Blue Region
GOLD - Karen Jimenez
SILVER - Gabriella Henriquez
BRONZE - Valeria Novoa
Burgundy Region
GOLD - Najia Zamora-Johnson
SILVER - Sebastian Almudever
BRONZE - Celeste Mora
Green Region
GOLD - Edie Carneiro
SILVER - Marielle Lopez Negrete
BRONZE - Sarah Luna
Orange Region
GOLD - Victoria Higdon
SILVER - Yeileen Colon
BRONZE - Raygan Short
Pink Region
GOLD - Giovani Ocampo
SILVER - Sophia Lopez-Ramirez
BRONZE - Santiago Escoto
Purple Region
GOLD - Christopher Ramirez
SILVER - Azucena Sandoval
BRONZE - Jenny De la Cruz Robles
Red Region
GOLD - Isabel Rose Gonzalez
SILVER - Nicholas Francis Lenti
BRONZE - Anabel Seni Corniel
Tan Region
GOLD - Hugo Córdova de Varona
SILVER - Kiora Rosario
BRONZE - Aurora Espasas Howard
Teal Region
GOLD - Alan Mendez
SILVER - Joseph Lucero
BRONZE - Sofia Chavez Vargas
Yellow Region
GOLD - Julia Lupica
SILVER - Noelle Arambula
BRONZE - Moises Medina
Blue Region
Please select a recipient name to read their bio.
GOLD - Karen Jimenez
Major: Environmental Science and Environmental Engineering
High School: Loudoun County High School
Hometown: Leesburg, VA
Long before she could pronounce "macroinvertebrate," Karen Jimenez was already falling in love with the natural world outside her window. The backyard birds that visited her feeders, the way Virginia's forests shifted with each season, the quiet magic of a stream teeming with life: these were her first teachers. Today, this young conservationist from Leesburg, Virginia, channels that early wonder into award-winning environmental advocacy, stream monitoring across six local sites, and a mission to bring more Latino voices into the sustainability field.
Her love for wildlife, especially birds, led Karen to Wild Birds Unlimited, where she now educates customers about bird conservation, feeding practices, and nest boxes. The job also connects her to Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy (LWC), a local nonprofit where she has become a force in stream monitoring efforts. Karen assists in aquatic macroinvertebrate surveys, volunteers to collect chemical readings from multiple local streams, and is working toward becoming a certified stream monitor through Virginia Save Our Streams.
Her advocacy has centered on one of her community's most pressing environmental concerns: road salt pollution. For two years, Karen has championed smarter salting practices, presenting local stream data to her environmental club, a local government board, and at a student environmental showcase where she won 1st place in the High School division. The Izaak Walton League of America featured her in their "Meet A Monitor" blog, celebrating her work through the Salt Watch program, and LWC named her Volunteer of the Month in August 2024. Her conservation efforts have earned her the National Craig Tufts Scholarship, the Youth Conservation Leader Award, the Rachel Carson Healthy Planet Award, and recognition at a local Student Environmental Showcase, all in 2025.
At Loudoun County High School, Karen leads as Environmental Club President, organizing projects that promote sustainability and environmental awareness throughout her school community. Her Research and AP Biology teacher, Tracy Webster, notes that Karen "consistently demonstrates initiative and responsibility" and "stands out for her advocacy," supporting students who may not always be recognized while working to make her school more inclusive. That inclusive spirit led Karen to found Companions Club, an organization focused on inclusive special education. Through the club, she organizes accessible events like Halloween bingo, secret Santa, and restaurant outings where students can practice ordering from a menu. "What started off as a simple observation would become the foundation for a school organization with an invaluable message of inclusion," Karen reflects.
Her service extends beyond school grounds. Every month, Karen volunteers at a seminar for newly arrived immigrant parents enrolling their children in Loudoun County schools. Using her Spanish translation skills, she leads activities for the children while parents receive resources to help them adjust to the school system. "I fell in love with this program because I understand how hard these families work in order to provide a better life for their children here in America," she shares.
Karen also volunteers at Little Tree Huggers, a local preschool focused on environmental education, where she has observed the connections children draw between wildlife and water during her presentations on stream health. Their curiosity and open-mindedness inspire her to keep spreading awareness. "I never know who I might inspire next," she shares. For Karen, no award compares to witnessing that spark of environmental awareness light up in someone else. For all her work and impact at Little Tree Huggers, she was recognized as Volunteer of the Year for 2025.
Growing up with first-generation immigrant parents from Ecuador and El Salvador taught Karen what hard work looks like. "Witnessing my parents climb their way up the ladder signified to me that I was born with the potential to keep reaching for the stars and continue their legacy," she says. She recognizes that the Latino community remains underrepresented in sustainability and environmental studies, and she intends to change that.
Her academic excellence matches her environmental dedication. Karen maintains a 4.0 unweighted GPA while tackling advanced coursework in AP Environmental Science, AP Biology, Honors Research Chemistry, and Honors Geospatial Science, among others. She earned the 4 Pillar Overall Excellence Award from the National Honor Society and the Most Promising Junior Award in 2025. Beyond her studies, she participates in the National Science Honor Society, her school's Gender and Sexuality Alliance, and recreational volleyball, and pursues wildlife photography.
If the future of conservation depends on who shows up to protect it, Karen has spent her high school years making sure more people answer that call. She will carry on that work while studying environmental science and environmental engineering with a minor in computer science at Cornell University, the University of Virginia, or George Mason University, continuing to build her community one curious mind at a time.
High School: Loudoun County High School
Hometown: Leesburg, VA
Long before she could pronounce "macroinvertebrate," Karen Jimenez was already falling in love with the natural world outside her window. The backyard birds that visited her feeders, the way Virginia's forests shifted with each season, the quiet magic of a stream teeming with life: these were her first teachers. Today, this young conservationist from Leesburg, Virginia, channels that early wonder into award-winning environmental advocacy, stream monitoring across six local sites, and a mission to bring more Latino voices into the sustainability field.
Her love for wildlife, especially birds, led Karen to Wild Birds Unlimited, where she now educates customers about bird conservation, feeding practices, and nest boxes. The job also connects her to Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy (LWC), a local nonprofit where she has become a force in stream monitoring efforts. Karen assists in aquatic macroinvertebrate surveys, volunteers to collect chemical readings from multiple local streams, and is working toward becoming a certified stream monitor through Virginia Save Our Streams.
Her advocacy has centered on one of her community's most pressing environmental concerns: road salt pollution. For two years, Karen has championed smarter salting practices, presenting local stream data to her environmental club, a local government board, and at a student environmental showcase where she won 1st place in the High School division. The Izaak Walton League of America featured her in their "Meet A Monitor" blog, celebrating her work through the Salt Watch program, and LWC named her Volunteer of the Month in August 2024. Her conservation efforts have earned her the National Craig Tufts Scholarship, the Youth Conservation Leader Award, the Rachel Carson Healthy Planet Award, and recognition at a local Student Environmental Showcase, all in 2025.
At Loudoun County High School, Karen leads as Environmental Club President, organizing projects that promote sustainability and environmental awareness throughout her school community. Her Research and AP Biology teacher, Tracy Webster, notes that Karen "consistently demonstrates initiative and responsibility" and "stands out for her advocacy," supporting students who may not always be recognized while working to make her school more inclusive. That inclusive spirit led Karen to found Companions Club, an organization focused on inclusive special education. Through the club, she organizes accessible events like Halloween bingo, secret Santa, and restaurant outings where students can practice ordering from a menu. "What started off as a simple observation would become the foundation for a school organization with an invaluable message of inclusion," Karen reflects.
Her service extends beyond school grounds. Every month, Karen volunteers at a seminar for newly arrived immigrant parents enrolling their children in Loudoun County schools. Using her Spanish translation skills, she leads activities for the children while parents receive resources to help them adjust to the school system. "I fell in love with this program because I understand how hard these families work in order to provide a better life for their children here in America," she shares.
Karen also volunteers at Little Tree Huggers, a local preschool focused on environmental education, where she has observed the connections children draw between wildlife and water during her presentations on stream health. Their curiosity and open-mindedness inspire her to keep spreading awareness. "I never know who I might inspire next," she shares. For Karen, no award compares to witnessing that spark of environmental awareness light up in someone else. For all her work and impact at Little Tree Huggers, she was recognized as Volunteer of the Year for 2025.
Growing up with first-generation immigrant parents from Ecuador and El Salvador taught Karen what hard work looks like. "Witnessing my parents climb their way up the ladder signified to me that I was born with the potential to keep reaching for the stars and continue their legacy," she says. She recognizes that the Latino community remains underrepresented in sustainability and environmental studies, and she intends to change that.
Her academic excellence matches her environmental dedication. Karen maintains a 4.0 unweighted GPA while tackling advanced coursework in AP Environmental Science, AP Biology, Honors Research Chemistry, and Honors Geospatial Science, among others. She earned the 4 Pillar Overall Excellence Award from the National Honor Society and the Most Promising Junior Award in 2025. Beyond her studies, she participates in the National Science Honor Society, her school's Gender and Sexuality Alliance, and recreational volleyball, and pursues wildlife photography.
If the future of conservation depends on who shows up to protect it, Karen has spent her high school years making sure more people answer that call. She will carry on that work while studying environmental science and environmental engineering with a minor in computer science at Cornell University, the University of Virginia, or George Mason University, continuing to build her community one curious mind at a time.
SILVER - Gabriella Henriquez
Major: Environmental Engineering with a minor in Computer Science
High School: Falls Church High School
Hometown: Falls Church, VA
Two landscapes live inside Gabriella Henriquez: the coffee-filled grounds of her mother's Costa Rica and the drought-cracked farmland of her father's El Salvador. One thrives, the other struggles, and both taught this young conservationist that environmental challenges are never abstract. They feed families or leave them hungry. They define communities or tear them apart.
Watching her father's family worry about drought destroying their only food source, Gabriella sought to use technology to make growing food more reliable. She partnered with a local middle school to create a greenhouse growing project, developing a smart indoor growing system for tomatoes and peppers. Using sensors and algorithms to control light, temperature, and soil moisture, Gabriella worked alongside her students to program LEDs that mimic natural sunlight: blue light for seedlings, balanced red and blue for growth, and far-red for flowering. "As climate change disrupts traditional farming, my work proved that I have the ability to combine technology and agriculture in an affordable manner to support my loved ones," she shares.
Her environmental education has taken her from classroom to research lab. During her sophomore summer, Gabriella earned a spot at the Virginia Governor's School for Agriculture, where she attended university-level classes on genetically modified crops and climate leadership. She visited a solar panel farm, published a 27-page research paper on poultry-borne diseases and sustainable food systems on VTechworks, and presented her findings at the program's Global Symposium. The following summer, Gabriella conducted research with the NASA Langley Research Center as a Virginia Earth System Science Scholar, studying how mangrove forests in the Florida Everglades protect against erosion and exploring vegetation changes in the Antarctic Peninsula through NASA Landsat satellite data.
Gabriella's father first taught her how to problem-solve. Whether fixing a roaring washing machine, installing shower heads, or repurposing Chipotle paper bags as napkins when the real ones were forgotten, he showed her how to see possibility in everything. "He immigrated to the United States with nothing and taught me that no problem is too big to tackle if we do it together," Gabriella reflects. Those lessons in resourcefulness and conservation now shape her approach to environmental engineering.
At 14, Gabriella co-founded Hispanic Youth Initiative (HYI), promoting STEM opportunities to underserved students across her county. Carrying her father's lessons on sustainability, she designs lessons using household materials: cereal box bridges, newspaper towers, bottle cap creations. Through HYI's partnership with Technology Youth Empowerment and Virginia Tech Applied Research Corporation, Gabriella co-hosted a STEAM Day at a local elementary school, drawing over 150 attendees. She also helped another elementary school in her area create a Science Olympiad team that placed medals in 5 events within a county of 141 elementary schools. For her efforts, HYI received a Forward Turn Grant in 2025.
Her leadership extends across multiple spheres. As one of three Student Equity Ambassador Leaders (SEALs) at Falls Church High School, Gabriella has spent three years advocating for students of color, addressing racial profiling in school hallways and proposing county-level presentations on student experiences during teacher work days. She serves on the Youth Advisory Board of the Children's Science Center, works as Director of Activities for Gold2Green (her school's sustainability club), writes articles on equity in STEM for ESTEEMStream.News, and has contributed to research on electrical engineering cooling systems for refrigerators.
