tayo Youth Advisory Council, which was designed to integrate youth voices into organizational governance. As its external chair, Mackay oversees committees focused on policy and advocacy, volunteer engagement, and editorial work.
Serena said it was a difficult transition for her, coming from the Philippines to America, and she missed her family and friends. “Knowing that there is a place like The Founders Academy providing me with a civic education to pursue my work in historical awareness, uplift youth voices, and nurture my love for community service made the adjustment worthwhile. Not only did I find so much support in friends, but it’s clear that The Founders Academy’s faculty is made up of people who are genuinely passionate about teaching and seeing their students succeed, said Mackay.”
The high school junior is very active in her school community at The Founders Academy. Mackay is the school’s Student Body Vice President, co-captain of the Speech and Debate Club, and Secretary of the National Honor Society. “We are extremely proud of Serena for all of her accomplishments. She embodies the Founders’ mission each and every day,” said Cassie Hayes, Dean of School.
Finalists will be evaluated through a panel discussion to determine who will be declared Emerging Global Filipino Icon 2026 during The Global Filipino Icon Awards 2026 on January 31, 2026, in Dubai.
The Founders Academy is a public charter school for students in grades 5 through 12 that is free and open to all New Hampshire students. The Academy develops leaders who understand and apply the lessons of the past, demonstrate exceptional character and lead by example. The Academy recognizes the importance of balance in the development of the whole person, and respects each student’s journey.
Principled leadership is fostered by means of a curriculum of classical studies that includes analyzing the lives of great men and women of history, mining the rich classical ideals of the Western tradition, and tracing the evolution of the precious and costly idea of liberty.
The Founders Academy is accepting applications for the 2026-2027 school year. To learn more about The Founders Academy or to apply for admission, visit www.thefoundersacademy.org.