Humans of YSI: Daniel Freeman

Young Social Innovators Turns 25!

As Young Social Innovators celebrates 25 years of youth-led change, #HumansOfYSI continues to spotlight the people behind 190,000 young changemakers.

This week, we hear from a former participant from Largy College whose project aimed to raise awareness and promote understanding and acceptance of LGBTQ+ young people in school, local and community settings. The project worked to challenge homophobia, foster inclusion and belonging, and strengthen awareness across the wider community.

Today, they work as a Case Coordinator and Specialist Teacher with the Middletown Centre for Autism, supporting autistic children and young people to thrive in environments where they are understood, valued and able to be their authentic selves.

Sixth Feature: Daniel Freeman

YSI Year: 2015
School: Largy College
Project: Let’s get by together

Briefly describe your YSI project. What issue were you trying to address?
Our project aimed to raise awareness and promote understanding and acceptance of LGBTQ+ children and young people at school, local, and county levels. We worked to challenge homophobia, foster inclusion and belonging, and increase knowledge and understanding of LGBTQ+ issues throughout the wider community.

What is one standout memory from your YSI experience?
The standout memory for me was the lightbulb moment when, for the first time, I realised it might be okay to be gay. Through the project, I found a level of self acceptance I hadn't felt before. It gave me the confidence to be myself and the belief that everything was going to be okay.

“YSI Made Me…”
Fill in 1–3 words that describe how YSI shaped you.
Resilient, Authentic and Courageous 

What are you doing now?
I currently work as a Case Coordinator and Specialist Teacher with the Middletown Centre for Autism. Every day, I have the privilege of supporting incredible autistic children and young people, helping to create environments where they are understood, valued and able to thrive as their authentic selves.

Do you see any connection between your YSI experience and where you are today?Yes, my YSI experience provided me with a deeply rooted sense of integrity and a strong moral compass. I see many overlapping connections between where I am today and my YSI experience. Our YSI project was a personal turning point where I began to accept myself and understand the power of being seen and valued for who you are. It helped me form a core belief that people thrive with unconditional positive regard. In my current role, I carry that with me every day as I support autistic children and young people in a way that prioritises understanding, inclusion and their strengths.

Impact participating in YSI had personally:
Participating in YSI had a profound personal impact on me. It was a turning point where I began to understand and accept myself more fully. One of the standout moments for me was the lightbulb realisation that it might be okay to be gay, which marked the beginning of my deeper process of self acceptance. It also gave me the confidence to be more authentic and not be afraid to challenge mindsets and broaden people’s outlooks. This was especially powerful during our mock wedding that we hosted in our small border town, where two boys and two girls got married, challenging attitudes and opening up important conversations. Reflecting back on this now, it was a brave and bold step, but I strongly believe we were planting seeds that are now coming to fruition in shifting mindsets and building greater acceptance. Change does not happen overnight, and I’ve learned the importance of being the change, while recognising that it takes time for that change to fully take root. Overall, the experience strengthened my sense of integrity and my courage to stand up for what I believe in.

Skills or values from YSI that stay with you today:
The skills and values that stay with me today are integrity, resilience, authenticity and the courage to stand up for what I believe in. My YSI experience helped shape my sense of inclusion, acceptance and strengthened my confidence in respectfully challenging mindsets and thinking. It also deepened my empathy and my appreciation of different perspectives which I now understand through the lens of the double empathy problem. These values continue to guide my work today where I support autistic children, young people and the individuals around. I focus on understanding their strengths and creating environments where they are respected, included and able to thrive as their true authentic selves.

Advice to young people starting their YSI journey now:
My advice to young people starting out on their YSI journey now would be to make the jump for your future self! I know from my own experience it may feel a little daunting or fearful but stepping outside your comfort zone is where real growth happens. YSI challenged my thinking, helped to build my confidence and showed me the impact young people can have when they come together. It was also a poignant time in helping me to nurture my morals and planted the seed of integrity helping me to stay true to who I am today. Most importantly, stay open to change and trust the process, it will stay with you in ways you don’t fully realise until much later.

YSI was a turning point for me where I began to properly accept myself and understand who I was. It helped shape my lasting beliefs in inclusion, authenticity and the importance of standing up for what you believe in.

This story shows how early experiences of youth-led social innovation can stay with Daniel long after the project ends.

What began in Largy College through Let’s Get By Together as a project to raise awareness and promote understanding and acceptance of LGBTQ+ young people became a defining experience of empathy, courage and self-discovery. It created space not only to challenge homophobia and foster inclusion, but also for a deeply personal moment of realisation and self-acceptance that shaped how Daniel saw themselves and others.

Those experiences continue to shape Daniel’s work today with the Middletown Centre for Autism, where they support autistic children and young people to thrive in environments where they are understood, valued and able to be their authentic selves. The values of integrity, authenticity, resilience and courage continue to guide their practice and their approach to inclusion.

It’s a reminder that when young people are trusted to lead on issues that matter to them, the impact is not always immediate or visible. It can take time to fully surface, but it endures - in confidence, in values, in how people choose to show up for others.

Sometimes, the most lasting impact of a YSI project is not the project itself, but the person it helps shape.

And that is the power of youth-led social innovation.