The accolades reflect the work. Gabriella was named a 2026 Coca-Cola Scholars Program Semifinalist, received the NCWIT Aspirations in Computing Award, earned the AIAS Falls Church High School International Honor, and won a Youthcon Scholarship for her period poverty project. She has been accepted to competitive fly-in programs at Swarthmore, Columbia, Rice, and the University of Virginia, and to summer programs including the Summer Academy for Math and Science and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund's Youth Leadership Institute.
Still, what stands out most about Gabriella may be her heart. Her school counselor, Kirsten Wiley, describes her as "one of the most impressive students [she has] come across in [her] 20-year career," noting that Gabriella handmakes personalized holiday cards for her teachers and bakes Costa Rican treats to share with staff. The nickname among faculty? "President Gaby," because, as Wiley puts it, they "feel wholeheartedly that she will one day run the world.”
"President Gaby" has her sights set on Princeton University, Columbia University, or Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, where she will study environmental engineering with a minor in computer science. If her track record is any indication, the world better get ready. If her father taught her anything, it's that no problem is too big to tackle together, and she's been proving him right ever since.
High School: Falls Church High School
Hometown: Falls Church, VA
Two landscapes live inside Gabriella Henriquez: the coffee-filled grounds of her mother's Costa Rica and the drought-cracked farmland of her father's El Salvador. One thrives, the other struggles, and both taught this young conservationist that environmental challenges are never abstract. They feed families or leave them hungry. They define communities or tear them apart.
Watching her father's family worry about drought destroying their only food source, Gabriella sought to use technology to make growing food more reliable. She partnered with a local middle school to create a greenhouse growing project, developing a smart indoor growing system for tomatoes and peppers. Using sensors and algorithms to control light, temperature, and soil moisture, Gabriella worked alongside her students to program LEDs that mimic natural sunlight: blue light for seedlings, balanced red and blue for growth, and far-red for flowering. "As climate change disrupts traditional farming, my work proved that I have the ability to combine technology and agriculture in an affordable manner to support my loved ones," she shares.
Her environmental education has taken her from classroom to research lab. During her sophomore summer, Gabriella earned a spot at the Virginia Governor's School for Agriculture, where she attended university-level classes on genetically modified crops and climate leadership. She visited a solar panel farm, published a 27-page research paper on poultry-borne diseases and sustainable food systems on VTechworks, and presented her findings at the program's Global Symposium. The following summer, Gabriella conducted research with the NASA Langley Research Center as a Virginia Earth System Science Scholar, studying how mangrove forests in the Florida Everglades protect against erosion and exploring vegetation changes in the Antarctic Peninsula through NASA Landsat satellite data.
Gabriella's father first taught her how to problem-solve. Whether fixing a roaring washing machine, installing shower heads, or repurposing Chipotle paper bags as napkins when the real ones were forgotten, he showed her how to see possibility in everything. "He immigrated to the United States with nothing and taught me that no problem is too big to tackle if we do it together," Gabriella reflects. Those lessons in resourcefulness and conservation now shape her approach to environmental engineering.
At 14, Gabriella co-founded Hispanic Youth Initiative (HYI), promoting STEM opportunities to underserved students across her county. Carrying her father's lessons on sustainability, she designs lessons using household materials: cereal box bridges, newspaper towers, bottle cap creations. Through HYI's partnership with Technology Youth Empowerment and Virginia Tech Applied Research Corporation, Gabriella co-hosted a STEAM Day at a local elementary school, drawing over 150 attendees. She also helped another elementary school in her area create a Science Olympiad team that placed medals in 5 events within a county of 141 elementary schools. For her efforts, HYI received a Forward Turn Grant in 2025.
Her leadership extends across multiple spheres. As one of three Student Equity Ambassador Leaders (SEALs) at Falls Church High School, Gabriella has spent three years advocating for students of color, addressing racial profiling in school hallways and proposing county-level presentations on student experiences during teacher work days. She serves on the Youth Advisory Board of the Children's Science Center, works as Director of Activities for Gold2Green (her school's sustainability club), writes articles on equity in STEM for ESTEEMStream.News, and has contributed to research on electrical engineering cooling systems for refrigerators.
The accolades reflect the work. Gabriella was named a 2026 Coca-Cola Scholars Program Semifinalist, received the NCWIT Aspirations in Computing Award, earned the AIAS Falls Church High School International Honor, and won a Youthcon Scholarship for her period poverty project. She has been accepted to competitive fly-in programs at Swarthmore, Columbia, Rice, and the University of Virginia, and to summer programs including the Summer Academy for Math and Science and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund's Youth Leadership Institute.
Still, what stands out most about Gabriella may be her heart. Her school counselor, Kirsten Wiley, describes her as "one of the most impressive students [she has] come across in [her] 20-year career," noting that Gabriella handmakes personalized holiday cards for her teachers and bakes Costa Rican treats to share with staff. The nickname among faculty? "President Gaby," because, as Wiley puts it, they "feel wholeheartedly that she will one day run the world.”
"President Gaby" has her sights set on Princeton University, Columbia University, or Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, where she will study environmental engineering with a minor in computer science. If her track record is any indication, the world better get ready. If her father taught her anything, it's that no problem is too big to tackle together, and she's been proving him right ever since.
BRONZE - Valeria Novoa
Major: Biomedical Engineering with a minor in Materials Science and Engineering
High School: James Madison High School
Hometown: Vienna, VA
Valeria Novoa has always loved problem solving. That drive first drew her toward medicine, where she imagined herself one day tackling complex health challenges. But in 2024, while participating in the Perry Initiative Program, which introduces young women to orthopedic surgery and engineering, she came to a realization: "A physician can save one life at a time. A researcher can save millions of lives with a single breakthrough." That insight redirected her focus toward sustainable energy research, where a single discovery could benefit communities worldwide.
Motivated by her new perspective, Valeria dove into research. Science fair projects became her laboratory for exploring sustainable technologies, and she found herself drawn to the trial and error, the hunt for equipment, the satisfaction of testing an idea and watching it succeed or fail. "I had to be resourceful and find alternative ways to experiment and learn," she recalls. Eventually, her work zeroed in on one of clean energy's biggest challenges: hydrogen storage. Hydrogen burns clean and produces no harmful emissions, making it an ideal fuel source, but storing it safely and affordably has proven difficult. Valeria developed a method using graphitic carbon nitride that addresses all three concerns. Her project earned her 3rd place in the Energy: Sustainable Materials and Design Category at the 2024 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair, along with a Grand Award. She also claimed 1st place and the Grand Prize at the Virginia State Science and Engineering Fair that same year.
Presenting and defending her ideas in front of university professors, military officials, and private organizations pushed Valeria outside her comfort zone, but it paid off. In 2025, she received the Outstanding Engineer Award from the Society of Women Engineers, the Naval Science Award from the Office of Naval Research, and the Xerox Award for Innovation and Information Technology. Research has also taken her to the Biomedical Engineering Laboratories at the University of Iowa, where she analyzed medical imaging scans, helped test environmentally safe materials for spinal implants, and assisted with cartilage research. At the Virginia Summer Residential Governor's School in Science, Math, and Technology, Valeria worked on environmental justice initiatives and created Project E, a website designed to educate the public on climate change and inspire community involvement.
Valeria credits her mother, who immigrated from Venezuela, with instilling in her the drive to dream big and work hard. "Her certainty that I will achieve great things motivates me," Valeria shares. "She pushes me to persevere in the face of obstacles, stay consistent, and always give my best effort." Watching her mother accomplish her goals has encouraged Valeria to pursue her own, even when the path gets difficult.
That work ethic shows up in everything Valeria does. As President of her school's Future Health Professionals (HOSA) chapter, she grew the research team's confidence by leading members through experimental processes and helping them defend their ideas. As Treasurer of the James Madison/Louise Archer Mentoring and Tutoring Program, she spends time helping elementary school students with math and English. For the past three summers, Valeria has coached young swimmers, tailoring practices to support and motivate them. "I love seeing their excitement and growth," she says. "It is truly rewarding to help my swimmers build their confidence both in and out of the pool.”
Her commitment to community extends to the Reston Farmers Market, where Valeria has volunteered at the SNAP stand every weekend for the past two years, translating for Spanish-speaking families and helping them access fresh produce. She also translates at local health fairs, connecting patients with healthcare providers and ensuring language barriers don't prevent people from getting the care they need. It's the same drive her mother instilled in her, showing up in different forms.
Valeria will study biomedical engineering with a minor in materials science and engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, or the University of Connecticut. As her mother always reminded her, nothing is handed to you. You have to earn it. Valeria has been earning it every step of the way.
High School: James Madison High School
Hometown: Vienna, VA
Valeria Novoa has always loved problem solving. That drive first drew her toward medicine, where she imagined herself one day tackling complex health challenges. But in 2024, while participating in the Perry Initiative Program, which introduces young women to orthopedic surgery and engineering, she came to a realization: "A physician can save one life at a time. A researcher can save millions of lives with a single breakthrough." That insight redirected her focus toward sustainable energy research, where a single discovery could benefit communities worldwide.
Motivated by her new perspective, Valeria dove into research. Science fair projects became her laboratory for exploring sustainable technologies, and she found herself drawn to the trial and error, the hunt for equipment, the satisfaction of testing an idea and watching it succeed or fail. "I had to be resourceful and find alternative ways to experiment and learn," she recalls. Eventually, her work zeroed in on one of clean energy's biggest challenges: hydrogen storage. Hydrogen burns clean and produces no harmful emissions, making it an ideal fuel source, but storing it safely and affordably has proven difficult. Valeria developed a method using graphitic carbon nitride that addresses all three concerns. Her project earned her 3rd place in the Energy: Sustainable Materials and Design Category at the 2024 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair, along with a Grand Award. She also claimed 1st place and the Grand Prize at the Virginia State Science and Engineering Fair that same year.
Presenting and defending her ideas in front of university professors, military officials, and private organizations pushed Valeria outside her comfort zone, but it paid off. In 2025, she received the Outstanding Engineer Award from the Society of Women Engineers, the Naval Science Award from the Office of Naval Research, and the Xerox Award for Innovation and Information Technology. Research has also taken her to the Biomedical Engineering Laboratories at the University of Iowa, where she analyzed medical imaging scans, helped test environmentally safe materials for spinal implants, and assisted with cartilage research. At the Virginia Summer Residential Governor's School in Science, Math, and Technology, Valeria worked on environmental justice initiatives and created Project E, a website designed to educate the public on climate change and inspire community involvement.
Valeria credits her mother, who immigrated from Venezuela, with instilling in her the drive to dream big and work hard. "Her certainty that I will achieve great things motivates me," Valeria shares. "She pushes me to persevere in the face of obstacles, stay consistent, and always give my best effort." Watching her mother accomplish her goals has encouraged Valeria to pursue her own, even when the path gets difficult.
That work ethic shows up in everything Valeria does. As President of her school's Future Health Professionals (HOSA) chapter, she grew the research team's confidence by leading members through experimental processes and helping them defend their ideas. As Treasurer of the James Madison/Louise Archer Mentoring and Tutoring Program, she spends time helping elementary school students with math and English. For the past three summers, Valeria has coached young swimmers, tailoring practices to support and motivate them. "I love seeing their excitement and growth," she says. "It is truly rewarding to help my swimmers build their confidence both in and out of the pool.”
Her commitment to community extends to the Reston Farmers Market, where Valeria has volunteered at the SNAP stand every weekend for the past two years, translating for Spanish-speaking families and helping them access fresh produce. She also translates at local health fairs, connecting patients with healthcare providers and ensuring language barriers don't prevent people from getting the care they need. It's the same drive her mother instilled in her, showing up in different forms.
Valeria will study biomedical engineering with a minor in materials science and engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, or the University of Connecticut. As her mother always reminded her, nothing is handed to you. You have to earn it. Valeria has been earning it every step of the way.
Burgundy Region
Please select a recipient name to read their bio.
GOLD - Najia Zamora-Johnson
Major: Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Environmental Engineering
High School: Young Women's Leadership Academy
Hometown: San Antonio, TX
Najia Zamora-Johnson has spent four years at the table where San Antonio's climate future gets decided. As a member of the Mayor's Youth Climate Council since 9th grade, she has researched plant biodiversity, advocated for sustainable transportation, and presented action projects to the mayor and city officials. Her work caught enough attention that in 2024, she was nominated to join San Antonio's Climate Equity Advisory Committee.
But policy discussions only go so far. Najia wanted to get her hands dirty. During her sophomore year, she interned at EcoCentro, a sustainability hub connected to San Antonio College. There, she conducted recycling and trash audits across the campus, built an eco-friendly database, and did hands-on work at Garcia Street Urban Farms, harvesting, washing, and transporting produce. The experience grounded her understanding of sustainability in something tangible: food, soil, community.
That foundation led her to Gardopia Gardens in summer 2025, where Najia put her AutoCAD and Inventor certifications to work in a new way. Within four weeks, she became proficient in SketchUp and Lumion, using the 3D design and rendering software to create landscape and garden maps for five elementary schools in underserved areas. Her designs included fruit trees, vegetable plants, and flowers to attract pollinators, giving students a chance to supplement their lunches with food grown on their own campuses. Najia also visited a juvenile correctional facility with her mentors to design a therapeutic garden featuring water-scapes, sensory plants, and spaces for treatment. Dominic Dominguez, Chief Operating Officer at Gardopia Gardens, praised her "remarkable creativity, initiative, and a strong commitment to environmental sustainability," noting that "her ability to combine innovative ideas with practical solutions made her stand out as an emerging leader.”
Najia's climate work has also taken her beyond San Antonio. In 2024, Eco Rise, the organization behind the Mayor's Youth Climate Council, selected her as one of two student ambassadors to speak on a climate change panel for over 50 teachers from across the country.
Her interest in sustainable transportation runs through much of her work. As a member of Transportation YOU, a program dedicated to supporting careers in transportation, Najia has spent two years exploring how cities can move people more efficiently and equitably. With her Mayor's Youth Climate Council team, she built a website showcasing the environmental benefits of public transit and MPG usage, then volunteered downtown to clean up underserved bus stops, collecting 360 pounds of trash in the process.
Najia wants to take that work further. She envisions one day owning an engineering firm focused on hydrogen fuel cells, energy-retaining materials like nitinol, and light rail systems. Her research on nitinol, a shape-memory alloy with potential applications in sustainable technology, earned her 3rd place in Senior Engineering at the 2025 Alamo Regional Academy of Science and Engineering Science Fair.
Beyond her environmental work, Najia volunteers at homeless shelters, food banks, immigration clinics, animal adoption events, and public libraries. She is a member of the Science National Honor Society and participated in NASA's High School Aerospace Scholars program. "One person may not be able to solve all the problems that people have," she says, "but if I contribute and commit to helping when I can, I believe the world is a better place for everyone.”
Najia will study mechanical engineering with a minor in environmental engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, Carnegie Mellon University, or Rice University. Any career can be a green career if you make it one. That's how she sees it, and that's exactly what she plans to do.
High School: Young Women's Leadership Academy
Hometown: San Antonio, TX
Najia Zamora-Johnson has spent four years at the table where San Antonio's climate future gets decided. As a member of the Mayor's Youth Climate Council since 9th grade, she has researched plant biodiversity, advocated for sustainable transportation, and presented action projects to the mayor and city officials. Her work caught enough attention that in 2024, she was nominated to join San Antonio's Climate Equity Advisory Committee.
But policy discussions only go so far. Najia wanted to get her hands dirty. During her sophomore year, she interned at EcoCentro, a sustainability hub connected to San Antonio College. There, she conducted recycling and trash audits across the campus, built an eco-friendly database, and did hands-on work at Garcia Street Urban Farms, harvesting, washing, and transporting produce. The experience grounded her understanding of sustainability in something tangible: food, soil, community.
That foundation led her to Gardopia Gardens in summer 2025, where Najia put her AutoCAD and Inventor certifications to work in a new way. Within four weeks, she became proficient in SketchUp and Lumion, using the 3D design and rendering software to create landscape and garden maps for five elementary schools in underserved areas. Her designs included fruit trees, vegetable plants, and flowers to attract pollinators, giving students a chance to supplement their lunches with food grown on their own campuses. Najia also visited a juvenile correctional facility with her mentors to design a therapeutic garden featuring water-scapes, sensory plants, and spaces for treatment. Dominic Dominguez, Chief Operating Officer at Gardopia Gardens, praised her "remarkable creativity, initiative, and a strong commitment to environmental sustainability," noting that "her ability to combine innovative ideas with practical solutions made her stand out as an emerging leader.”
Najia's climate work has also taken her beyond San Antonio. In 2024, Eco Rise, the organization behind the Mayor's Youth Climate Council, selected her as one of two student ambassadors to speak on a climate change panel for over 50 teachers from across the country.
Her interest in sustainable transportation runs through much of her work. As a member of Transportation YOU, a program dedicated to supporting careers in transportation, Najia has spent two years exploring how cities can move people more efficiently and equitably. With her Mayor's Youth Climate Council team, she built a website showcasing the environmental benefits of public transit and MPG usage, then volunteered downtown to clean up underserved bus stops, collecting 360 pounds of trash in the process.
Najia wants to take that work further. She envisions one day owning an engineering firm focused on hydrogen fuel cells, energy-retaining materials like nitinol, and light rail systems. Her research on nitinol, a shape-memory alloy with potential applications in sustainable technology, earned her 3rd place in Senior Engineering at the 2025 Alamo Regional Academy of Science and Engineering Science Fair.
Beyond her environmental work, Najia volunteers at homeless shelters, food banks, immigration clinics, animal adoption events, and public libraries. She is a member of the Science National Honor Society and participated in NASA's High School Aerospace Scholars program. "One person may not be able to solve all the problems that people have," she says, "but if I contribute and commit to helping when I can, I believe the world is a better place for everyone.”
Najia will study mechanical engineering with a minor in environmental engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, Carnegie Mellon University, or Rice University. Any career can be a green career if you make it one. That's how she sees it, and that's exactly what she plans to do.
SILVER - Sebastian Almudever
Major: Renewable Energy Engineering with a minor in Aerospace Engineering
High School: Lamar High School
Hometown: Arlington, TX
Sebastian Almudever grew up watching engineers and architects in his family turn sketches into buildings. That exposure taught him early that design and logic could make a tangible difference in the world. What he didn't expect was where that lesson would lead him: not just toward engineering, but toward using it to protect the planet.
In his AP Environmental Science and Engineering coursework at Lamar High School, Sebastian designed and built a solar-powered model capable of providing energy to a tiny home. He handled everything from planning the circuits to selecting materials and testing the system under different conditions. When wiring issues caused energy loss and solar output fluctuated, Sebastian researched solutions and adjusted the design to improve performance. The project combined his love for engineering with his commitment to sustainability, and it gave him a clearer picture of how renewable energy could benefit neighborhoods like his own, where outdated systems drive up costs and harm the environment.
Beyond the classroom, Sebastian has put his skills to use in his community. He participates in clean-up events at local parks and green spaces, plants trees, and helps restore natural habitats. He has led campaigns to raise awareness about recycling, waste reduction, and energy conservation. One of his most rewarding experiences was leading a school-wide recycling initiative: setting up collection points, creating posters to boost participation, and working with staff to ensure proper disposal. Seeing students and teachers take ownership of their environmental impact showed him what collective action can accomplish.
Sebastian has also volunteered with STEM outreach programs, teaching younger students to build simple circuits and small robotic devices while introducing them to renewable energy concepts. Sharing his knowledge and watching their excitement when a project works reminds him why he wants to keep sharing what he knows and reinforces his desire to inspire others to engage with sustainability. "Giving back isn't just about immediate results," he says. "It's about nurturing good habits, encouraging others, and creating a sense of responsibility.”
That sense of responsibility didn't come from nowhere. Growing up in a community where environmental awareness wasn't always a priority, Sebastian learned that change requires someone willing to take initiative. Small actions, like proper waste disposal or conserving water, could make a noticeable difference in his neighborhood. That observation pushed him to seek out hands-on experiences and lead by example.
His English teacher, Basima Naser, describes Sebastian as "smart, dependable, organized, and ambitious," someone who "approaches learning with curiosity and enthusiasm, always meeting or exceeding expectations." In her class, he would go out of his way to help classmates who struggled by translating instructions and assignments for them. In Sebastian, Naser sees "a hard worker who understands the importance of learning and pushing intellectual curiosity," one whose work reflects "a drive for excellence and a willingness to go above and beyond to achieve his goals and dreams.”
Those goals now point toward a career building sustainable solutions. Sebastian will study renewable energy engineering with a minor in aerospace engineering at Florida International University, Texas Christian University, or Texas Wesleyan University. He envisions one day developing technologies that make clean energy affordable and accessible for communities like his own.
High School: Lamar High School
Hometown: Arlington, TX
Sebastian Almudever grew up watching engineers and architects in his family turn sketches into buildings. That exposure taught him early that design and logic could make a tangible difference in the world. What he didn't expect was where that lesson would lead him: not just toward engineering, but toward using it to protect the planet.
In his AP Environmental Science and Engineering coursework at Lamar High School, Sebastian designed and built a solar-powered model capable of providing energy to a tiny home. He handled everything from planning the circuits to selecting materials and testing the system under different conditions. When wiring issues caused energy loss and solar output fluctuated, Sebastian researched solutions and adjusted the design to improve performance. The project combined his love for engineering with his commitment to sustainability, and it gave him a clearer picture of how renewable energy could benefit neighborhoods like his own, where outdated systems drive up costs and harm the environment.
Beyond the classroom, Sebastian has put his skills to use in his community. He participates in clean-up events at local parks and green spaces, plants trees, and helps restore natural habitats. He has led campaigns to raise awareness about recycling, waste reduction, and energy conservation. One of his most rewarding experiences was leading a school-wide recycling initiative: setting up collection points, creating posters to boost participation, and working with staff to ensure proper disposal. Seeing students and teachers take ownership of their environmental impact showed him what collective action can accomplish.
Sebastian has also volunteered with STEM outreach programs, teaching younger students to build simple circuits and small robotic devices while introducing them to renewable energy concepts. Sharing his knowledge and watching their excitement when a project works reminds him why he wants to keep sharing what he knows and reinforces his desire to inspire others to engage with sustainability. "Giving back isn't just about immediate results," he says. "It's about nurturing good habits, encouraging others, and creating a sense of responsibility.”
That sense of responsibility didn't come from nowhere. Growing up in a community where environmental awareness wasn't always a priority, Sebastian learned that change requires someone willing to take initiative. Small actions, like proper waste disposal or conserving water, could make a noticeable difference in his neighborhood. That observation pushed him to seek out hands-on experiences and lead by example.
His English teacher, Basima Naser, describes Sebastian as "smart, dependable, organized, and ambitious," someone who "approaches learning with curiosity and enthusiasm, always meeting or exceeding expectations." In her class, he would go out of his way to help classmates who struggled by translating instructions and assignments for them. In Sebastian, Naser sees "a hard worker who understands the importance of learning and pushing intellectual curiosity," one whose work reflects "a drive for excellence and a willingness to go above and beyond to achieve his goals and dreams.”
Those goals now point toward a career building sustainable solutions. Sebastian will study renewable energy engineering with a minor in aerospace engineering at Florida International University, Texas Christian University, or Texas Wesleyan University. He envisions one day developing technologies that make clean energy affordable and accessible for communities like his own.
BRONZE - Celeste Mora
Major: Earth and Planetary Science with a minor in Environmental Engineering
High School: Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Memorial Early College High School
Hometown: San Juan, TX
At six years old, Celeste Mora learned to garden alongside her mother, planting Texas lantanas and growing a connection to nature that would shape everything that followed. Years later, when her grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer and came to live with her family, the garden became their shared refuge. It was there that her abuela spent her remaining days tending to their garden, pulling weeds and nurturing what grew. Every afternoon after school, Celeste would join her grandmother among the plants, thinking up new vegetables to grow and flowers to add. Every morning, she would help her grandmother out of bed and prepare her breakfast. "Like the honey mesquite trees near our house, she was fragile yet important to me," Celeste recalls. When her grandmother passed, the garden felt empty. But Celeste kept it green, determined to honor her memory by protecting the Earth her abuela loved.
That determination led Celeste to look beyond her own backyard to the broader Rio Grande Valley, where rural communities and diverse ecosystems depend on land that is often neglected. Recognizing the environmental damage caused by a lack of awareness, she co-founded the Valle Verde Initiative, a community-based organization that promotes conservation through collaborations with local leaders and businesses. Through Valle Verde, Celeste has implemented food gardens for school lunches, organized eco-events and cemetery cleanups, and led the creation of an outdoor learning gazebo with solar-powered lights and charging stations for students to work outside of the classroom. To fund these projects in a district facing financial struggles, she applied for and won an EcoRise Student Innovation Grant in 2025.
Celeste currently interns at Seaside Sustainability, a nonprofit where she contributes as a blog writer while gaining hands-on experience in conservation research. She also co-founded her school's Environmental Science Club, which focuses on spreading environmental awareness across the community, and serves as president of the National STEM Honor Society, organizing events and involving members in STEM-based research.
Celeste has also built a strong academic foundation to support her environmental goals. She enrolled in her high school's dual credit program and graduated early from her community college with an Associate of Science in Mathematics. She earned recognition as an AP Scholar in 2024 and received the College Board National Recognition Award in 2025. Celeste also serves as editor-in-chief of the Literary Lantern, her school district's first literary magazine, and captained the UIL Ready Writing team to a state alternate finish, developing the communication skills she sees as essential to effective advocacy.
Each month, Celeste returns to a local middle school to tutor students in STEM subjects. Sitting with them, watching their eyes widen as concepts click into place, reminds her why she does this work. "While I helped them grow in math and science, I was also growing their trust," she reflects. Those conversations, she says, helped clarify her own goals and confirmed her commitment to sustainability.
Celeste's concern for her community runs as wide as the Rio Grande itself. She worries about the soil degradation and chemical runoff that threaten both the wildlife and the people who depend on the river as a water source. Through the Valle Verde Initiative and collaborations with regional environmental leaders, she plans to host informative sessions for local farmers, apply for grants to support sustainable technology, and collaborate with lawmakers to implement better policies. This concern has shaped her long-term ambitions.
Her AP Physics teacher, Vanessa Rodriguez, has watched Celeste's growth over four years. "Ms. Mora has been instrumental on campus in spearheading initiatives that have begun to shape the campus and community into a more sustainability-aligned and aware institution," Rodriguez writes. "Her insight and continued advocacy will be beneficial to others globally; it will also shed light on marginalized areas that could be of interest or require support.”
Celeste will study earth and planetary sciences with a minor in environmental engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, Rice University, or Johns Hopkins University. From there, she hopes to pursue environmental law, protecting the mesquite trees, the Rio Grande, and the communities that grow around them. The girl who once knelt beside her grandmother pulling weeds, now tends to an entire valley. Her abuela would be proud.
High School: Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Memorial Early College High School
Hometown: San Juan, TX
At six years old, Celeste Mora learned to garden alongside her mother, planting Texas lantanas and growing a connection to nature that would shape everything that followed. Years later, when her grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer and came to live with her family, the garden became their shared refuge. It was there that her abuela spent her remaining days tending to their garden, pulling weeds and nurturing what grew. Every afternoon after school, Celeste would join her grandmother among the plants, thinking up new vegetables to grow and flowers to add. Every morning, she would help her grandmother out of bed and prepare her breakfast. "Like the honey mesquite trees near our house, she was fragile yet important to me," Celeste recalls. When her grandmother passed, the garden felt empty. But Celeste kept it green, determined to honor her memory by protecting the Earth her abuela loved.
That determination led Celeste to look beyond her own backyard to the broader Rio Grande Valley, where rural communities and diverse ecosystems depend on land that is often neglected. Recognizing the environmental damage caused by a lack of awareness, she co-founded the Valle Verde Initiative, a community-based organization that promotes conservation through collaborations with local leaders and businesses. Through Valle Verde, Celeste has implemented food gardens for school lunches, organized eco-events and cemetery cleanups, and led the creation of an outdoor learning gazebo with solar-powered lights and charging stations for students to work outside of the classroom. To fund these projects in a district facing financial struggles, she applied for and won an EcoRise Student Innovation Grant in 2025.
Celeste currently interns at Seaside Sustainability, a nonprofit where she contributes as a blog writer while gaining hands-on experience in conservation research. She also co-founded her school's Environmental Science Club, which focuses on spreading environmental awareness across the community, and serves as president of the National STEM Honor Society, organizing events and involving members in STEM-based research.
Celeste has also built a strong academic foundation to support her environmental goals. She enrolled in her high school's dual credit program and graduated early from her community college with an Associate of Science in Mathematics. She earned recognition as an AP Scholar in 2024 and received the College Board National Recognition Award in 2025. Celeste also serves as editor-in-chief of the Literary Lantern, her school district's first literary magazine, and captained the UIL Ready Writing team to a state alternate finish, developing the communication skills she sees as essential to effective advocacy.
Each month, Celeste returns to a local middle school to tutor students in STEM subjects. Sitting with them, watching their eyes widen as concepts click into place, reminds her why she does this work. "While I helped them grow in math and science, I was also growing their trust," she reflects. Those conversations, she says, helped clarify her own goals and confirmed her commitment to sustainability.
Celeste's concern for her community runs as wide as the Rio Grande itself. She worries about the soil degradation and chemical runoff that threaten both the wildlife and the people who depend on the river as a water source. Through the Valle Verde Initiative and collaborations with regional environmental leaders, she plans to host informative sessions for local farmers, apply for grants to support sustainable technology, and collaborate with lawmakers to implement better policies. This concern has shaped her long-term ambitions.
Her AP Physics teacher, Vanessa Rodriguez, has watched Celeste's growth over four years. "Ms. Mora has been instrumental on campus in spearheading initiatives that have begun to shape the campus and community into a more sustainability-aligned and aware institution," Rodriguez writes. "Her insight and continued advocacy will be beneficial to others globally; it will also shed light on marginalized areas that could be of interest or require support.”
Celeste will study earth and planetary sciences with a minor in environmental engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, Rice University, or Johns Hopkins University. From there, she hopes to pursue environmental law, protecting the mesquite trees, the Rio Grande, and the communities that grow around them. The girl who once knelt beside her grandmother pulling weeds, now tends to an entire valley. Her abuela would be proud.
Green Region
Please select a recipient name to read their bio.
GOLD - Edie Carneiro
Major: Environmental Studies and Marine Science with a minor in Botany and Plant Biology
High School: Miami Palmetto Senior High School
Hometown: Miami, FL
Not everyone can say they had a crocodile in the canal next to their elementary school. Edie Carneiro can. Growing up in Miami, surrounded by swamps, palm trees, and the occasional iguana, she developed an early fascination with the plants and animals around her. She devoured the "Who Would Win?" books, explored local botanical gardens, and soaked in the environmental education her elementary school offered: painting rain barrels, running a student recycling program, walking through a butterfly garden between classes. When she read "The Martian," a novel about an astronaut who uses botany and problem-solving to survive on Mars, something clicked. The same skills she applied to math worksheets could be used to protect the ecosystems she loved. Within months, she had built her first greenhouse and was leading an effort to tag butterflies as part of a national program.
That early momentum carried Edie through high school. She joined the Environmental Outreach Board, part of the Student Council at Miami Palmetto Senior High School, as a sophomore and has spent four years helping lead the group. Now serving as Co-Chair, she has planted a native garden on campus, worked on aquaponics projects, and become a CLIP-certified climate speaker. In her sophomore year, she ran a lunchtime campaign to raise awareness about Miami Wilds, a proposed water park that would have disrupted the Florida bonneted bats and the pine rocklands ecosystem. She collected signatures from students across the school, contributing to Miami-Dade County's decision to terminate its lease with the developers. Nicolas Quintairos, sponsor of the Environmental Outreach Board, describes her as "one of the most committed and enthusiastic human beings [he has] ever come across," adding that she is "a genuinely kind soul who demands the absolute best from those around her.”
Edie's summers have been dedicated to environmental learning across ecosystems. She has cataloged fish in the Florida Keys, built coral trees, studied sustainable farming methods in Tortola, and lived on a catamaran with 11 other students in the British Virgin Islands, where she helped tag sea turtles. In 2024, she spent five weeks at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire, studying marine biology and genetic engineering while exploring the coast of New England. She is currently working toward her PADI Open Water diving certification to further expand her marine conservation education.
Those field experiences inspired Edie to create Budding Botanists, an initiative she conceptualized and has run on her own for two years. The program brings hands-on environmental projects to elementary school classrooms, with the goal of sparking long-term interest in conservation. She has presented to more than 60 students, shared advice with teachers on planting school gardens, and designed activities that bring her experiences to life. Her favorite mimics her time tagging sea turtles in the British Virgin Islands: students create paper turtles, name them, measure them, and "tag" them. "Seeing the students interact with their paper turtles and the excitement on their faces has been an incredible full-circle moment," she shares.
Edie's AP Research project reinforced the importance of this work. Her data found that students who participated in hands-on environmental activities were more likely to develop an interest in conservation and discuss environmental issues with friends and family. She is now advising a local elementary school's Environmental Club and working to help them build a greenhouse.
Her commitment to animals and wildlife has driven much of her service work. In 2019, the Australian wildfires moved her to raise more than $500 for displaced wildlife. In 2022, she transformed scraps from her mother's tie-dye studio into sustainably-sourced dog toys and launched a national campaign to sell them, with all proceeds benefiting a local animal shelter. She has also volunteered at a dolphin rescue center.
Beyond environmental work, Edie serves as Print Editor-in-Chief of The Panther, her school newspaper, a role she has built toward since joining as one of just two freshmen on staff. She is also JV Lacrosse Captain and a member of the Science Honor Society. And somehow, between tagging turtles, planting gardens, and meeting newspaper deadlines, she maintains a 4.0 unweighted GPA. In 2025, she was accepted as a Jr. Seakeeper by the International Seakeepers Society and named Palmetto Bay Youth Environmentalist of the Year. She is also a National Merit Commended Scholar and a recipient of the Silver President's Volunteer Service Award.
Edie will study environmental studies and marine science with a minor in botany and plant biology at Duke University, Dartmouth College, or Colgate University, carrying forward the same curiosity her elementary school sparked in her and passing it on to the next generation.
High School: Miami Palmetto Senior High School
Hometown: Miami, FL
Not everyone can say they had a crocodile in the canal next to their elementary school. Edie Carneiro can. Growing up in Miami, surrounded by swamps, palm trees, and the occasional iguana, she developed an early fascination with the plants and animals around her. She devoured the "Who Would Win?" books, explored local botanical gardens, and soaked in the environmental education her elementary school offered: painting rain barrels, running a student recycling program, walking through a butterfly garden between classes. When she read "The Martian," a novel about an astronaut who uses botany and problem-solving to survive on Mars, something clicked. The same skills she applied to math worksheets could be used to protect the ecosystems she loved. Within months, she had built her first greenhouse and was leading an effort to tag butterflies as part of a national program.
That early momentum carried Edie through high school. She joined the Environmental Outreach Board, part of the Student Council at Miami Palmetto Senior High School, as a sophomore and has spent four years helping lead the group. Now serving as Co-Chair, she has planted a native garden on campus, worked on aquaponics projects, and become a CLIP-certified climate speaker. In her sophomore year, she ran a lunchtime campaign to raise awareness about Miami Wilds, a proposed water park that would have disrupted the Florida bonneted bats and the pine rocklands ecosystem. She collected signatures from students across the school, contributing to Miami-Dade County's decision to terminate its lease with the developers. Nicolas Quintairos, sponsor of the Environmental Outreach Board, describes her as "one of the most committed and enthusiastic human beings [he has] ever come across," adding that she is "a genuinely kind soul who demands the absolute best from those around her.”
Edie's summers have been dedicated to environmental learning across ecosystems. She has cataloged fish in the Florida Keys, built coral trees, studied sustainable farming methods in Tortola, and lived on a catamaran with 11 other students in the British Virgin Islands, where she helped tag sea turtles. In 2024, she spent five weeks at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire, studying marine biology and genetic engineering while exploring the coast of New England. She is currently working toward her PADI Open Water diving certification to further expand her marine conservation education.
Those field experiences inspired Edie to create Budding Botanists, an initiative she conceptualized and has run on her own for two years. The program brings hands-on environmental projects to elementary school classrooms, with the goal of sparking long-term interest in conservation. She has presented to more than 60 students, shared advice with teachers on planting school gardens, and designed activities that bring her experiences to life. Her favorite mimics her time tagging sea turtles in the British Virgin Islands: students create paper turtles, name them, measure them, and "tag" them. "Seeing the students interact with their paper turtles and the excitement on their faces has been an incredible full-circle moment," she shares.
Edie's AP Research project reinforced the importance of this work. Her data found that students who participated in hands-on environmental activities were more likely to develop an interest in conservation and discuss environmental issues with friends and family. She is now advising a local elementary school's Environmental Club and working to help them build a greenhouse.
Her commitment to animals and wildlife has driven much of her service work. In 2019, the Australian wildfires moved her to raise more than $500 for displaced wildlife. In 2022, she transformed scraps from her mother's tie-dye studio into sustainably-sourced dog toys and launched a national campaign to sell them, with all proceeds benefiting a local animal shelter. She has also volunteered at a dolphin rescue center.
Beyond environmental work, Edie serves as Print Editor-in-Chief of The Panther, her school newspaper, a role she has built toward since joining as one of just two freshmen on staff. She is also JV Lacrosse Captain and a member of the Science Honor Society. And somehow, between tagging turtles, planting gardens, and meeting newspaper deadlines, she maintains a 4.0 unweighted GPA. In 2025, she was accepted as a Jr. Seakeeper by the International Seakeepers Society and named Palmetto Bay Youth Environmentalist of the Year. She is also a National Merit Commended Scholar and a recipient of the Silver President's Volunteer Service Award.
Edie will study environmental studies and marine science with a minor in botany and plant biology at Duke University, Dartmouth College, or Colgate University, carrying forward the same curiosity her elementary school sparked in her and passing it on to the next generation.
SILVER - Marielle Lopez Negrete
Major: Finance with a minor in Data Science
High School: Palmer Trinity School
Hometown: Coral Gables, FL
Growing up in Miami made climate change personal for Marielle Lopez Negrete. King tides flood her streets. Coral reefs she learned to sail near are bleaching. Hurricane seasons grow more intense. Four years of varsity sailing on Biscayne Bay connected her to these changes firsthand: she has observed shifts in water quality, marine life patterns, and coastal erosion while racing those waters.
That proximity to the bay led Marielle to FIU's Citizen Science Initiative at 14 years old, where a PhD student introduced her to the issue of microplastics. The student arrived with jars of dirty water from Biscayne Bay and shared a figure that stuck: humans may unknowingly consume over 250 grams of microplastics each year. Marielle dove in, working alongside researchers to develop protocols for measuring concentrations in Biscayne Bay, operating filtration equipment, cataloging samples, and interpreting findings.
Determined to raise awareness beyond the lab, Marielle co-founded Microplastics 305, an advocacy initiative focused on local water sources. She recruited over 20 students, participated in Miami Waterkeeper beach cleanups and water quality monitoring efforts, and educated younger volunteers about marine debris. The work took her to a meeting with Palmetto Bay Mayor Karen Cunningham and Sustainability Planner Andrea Candelaria. "Sitting across from officials who treated me as an equal was empowering," she recalls. "I wasn't just a girl, I was a girl talking to a mayor about a plan of action.”
At Palmer Trinity School, Marielle has brought that same drive to her leadership roles. As Student Government Association Vice President, she proposed waste reduction initiatives and advocated for campus composting programs. Her Google Data Analytics certification allowed her to create visualization dashboards tracking her school's resource consumption patterns. She also entered the CodeMania competition and built a navigation chatbot for the city of Coral Gables, providing traffic updates, emergency routing, and priority route calculations. The project had an environmental angle: reduced idle time means reduced emissions. It earned her the CodeMania III Innovation Award.
Her service extends beyond environmental work. As French National Honor Society President for three years, Marielle organized bake sales and crêpe fundraisers that raised over $4,000 for Haiti's Zambi Foundation orphanage. For four years, she has led arts and crafts at her church's Vacation Bible School, guiding children ages 3-10 through activities that bring biblical stories to life. Her school advisor describes her as "meticulous, motivated, and marvelous," noting that when she locks in, "there is nothing that can distract her from her purpose.”
Marielle also serves as Vice President of the Investment Club, where she collaborates with members to invest over $150,000 of school funds. "I learned that financial literacy and environmental advocacy aren't separate," she says. "Sustainable investing and corporate responsibility increasingly drive market decisions." She is also Vice President of Mu Alpha Theta, the Math National Honor Society, a member of the Science National Honor Society and the National Honor Society, and serves on the Model United Nations Secretariat. Her work across disciplines earned her the MIT Book Award and the Xerox Award for Technology and Innovation in 2025, recognition that reflects what she has come to believe: that meaningful change requires combining science, technology, and leadership.
Marielle will study finance with a minor in data science at Georgetown University, Boston College, or Northeastern University. She has spent years learning that environmental problems require more than good intentions, and plans to keep showing up with data, advocacy, and action.
High School: Palmer Trinity School
Hometown: Coral Gables, FL
Growing up in Miami made climate change personal for Marielle Lopez Negrete. King tides flood her streets. Coral reefs she learned to sail near are bleaching. Hurricane seasons grow more intense. Four years of varsity sailing on Biscayne Bay connected her to these changes firsthand: she has observed shifts in water quality, marine life patterns, and coastal erosion while racing those waters.
That proximity to the bay led Marielle to FIU's Citizen Science Initiative at 14 years old, where a PhD student introduced her to the issue of microplastics. The student arrived with jars of dirty water from Biscayne Bay and shared a figure that stuck: humans may unknowingly consume over 250 grams of microplastics each year. Marielle dove in, working alongside researchers to develop protocols for measuring concentrations in Biscayne Bay, operating filtration equipment, cataloging samples, and interpreting findings.
Determined to raise awareness beyond the lab, Marielle co-founded Microplastics 305, an advocacy initiative focused on local water sources. She recruited over 20 students, participated in Miami Waterkeeper beach cleanups and water quality monitoring efforts, and educated younger volunteers about marine debris. The work took her to a meeting with Palmetto Bay Mayor Karen Cunningham and Sustainability Planner Andrea Candelaria. "Sitting across from officials who treated me as an equal was empowering," she recalls. "I wasn't just a girl, I was a girl talking to a mayor about a plan of action.”
At Palmer Trinity School, Marielle has brought that same drive to her leadership roles. As Student Government Association Vice President, she proposed waste reduction initiatives and advocated for campus composting programs. Her Google Data Analytics certification allowed her to create visualization dashboards tracking her school's resource consumption patterns. She also entered the CodeMania competition and built a navigation chatbot for the city of Coral Gables, providing traffic updates, emergency routing, and priority route calculations. The project had an environmental angle: reduced idle time means reduced emissions. It earned her the CodeMania III Innovation Award.
Her service extends beyond environmental work. As French National Honor Society President for three years, Marielle organized bake sales and crêpe fundraisers that raised over $4,000 for Haiti's Zambi Foundation orphanage. For four years, she has led arts and crafts at her church's Vacation Bible School, guiding children ages 3-10 through activities that bring biblical stories to life. Her school advisor describes her as "meticulous, motivated, and marvelous," noting that when she locks in, "there is nothing that can distract her from her purpose.”
Marielle also serves as Vice President of the Investment Club, where she collaborates with members to invest over $150,000 of school funds. "I learned that financial literacy and environmental advocacy aren't separate," she says. "Sustainable investing and corporate responsibility increasingly drive market decisions." She is also Vice President of Mu Alpha Theta, the Math National Honor Society, a member of the Science National Honor Society and the National Honor Society, and serves on the Model United Nations Secretariat. Her work across disciplines earned her the MIT Book Award and the Xerox Award for Technology and Innovation in 2025, recognition that reflects what she has come to believe: that meaningful change requires combining science, technology, and leadership.
Marielle will study finance with a minor in data science at Georgetown University, Boston College, or Northeastern University. She has spent years learning that environmental problems require more than good intentions, and plans to keep showing up with data, advocacy, and action.
BRONZE - Sarah Luna
Major: Biology with a minor in Public Health
High School: Indian River Charter High School
Hometown: Fellsmere, FL
When Sarah Luna was young, her mother taught her to ask the ocean for permission before taking anything from the beach. "If it felt wrong, it most likely was," her mom would say, "and without permission the ocean would get angry." That wisdom has stayed with Sarah, shaping how she understands her relationship with the natural world, particularly with the Indian River Lagoon, one of the most biodiverse estuaries on the planet and the body of water at the heart of her community in Indian River County, Florida.
Every weekend, Sarah volunteers at the Environmental Learning Center, an organization dedicated to educating the public about the lagoon. In the Living Lagoon room, surrounded by tanks of organisms, interactive artwork, and games designed to engage visitors of all ages, she teaches guests from around the world about mangrove habitats, local fish species, and the critical health of the waterway. She has a soft spot for the touch tank, where she gets to apply what she has learned in her biology and marine science classes. "I know that my efforts make an impact because I started in the shoes of little kids who visit us every day," she says. "I vividly remember the field trips I took here in elementary school and how they changed my perspective on nature.”
Sarah's environmental work began in middle school, when a science teacher who had previously worked as a marine scientist introduced her class to the Ocean Research and Conservation Association (ORCA). Through ORCA's "A Day in the Life of the Indian River Lagoon" event, she waded into local causeways to collect organisms with nets, gathered water samples, and tested for pH levels. The experience ignited her love for fieldwork. More recently, she joined ORCA's Citizen Scientist program, collecting samples to assess the effectiveness of the organization's Living and Buffered Shoreline projects: concrete reef balls that promote oyster growth and native vegetation that filters chemical runoff.
At Indian River Charter High School, Sarah is a member of the Green Club and serves on the Student Council. She has tackled a rigorous course load, including AICE Marine Science, AICE Environmental Management, and a long list of dual enrollment science courses at the college level. Her teacher, April Cole, describes her as "one of the most driven students [she has] encountered in [her] career," noting that Sarah's motivation was never about earning an A but about cultivating "a genuine desire to truly understand and gain as much knowledge as possible." When she walks across the stage at graduation, she will do so as valedictorian, associate's degree already complete.
Beyond academics, Sarah tutors younger students in math and participates in her school's choir and theatre program as a production assistant. She is a member of the National Honor Society, an AP Scholar, and has earned recognition through the College Board's National Hispanic Recognition Program and First-Generation Recognition Award.
Sarah understands that the lagoon's problems, including pollution, runoff, motor vehicles, and docks blocking sunlight, will not be solved overnight. But she believes the most important factor is education: bringing what she learns in the classroom out to the community, where it matters most. She wants people to understand science, navigate through complex jargon, and feel empowered to push policymakers to protect what the county, schools, and state college are all named after.
Sarah will study biology with a minor in public health at the University of Florida, Northeastern University, or Florida State University. The lagoon gave her a love for fieldwork, a sense of purpose, and a cause worth fighting for. Her mother's lesson still guides her: take care of the ocean, and it will take care of you.
High School: Indian River Charter High School
Hometown: Fellsmere, FL
When Sarah Luna was young, her mother taught her to ask the ocean for permission before taking anything from the beach. "If it felt wrong, it most likely was," her mom would say, "and without permission the ocean would get angry." That wisdom has stayed with Sarah, shaping how she understands her relationship with the natural world, particularly with the Indian River Lagoon, one of the most biodiverse estuaries on the planet and the body of water at the heart of her community in Indian River County, Florida.
Every weekend, Sarah volunteers at the Environmental Learning Center, an organization dedicated to educating the public about the lagoon. In the Living Lagoon room, surrounded by tanks of organisms, interactive artwork, and games designed to engage visitors of all ages, she teaches guests from around the world about mangrove habitats, local fish species, and the critical health of the waterway. She has a soft spot for the touch tank, where she gets to apply what she has learned in her biology and marine science classes. "I know that my efforts make an impact because I started in the shoes of little kids who visit us every day," she says. "I vividly remember the field trips I took here in elementary school and how they changed my perspective on nature.”
Sarah's environmental work began in middle school, when a science teacher who had previously worked as a marine scientist introduced her class to the Ocean Research and Conservation Association (ORCA). Through ORCA's "A Day in the Life of the Indian River Lagoon" event, she waded into local causeways to collect organisms with nets, gathered water samples, and tested for pH levels. The experience ignited her love for fieldwork. More recently, she joined ORCA's Citizen Scientist program, collecting samples to assess the effectiveness of the organization's Living and Buffered Shoreline projects: concrete reef balls that promote oyster growth and native vegetation that filters chemical runoff.
At Indian River Charter High School, Sarah is a member of the Green Club and serves on the Student Council. She has tackled a rigorous course load, including AICE Marine Science, AICE Environmental Management, and a long list of dual enrollment science courses at the college level. Her teacher, April Cole, describes her as "one of the most driven students [she has] encountered in [her] career," noting that Sarah's motivation was never about earning an A but about cultivating "a genuine desire to truly understand and gain as much knowledge as possible." When she walks across the stage at graduation, she will do so as valedictorian, associate's degree already complete.
Beyond academics, Sarah tutors younger students in math and participates in her school's choir and theatre program as a production assistant. She is a member of the National Honor Society, an AP Scholar, and has earned recognition through the College Board's National Hispanic Recognition Program and First-Generation Recognition Award.
Sarah understands that the lagoon's problems, including pollution, runoff, motor vehicles, and docks blocking sunlight, will not be solved overnight. But she believes the most important factor is education: bringing what she learns in the classroom out to the community, where it matters most. She wants people to understand science, navigate through complex jargon, and feel empowered to push policymakers to protect what the county, schools, and state college are all named after.
Sarah will study biology with a minor in public health at the University of Florida, Northeastern University, or Florida State University. The lagoon gave her a love for fieldwork, a sense of purpose, and a cause worth fighting for. Her mother's lesson still guides her: take care of the ocean, and it will take care of you.
Orange Region
Please select a recipient name to read their bio.
GOLD - Victoria Higdon
Major: Political Science with a minor in Public Policy
High School: Tri-County Early College High School
Hometown: Murphy, NC
It was 2017. It had rained for two weeks straight, and Victoria Higdon's yard in rural North Carolina had flooded. She spent her days playing in the rain, and one day noticed a small bubble forming in the mud. It grew bigger and bigger until she finally grabbed a rake and popped it. Water came flowing out, and she was fascinated. She sat down at her dad's computer and searched for every possible explanation. That afternoon sparked her interest in earth science. She researched constantly, sharing new facts with her mom at every opportunity, though it wouldn't be until 7th grade, when she learned about climate change, pollution, and habitat loss, that the interest became a commitment.
Victoria had been speaking up about climate change for years, but in summer 2024, NC State's Resource Conservation Workshop showed her how she could actually help. She returned to Tri-County Early College High School with a mission: start an Envirothon team. Envirothon is a national competition where students study five subjects in depth: wildlife, aquatics, soils, forestry, and current environmental issues. She got permission from her principal, recruited teammates, and became the team's captain. With just four members, they studied day after day. They were the only team from their county and the first team in their school's history, and made it to state in their inaugural year.
Victoria's environmental commitment is shaped by her Costa Rican heritage. Growing up as one of four Hispanic students in her entire K-12 school, she held tight to that part of her identity. She read articles about Costa Rica's strides in natural sciences and biodiversity protection, and felt proud. "Seeing my people, my family, make such amazing steps protecting their biodiversity, it lit a fire in me," she says.
That fire now fuels her desire to bridge the gap between science and her rural community, where skepticism about climate change runs high. She wants to create accessible, easy-to-read science articles that explain environmental advancements to people who might not have had the chance to learn about them otherwise. "There's a gap between those in urban settings and rural settings, and I want to close that gap," she explains.
At Tri-County Early College, Victoria has taken on leadership roles across campus. She serves as Senior Beta Club Treasurer and as a yearbook editor, designing covers and leading staff in layout decisions. Through the Principal's Ambassador program, which she joined as a freshman for her maturity and leadership skills, she designs and leads presentations for prospective students and community members. The program has also taken her to Denmark, Italy, and France through a global studies exchange, trips she has paid for herself through part-time work.
Her teacher, Marianne Leek, who has known Victoria since 8th grade, considers her among the strongest students she has encountered in over 30 years of teaching. Leek describes Victoria as "self-motivated, dependable, creative, kind, empathetic, strong, and curious," and calls her a "change maker" who "strives to make everything around her better. Our school is better because of her presence.”
Victoria has logged over 200 hours of community service, from providing toys to families at Christmas to working at food banks. She is a varsity swimmer and completed an education internship at Murphy High School, where she worked with the music department and continued showing up to help students even after her internship ended. She is a member of the National Beta Club and the Superintendent Student Advisory Committee.
Victoria will study political science with a minor in public policy at North Carolina State University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, or Duke University, ready to turn her love for science into the kind of change that policy can deliver.
High School: Tri-County Early College High School
Hometown: Murphy, NC
It was 2017. It had rained for two weeks straight, and Victoria Higdon's yard in rural North Carolina had flooded. She spent her days playing in the rain, and one day noticed a small bubble forming in the mud. It grew bigger and bigger until she finally grabbed a rake and popped it. Water came flowing out, and she was fascinated. She sat down at her dad's computer and searched for every possible explanation. That afternoon sparked her interest in earth science. She researched constantly, sharing new facts with her mom at every opportunity, though it wouldn't be until 7th grade, when she learned about climate change, pollution, and habitat loss, that the interest became a commitment.
Victoria had been speaking up about climate change for years, but in summer 2024, NC State's Resource Conservation Workshop showed her how she could actually help. She returned to Tri-County Early College High School with a mission: start an Envirothon team. Envirothon is a national competition where students study five subjects in depth: wildlife, aquatics, soils, forestry, and current environmental issues. She got permission from her principal, recruited teammates, and became the team's captain. With just four members, they studied day after day. They were the only team from their county and the first team in their school's history, and made it to state in their inaugural year.
Victoria's environmental commitment is shaped by her Costa Rican heritage. Growing up as one of four Hispanic students in her entire K-12 school, she held tight to that part of her identity. She read articles about Costa Rica's strides in natural sciences and biodiversity protection, and felt proud. "Seeing my people, my family, make such amazing steps protecting their biodiversity, it lit a fire in me," she says.
That fire now fuels her desire to bridge the gap between science and her rural community, where skepticism about climate change runs high. She wants to create accessible, easy-to-read science articles that explain environmental advancements to people who might not have had the chance to learn about them otherwise. "There's a gap between those in urban settings and rural settings, and I want to close that gap," she explains.
At Tri-County Early College, Victoria has taken on leadership roles across campus. She serves as Senior Beta Club Treasurer and as a yearbook editor, designing covers and leading staff in layout decisions. Through the Principal's Ambassador program, which she joined as a freshman for her maturity and leadership skills, she designs and leads presentations for prospective students and community members. The program has also taken her to Denmark, Italy, and France through a global studies exchange, trips she has paid for herself through part-time work.
Her teacher, Marianne Leek, who has known Victoria since 8th grade, considers her among the strongest students she has encountered in over 30 years of teaching. Leek describes Victoria as "self-motivated, dependable, creative, kind, empathetic, strong, and curious," and calls her a "change maker" who "strives to make everything around her better. Our school is better because of her presence.”
Victoria has logged over 200 hours of community service, from providing toys to families at Christmas to working at food banks. She is a varsity swimmer and completed an education internship at Murphy High School, where she worked with the music department and continued showing up to help students even after her internship ended. She is a member of the National Beta Club and the Superintendent Student Advisory Committee.
Victoria will study political science with a minor in public policy at North Carolina State University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, or Duke University, ready to turn her love for science into the kind of change that policy can deliver.
SILVER - Yeileen Colon
Major: Biology
High School: E.E. Smith High School
Hometown: Fayetteville, NC
Growing up in a low-income household in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Yeileen Colon learned sustainability before she knew the word for it. Her family practiced resourcefulness as a way of life: reusing containers, mending clothes, sharing resources with neighbors. "My family practiced resourcefulness long before I learned the word 'sustainability,'" she says. "These early experiences instilled in me a deep respect for conservation and community resilience." That foundation would later shape her approach to environmental work, based on the belief that sustainability must be inclusive, accessible, and culturally informed.
Yeileen's interest in environmental issues took focus during a high school project on local water contamination. Seeing how pollution disproportionately affected marginalized communities motivated her to pursue sustainability through both science and community engagement.
At work, Yeileen led a Zero-Waste Pilot Program that reduced landfill output by 68% within six months. She mapped waste streams, partnered with facilities and procurement teams to introduce color-coded bins and vendor take-back programs, and designed an internal education campaign that included weekly tips, department challenges, and workshops. The pilot exceeded its goals and was later scaled to additional offices.
Through her college coursework, Yeileen has studied Environmental Policy Analysis, Sustainable Systems Engineering, and Climate Economics. She served as co-president of her campus Sustainability Council, where she led a campaign to eliminate single-use plastics from dining services. The initiative replaced disposable containers with a reusable-box program that saved over 20,000 items in one semester. She also co-authored the campus Carbon Footprint Report, conducting emissions inventories and presenting findings to university leadership, which influenced the school's updated climate action plan.
Beyond campus, Yeileen interned with EcoFuture Solutions, helping develop a community composting initiative that diverted 15 tons of waste from landfills and provided nutrient-rich soil for urban gardens. She also led a campus food recovery program that redirected surplus meals to local shelters, rescuing more than 8,000 pounds of food over two years. More recently, she has volunteered as a mentor for middle school students through a "Green Leaders" program, working on projects like planting pollinator gardens and hosting recycling drives. When one student told her she now wants to study environmental engineering because she "didn't know science could help people," Yeileen saw her own journey reflected back. That's exactly the connection she hopes to build.
At E.E. Smith High School, Yeileen plays varsity softball and was selected as team captain. In that role, she organized team study sessions to help players balance academics and athletics, and worked with coaches to strengthen communication and morale. Under her leadership, the team advanced to the regional playoffs for the first time in several years.
Yeileen has earned multiple FEMA emergency management certifications, including NIMS 100, 200, 700, and 800. Her Public Safety teacher, Sara Falcon, describes her as "responsible, respectful, and always willing to help others," noting that "what truly sets her apart is her motivation to learn and her positive attitude." For her, being prepared to help in a crisis is another form of the community care she was raised on.
Yeileen will study biology at Fayetteville State University, Fayetteville Technical Community College, or North Carolina A&T State University. Her goal is to address energy inequity in communities like her own, where families are often forced to choose between utility bills and basic needs. Sustainability, she believes, should be for everyone.
High School: E.E. Smith High School
Hometown: Fayetteville, NC
Growing up in a low-income household in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Yeileen Colon learned sustainability before she knew the word for it. Her family practiced resourcefulness as a way of life: reusing containers, mending clothes, sharing resources with neighbors. "My family practiced resourcefulness long before I learned the word 'sustainability,'" she says. "These early experiences instilled in me a deep respect for conservation and community resilience." That foundation would later shape her approach to environmental work, based on the belief that sustainability must be inclusive, accessible, and culturally informed.
Yeileen's interest in environmental issues took focus during a high school project on local water contamination. Seeing how pollution disproportionately affected marginalized communities motivated her to pursue sustainability through both science and community engagement.
At work, Yeileen led a Zero-Waste Pilot Program that reduced landfill output by 68% within six months. She mapped waste streams, partnered with facilities and procurement teams to introduce color-coded bins and vendor take-back programs, and designed an internal education campaign that included weekly tips, department challenges, and workshops. The pilot exceeded its goals and was later scaled to additional offices.
Through her college coursework, Yeileen has studied Environmental Policy Analysis, Sustainable Systems Engineering, and Climate Economics. She served as co-president of her campus Sustainability Council, where she led a campaign to eliminate single-use plastics from dining services. The initiative replaced disposable containers with a reusable-box program that saved over 20,000 items in one semester. She also co-authored the campus Carbon Footprint Report, conducting emissions inventories and presenting findings to university leadership, which influenced the school's updated climate action plan.
Beyond campus, Yeileen interned with EcoFuture Solutions, helping develop a community composting initiative that diverted 15 tons of waste from landfills and provided nutrient-rich soil for urban gardens. She also led a campus food recovery program that redirected surplus meals to local shelters, rescuing more than 8,000 pounds of food over two years. More recently, she has volunteered as a mentor for middle school students through a "Green Leaders" program, working on projects like planting pollinator gardens and hosting recycling drives. When one student told her she now wants to study environmental engineering because she "didn't know science could help people," Yeileen saw her own journey reflected back. That's exactly the connection she hopes to build.
At E.E. Smith High School, Yeileen plays varsity softball and was selected as team captain. In that role, she organized team study sessions to help players balance academics and athletics, and worked with coaches to strengthen communication and morale. Under her leadership, the team advanced to the regional playoffs for the first time in several years.
Yeileen has earned multiple FEMA emergency management certifications, including NIMS 100, 200, 700, and 800. Her Public Safety teacher, Sara Falcon, describes her as "responsible, respectful, and always willing to help others," noting that "what truly sets her apart is her motivation to learn and her positive attitude." For her, being prepared to help in a crisis is another form of the community care she was raised on.
Yeileen will study biology at Fayetteville State University, Fayetteville Technical Community College, or North Carolina A&T State University. Her goal is to address energy inequity in communities like her own, where families are often forced to choose between utility bills and basic needs. Sustainability, she believes, should be for everyone.
BRONZE - Raygan Short
Major: Political Science with a minor in Latin American/Latinx Studies
High School: William Amos Hough High School
Hometown: Davidson, NC
Raygan Short's interest in environmental work started in fourth grade, when a science fair project on water pollution caught her attention. The project's poster explained how common pollution is in waterways and what could be done to prevent it. The idea stuck with her. Years later, during a summer walk in 2022, she noticed an Adopt-A-Stream sign go up near a creek that held fond memories from her childhood: bike rides on its trails, crawdad hunting with friends. So it made sense to be the one to protect it, and she signed up to adopt it.
As the adopter, Raygan organizes cleanups multiple times a year. She and a group of friends wade through the water, testing for pH levels, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, and temperature while collecting debris. On average, they remove over 120 pounds of trash per cleanup. Her first one was the hardest. Her back ached from wrenching tires out of the sediment, her arms burned from hauling trash bags. Then she saw them: a doe and her fawn, upstream. The doe gently nudged her fawn toward the creek, and Raygan watched the young deer drink from water now free of debris. "I knew then it had all been worth it," she recalls. "The preparation, the commitment, and the exhaustion.”
Raygan also volunteers at the Davidson Community Garden, where she has learned sustainable techniques like composting and companion planting. During her first spring with the garden, she harvested over 35 pounds of fruits and vegetables in a single session. All of it went to the local food pantry, which primarily serves Hispanic families in the area. For Raygan, that connection matters. She knows that minority communities are disproportionately affected by pollution and environmental degradation, and she wants her work to address that.
Her service extends beyond environmental efforts. Through Grace Covenant Church, Raygan volunteers with ESL classes, helping non-English-speaking adults and children develop language skills. During her sophomore year, she assisted a class of students ranging in age from 5 to 65. By the end of the course, 85% had achieved mastery in beginner English skills. As a proud Boricua, she knows firsthand what a language barrier can close off and what becomes possible when it's overcome.
At William Amos Hough High School, Raygan is a member of the National Honor Society, the Spanish Honor Society, and Bilingual Leadership, through which she organized a hygiene drive for the Ada Jenkins Center that collected 68 pounds of products. She participates in Hough's Outstanding Women's League (HOWL) and has volunteered at Fall Fest, the Davidson Green Art Festival, and Levine Children's Hospital. She has organized the Husky Closet, made dog treats for local shelters, and planned holiday parties for the Exceptional Children's department. She is a varsity swimmer, having competed all four years of high school, and swims competitively at the club level with a commitment to swim collegiately.
Her teacher, Elizabeth Duckworth, who taught Raygan in AP Human Geography and AP African American Studies, describes her as having "insatiable curiosity." Duckworth calls her "a model of empathy and leadership" who "naturally assumes guiding roles in group discussions, offering thoughtful insights while ensuring that her peers feel supported and heard." She maintains a 4.0 unweighted GPA. She is an AP Scholar, a Junior Marshall, and will graduate with a Capstone Diploma.
Raygan will study political science with a minor in Latin American/Latinx studies at College of the Holy Cross, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, or Brown University. She has watched Charlotte grow rapidly, becoming the city with the sixth-largest population increase in the country in 2024, and has seen the toll that expansion takes on green spaces and waterways. She wants to address it through policy: stricter regulations on construction near water sources, expanded public transit, and smarter urban planning. The stream that shaped her childhood is cleaner because of her. She plans to keep that work going.
High School: William Amos Hough High School
Hometown: Davidson, NC
Raygan Short's interest in environmental work started in fourth grade, when a science fair project on water pollution caught her attention. The project's poster explained how common pollution is in waterways and what could be done to prevent it. The idea stuck with her. Years later, during a summer walk in 2022, she noticed an Adopt-A-Stream sign go up near a creek that held fond memories from her childhood: bike rides on its trails, crawdad hunting with friends. So it made sense to be the one to protect it, and she signed up to adopt it.
As the adopter, Raygan organizes cleanups multiple times a year. She and a group of friends wade through the water, testing for pH levels, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, and temperature while collecting debris. On average, they remove over 120 pounds of trash per cleanup. Her first one was the hardest. Her back ached from wrenching tires out of the sediment, her arms burned from hauling trash bags. Then she saw them: a doe and her fawn, upstream. The doe gently nudged her fawn toward the creek, and Raygan watched the young deer drink from water now free of debris. "I knew then it had all been worth it," she recalls. "The preparation, the commitment, and the exhaustion.”
Raygan also volunteers at the Davidson Community Garden, where she has learned sustainable techniques like composting and companion planting. During her first spring with the garden, she harvested over 35 pounds of fruits and vegetables in a single session. All of it went to the local food pantry, which primarily serves Hispanic families in the area. For Raygan, that connection matters. She knows that minority communities are disproportionately affected by pollution and environmental degradation, and she wants her work to address that.
Her service extends beyond environmental efforts. Through Grace Covenant Church, Raygan volunteers with ESL classes, helping non-English-speaking adults and children develop language skills. During her sophomore year, she assisted a class of students ranging in age from 5 to 65. By the end of the course, 85% had achieved mastery in beginner English skills. As a proud Boricua, she knows firsthand what a language barrier can close off and what becomes possible when it's overcome.
At William Amos Hough High School, Raygan is a member of the National Honor Society, the Spanish Honor Society, and Bilingual Leadership, through which she organized a hygiene drive for the Ada Jenkins Center that collected 68 pounds of products. She participates in Hough's Outstanding Women's League (HOWL) and has volunteered at Fall Fest, the Davidson Green Art Festival, and Levine Children's Hospital. She has organized the Husky Closet, made dog treats for local shelters, and planned holiday parties for the Exceptional Children's department. She is a varsity swimmer, having competed all four years of high school, and swims competitively at the club level with a commitment to swim collegiately.
Her teacher, Elizabeth Duckworth, who taught Raygan in AP Human Geography and AP African American Studies, describes her as having "insatiable curiosity." Duckworth calls her "a model of empathy and leadership" who "naturally assumes guiding roles in group discussions, offering thoughtful insights while ensuring that her peers feel supported and heard." She maintains a 4.0 unweighted GPA. She is an AP Scholar, a Junior Marshall, and will graduate with a Capstone Diploma.
Raygan will study political science with a minor in Latin American/Latinx studies at College of the Holy Cross, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, or Brown University. She has watched Charlotte grow rapidly, becoming the city with the sixth-largest population increase in the country in 2024, and has seen the toll that expansion takes on green spaces and waterways. She wants to address it through policy: stricter regulations on construction near water sources, expanded public transit, and smarter urban planning. The stream that shaped her childhood is cleaner because of her. She plans to keep that work going.
Pink Region
Please select a recipient name to read their bio.
GOLD - Giovani Ocampo
Major: Landscape Architecture
High School: Muscatine High School
Hometown: Muscatine, IA
Giovani Ocampo learned sustainability not from a textbook but from the land. Growing up in a first-generation Mexican household in Muscatine, Iowa, he worked alongside his parents cultivating food from the earth. Those hours taught him what textbooks could not: that caring for the land requires patience and dedication, but yields rewards worth every effort. Within his last name, you will find the word campo, Spanish for 'field,' a fitting detail for someone whose first lessons came from the soil itself.
When his high school teacher encouraged him to join the FFA team competing in the Kirkwood Community College Nursery Landscape Contest the summer after his junior year, Giovani hesitated. He had never entered an FFA competition and did not know what to expect. But he took the chance. His team spent hours identifying plants, studying landscape design concepts, and working through problem-solving scenarios. At the competition, his team placed third overall, and Giovani finished sixth individually, no small feat for a first-time competitor.
That experience revealed how much he had yet to learn about plants, design, and environmental care, and made him want to learn it. He enrolled in AP Environmental Science, Principles of Horticulture, and Landscape Design Techniques, coursework that showed him how ecology and design could work together. In his school's greenhouse, he gained hands-on experience growing and maintaining plants, learning propagation through practice. Season by season, his skills sharpened. By 2024, he had taken first place in the Kirkwood Landscape Design Challenge. In 2025, he was named Outstanding Horticulture Student.
Living along the Mississippi River has shown Giovani what flooding can do to a community. During heavy rains, water spills not just near riverbanks but into neighborhoods and streets farther inland. Runoff carries pollutants and debris into local waterways, harming wildlife and degrading water quality. He sees native plants as the solution. Their deep root systems absorb water, stabilize soil, and filter pollutants before they reach the river. Rain gardens, wetlands, and native plant zones could reduce flooding while providing habitat for local species. He imagines educational programs encouraging residents to plant native species on their own property, combining individual action with citywide efforts for a more resilient Muscatine.
Music connects Giovani to his heritage and community. As first chair violinist in Muscatine High School's Symphony orchestra, he leads the first violin section, a role that requires learning pieces thoroughly so he can guide his peers through rehearsals. He also plays in the school's mariachi ensemble, sitting first stand for the second violins. His orchestra teacher, Guillermo Najarro, notes that mariachi has helped Giovani "connect with his culture in the music and [bring] a sense of pride that he is willing to share with those around him.”
His commitment to community shows in ways large and small. He visits residents at Aspire of Muscatine nursing home and listens to their stories, runs game booths at elementary school carnivals, helps customers select plants at the FFA greenhouse sale, and tutors peers at school. Bilingual in Spanish and English, he often bridges communication gaps for Spanish-speaking families in his school community, helping them feel seen and included. In the summers, he has volunteered as a camp counselor for his district's orchestra camp, teaching violin to elementary and middle school students. Watching them go from struggling to find notes to performing with confidence in a matter of days reminds him of the mentors who first sparked his own love of music.
Giovani's parents taught him that cultivating food from the land was never just about the harvest. It was culture, care, and shared responsibility. He wants to carry those values forward. He plans to study landscape architecture at Iowa State University, the University of Wisconsin–Madison, or the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. To him, the field is where creativity and sustainability meet. He wants to design parks, gardens, and public spaces that honor what his parents first showed him: caring for the earth and caring for people are one and the same.
High School: Muscatine High School
Hometown: Muscatine, IA
Giovani Ocampo learned sustainability not from a textbook but from the land. Growing up in a first-generation Mexican household in Muscatine, Iowa, he worked alongside his parents cultivating food from the earth. Those hours taught him what textbooks could not: that caring for the land requires patience and dedication, but yields rewards worth every effort. Within his last name, you will find the word campo, Spanish for 'field,' a fitting detail for someone whose first lessons came from the soil itself.
When his high school teacher encouraged him to join the FFA team competing in the Kirkwood Community College Nursery Landscape Contest the summer after his junior year, Giovani hesitated. He had never entered an FFA competition and did not know what to expect. But he took the chance. His team spent hours identifying plants, studying landscape design concepts, and working through problem-solving scenarios. At the competition, his team placed third overall, and Giovani finished sixth individually, no small feat for a first-time competitor.
That experience revealed how much he had yet to learn about plants, design, and environmental care, and made him want to learn it. He enrolled in AP Environmental Science, Principles of Horticulture, and Landscape Design Techniques, coursework that showed him how ecology and design could work together. In his school's greenhouse, he gained hands-on experience growing and maintaining plants, learning propagation through practice. Season by season, his skills sharpened. By 2024, he had taken first place in the Kirkwood Landscape Design Challenge. In 2025, he was named Outstanding Horticulture Student.
Living along the Mississippi River has shown Giovani what flooding can do to a community. During heavy rains, water spills not just near riverbanks but into neighborhoods and streets farther inland. Runoff carries pollutants and debris into local waterways, harming wildlife and degrading water quality. He sees native plants as the solution. Their deep root systems absorb water, stabilize soil, and filter pollutants before they reach the river. Rain gardens, wetlands, and native plant zones could reduce flooding while providing habitat for local species. He imagines educational programs encouraging residents to plant native species on their own property, combining individual action with citywide efforts for a more resilient Muscatine.
Music connects Giovani to his heritage and community. As first chair violinist in Muscatine High School's Symphony orchestra, he leads the first violin section, a role that requires learning pieces thoroughly so he can guide his peers through rehearsals. He also plays in the school's mariachi ensemble, sitting first stand for the second violins. His orchestra teacher, Guillermo Najarro, notes that mariachi has helped Giovani "connect with his culture in the music and [bring] a sense of pride that he is willing to share with those around him.”
His commitment to community shows in ways large and small. He visits residents at Aspire of Muscatine nursing home and listens to their stories, runs game booths at elementary school carnivals, helps customers select plants at the FFA greenhouse sale, and tutors peers at school. Bilingual in Spanish and English, he often bridges communication gaps for Spanish-speaking families in his school community, helping them feel seen and included. In the summers, he has volunteered as a camp counselor for his district's orchestra camp, teaching violin to elementary and middle school students. Watching them go from struggling to find notes to performing with confidence in a matter of days reminds him of the mentors who first sparked his own love of music.
Giovani's parents taught him that cultivating food from the land was never just about the harvest. It was culture, care, and shared responsibility. He wants to carry those values forward. He plans to study landscape architecture at Iowa State University, the University of Wisconsin–Madison, or the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. To him, the field is where creativity and sustainability meet. He wants to design parks, gardens, and public spaces that honor what his parents first showed him: caring for the earth and caring for people are one and the same.
SILVER - Sophia Lopez-Ramirez
Major: Urban and Environmental Studies and Public Policy with a minor in Linguistics
High School: Cedarville High School
Hometown: Springfield, OH
Each morning, Sophia Lopez-Ramirez drives between two worlds. She leaves Springfield, Ohio, where houses sit packed like sardines and streetlights line every block, and arrives in Cedarville, a village of 4,000 defined by dairy farms, cornfields, and tight-knit tradition. One community anchors the Rust Belt; the other holds onto its rural roots. She carries questions from both.
How can Springfield make its streets safer for pedestrians? How can Cedarville embrace sustainability without losing what makes it home? She sees them as problems to solve, not puzzles to admire. As an intern with The Conscious Connect, an urban revitalization nonprofit in Springfield, Sophia put those questions to work. She analyzed Geographic Information Systems data and created infographics that translated complex environmental findings into plain words. She mapped urban heat islands alongside tree canopy cover and found a troubling pattern: the most populated areas, including the high school, downtown, and the Southside, had few to no trees, making them the hottest zones in the city. Her visuals now serve as the primary tool the nonprofit uses to educate community members on their natural and built environments, and have been presented alongside Wittenberg University's Environmental Studies class. Her supervisor, Destinye Arnold, commended Sophia's work for having sparked meaningful community conversations and received widespread praise for its clarity and creativity. Arnold describes her as intelligent, driven, and compassionate, with a talent for combining research and creativity to make real-world impact.
Sophia first explored sustainability when she was selected for the University of Chicago's Young Innovators Program in 2024. On a full scholarship, she learned from experts at Invenergy, a leading clean energy company. Mentored by industry leaders, her team researched carbon emissions in Pittsburgh, focusing on the steel industry and suggesting changes to current infrastructure.
In school, she has taken every opportunity to study the natural and built environment. Her favorite class has been Human Geography, where she learned about food systems, urban development, and human-environmental interactions around the world. She has also strengthened practical skills like GIS that she plans to carry into future careers in the field.
At Cedarville High School, she competes in both Envirothon and TEAMS (Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics, and Science). As Envirothon's Current Environmental Issues Specialist, she studied fossil fuel and forest management and earned the highest category score out of 70 teams at the 2024 regional competition. Her team placed eighth overall, the first top 10 finish in her school's recent history. For TEAMS, she writes essays on sustainable development each year, covering topics from hurricane-safe hotels to food production on Mars.
Driving through Cedarville means passing "Say No to Solar Farms" signs along cornfields. In rural Ohio, 70% of solar farms occupy former farmland, and many residents view them as predatory, unnatural. Sophia sees a way through the resistance. She proposes mandatory meetings between solar companies, landowners, and legal counsel before any sale, so residents understand financial benefits while protecting community character. She envisions zoning requirements that keep solar installations at a set distance from homes, preserving the character of rural communities.
Sophia is one of the only Springfield students to have ever qualified for the National Spelling Bee. Wanting to bring the opportunity home, she founded the Champion City Spelling Bee (CCSB). Within two years, her organization has come together with 15 different local sponsors and engaged over 60 spellers of all ages in bees that highlight surrounding businesses, raising $1,000 for student scholarships. By offering free engagement with community attractions, investing in local education, and drawing spellers from surrounding counties into Springfield, the CCSB has become an avenue for continued investment in her hometown.
Her service reaches into policy and education. As a Community Development Intern for Clark County, she digitized over 1,000 zoning and historical planning files. She is the only student on Cedarville High School's Strategic Plan Opportunities Development Team, advising administration and the school board on programming. She serves as one of 30 students on the Ohio Department of Education Youth Advisory Board. As a grant writer for Bringing Awareness to Students, she secured $8,000 to fund over 100 youth at prevention summits, work recognized with the Tri-County Mental Health Recovery Board Youth Leader Award in 2023.
Sophia approaches her academics with the same intentionality she brings to her community work. She maintains a 4.0 unweighted GPA while pursuing dual enrollment coursework in Human Geography, Comparing Cultures, Physics, Calculus, and more. She is a National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist and a Coca-Cola Scholarship Semifinalist, honors that affirm what she has already demonstrated through her work, that she is a student who shows up prepared and ready to make a difference.
Sophia has been accepted to the University of Chicago, where she will study urban and environmental studies and public policy with a minor in linguistics. As an aspiring urban planner, policymaker, and environmental lawyer, she wants to collaborate with communities to develop culturally relevant solutions that fuse tradition and modern sustainability. Her aim is to plan safer, healthier, and more equitable cities.
High School: Cedarville High School
Hometown: Springfield, OH
Each morning, Sophia Lopez-Ramirez drives between two worlds. She leaves Springfield, Ohio, where houses sit packed like sardines and streetlights line every block, and arrives in Cedarville, a village of 4,000 defined by dairy farms, cornfields, and tight-knit tradition. One community anchors the Rust Belt; the other holds onto its rural roots. She carries questions from both.
How can Springfield make its streets safer for pedestrians? How can Cedarville embrace sustainability without losing what makes it home? She sees them as problems to solve, not puzzles to admire. As an intern with The Conscious Connect, an urban revitalization nonprofit in Springfield, Sophia put those questions to work. She analyzed Geographic Information Systems data and created infographics that translated complex environmental findings into plain words. She mapped urban heat islands alongside tree canopy cover and found a troubling pattern: the most populated areas, including the high school, downtown, and the Southside, had few to no trees, making them the hottest zones in the city. Her visuals now serve as the primary tool the nonprofit uses to educate community members on their natural and built environments, and have been presented alongside Wittenberg University's Environmental Studies class. Her supervisor, Destinye Arnold, commended Sophia's work for having sparked meaningful community conversations and received widespread praise for its clarity and creativity. Arnold describes her as intelligent, driven, and compassionate, with a talent for combining research and creativity to make real-world impact.
Sophia first explored sustainability when she was selected for the University of Chicago's Young Innovators Program in 2024. On a full scholarship, she learned from experts at Invenergy, a leading clean energy company. Mentored by industry leaders, her team researched carbon emissions in Pittsburgh, focusing on the steel industry and suggesting changes to current infrastructure.
In school, she has taken every opportunity to study the natural and built environment. Her favorite class has been Human Geography, where she learned about food systems, urban development, and human-environmental interactions around the world. She has also strengthened practical skills like GIS that she plans to carry into future careers in the field.
At Cedarville High School, she competes in both Envirothon and TEAMS (Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics, and Science). As Envirothon's Current Environmental Issues Specialist, she studied fossil fuel and forest management and earned the highest category score out of 70 teams at the 2024 regional competition. Her team placed eighth overall, the first top 10 finish in her school's recent history. For TEAMS, she writes essays on sustainable development each year, covering topics from hurricane-safe hotels to food production on Mars.
Driving through Cedarville means passing "Say No to Solar Farms" signs along cornfields. In rural Ohio, 70% of solar farms occupy former farmland, and many residents view them as predatory, unnatural. Sophia sees a way through the resistance. She proposes mandatory meetings between solar companies, landowners, and legal counsel before any sale, so residents understand financial benefits while protecting community character. She envisions zoning requirements that keep solar installations at a set distance from homes, preserving the character of rural communities.
Sophia is one of the only Springfield students to have ever qualified for the National Spelling Bee. Wanting to bring the opportunity home, she founded the Champion City Spelling Bee (CCSB). Within two years, her organization has come together with 15 different local sponsors and engaged over 60 spellers of all ages in bees that highlight surrounding businesses, raising $1,000 for student scholarships. By offering free engagement with community attractions, investing in local education, and drawing spellers from surrounding counties into Springfield, the CCSB has become an avenue for continued investment in her hometown.
Her service reaches into policy and education. As a Community Development Intern for Clark County, she digitized over 1,000 zoning and historical planning files. She is the only student on Cedarville High School's Strategic Plan Opportunities Development Team, advising administration and the school board on programming. She serves as one of 30 students on the Ohio Department of Education Youth Advisory Board. As a grant writer for Bringing Awareness to Students, she secured $8,000 to fund over 100 youth at prevention summits, work recognized with the Tri-County Mental Health Recovery Board Youth Leader Award in 2023.
Sophia approaches her academics with the same intentionality she brings to her community work. She maintains a 4.0 unweighted GPA while pursuing dual enrollment coursework in Human Geography, Comparing Cultures, Physics, Calculus, and more. She is a National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist and a Coca-Cola Scholarship Semifinalist, honors that affirm what she has already demonstrated through her work, that she is a student who shows up prepared and ready to make a difference.
Sophia has been accepted to the University of Chicago, where she will study urban and environmental studies and public policy with a minor in linguistics. As an aspiring urban planner, policymaker, and environmental lawyer, she wants to collaborate with communities to develop culturally relevant solutions that fuse tradition and modern sustainability. Her aim is to plan safer, healthier, and more equitable cities.
BRONZE - Santiago Escoto
Major: Biology with a minor in Neuroscience
High School: Rochester Adams High School
Hometown: Rochester Hills, MI
In Santiago Escoto's household, no container was single-use if it could hold tomorrow's leftovers, and lights got switched off the moment someone left a room. His Mexican Catholic family practiced resourcefulness as a given, not a cause. "I was always taught to use what we had and not to be wasteful," Santiago shares. Those early habits shaped how he came to understand sustainability as caring for people and conserving what exists, not recycling alone.
A volunteer position at Rochester Hills Public Library gave those principles a concrete outlet. Santiago noticed an abundance of books in great condition headed for the trash because they had fallen out of circulation. He asked if he could collect them before they were discarded. With permission, he gathered over one hundred books, many written in Spanish, and redistributed them to the Children's Hospital of Michigan and a nonprofit in Pontiac serving Latino Catholic children. Many of these children lacked access to books at home. "Being able to see their excitement on their faces is an image I will never forget," Santiago recalls. The experience reminded him that service is not always about enormous gestures, but about offering something meaningful to those who need it.
His church provided another opportunity to merge environmental awareness with direct service. As president of the Red Cross Club and a member of HOSA, Santiago wanted to create a project that addressed those in need while encouraging his peers to get involved in meaningful service. He partnered with his local parish to understand the most pressing needs his community faced, then organized a toiletry drive where classmates assembled hygiene kits using donated soap, toothpaste, shampoo, and other essentials. He used eco-friendly packaging when possible and encouraged the use of reusable bags during distribution. The project put over 150 kits into the hands of people experiencing homelessness and families facing economic hardship, with items ranging from toiletries to socks and gloves. For Santiago, these efforts showed him that sustainability can be community-based, practical, and personal all at once.
He continues to volunteer at the Pontiac nonprofit where he donated books, mentoring young people from families facing economic hardship or language barriers. Santiago sees himself in them. During one summer, he taught the children about medicine and health for an hour each day, covering the human body and ways to feel better both mentally and physically. He weaves in environmental health topics like the importance of clean water and hygiene habits, connecting their well-being to the world around them. He envisions expanding this work through a monthly Reading and Culture Day, partnering with local parishes and community centers so volunteers from high schools and churches can read to children in both English and Spanish.
At Rochester Adams High School, Santiago has competed at the regional and state level as a HOSA member each year from 2023 to 2025, gaining insight into issues like medically underserved areas and health professional shortages. He does not wait to be told to make a difference. He coordinates events for the Chess Club, swims on the varsity team, and holds membership in both the National Honor Society and the French Honor Society. His pattern of showing up for his community reflects the thoughtfulness and humility that define his leadership.
Santiago plans to attend the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, or Wayne State University to study biology with a minor in neuroscience, extending a life shaped by service into a future in medicine.
High School: Rochester Adams High School
Hometown: Rochester Hills, MI
In Santiago Escoto's household, no container was single-use if it could hold tomorrow's leftovers, and lights got switched off the moment someone left a room. His Mexican Catholic family practiced resourcefulness as a given, not a cause. "I was always taught to use what we had and not to be wasteful," Santiago shares. Those early habits shaped how he came to understand sustainability as caring for people and conserving what exists, not recycling alone.
A volunteer position at Rochester Hills Public Library gave those principles a concrete outlet. Santiago noticed an abundance of books in great condition headed for the trash because they had fallen out of circulation. He asked if he could collect them before they were discarded. With permission, he gathered over one hundred books, many written in Spanish, and redistributed them to the Children's Hospital of Michigan and a nonprofit in Pontiac serving Latino Catholic children. Many of these children lacked access to books at home. "Being able to see their excitement on their faces is an image I will never forget," Santiago recalls. The experience reminded him that service is not always about enormous gestures, but about offering something meaningful to those who need it.
His church provided another opportunity to merge environmental awareness with direct service. As president of the Red Cross Club and a member of HOSA, Santiago wanted to create a project that addressed those in need while encouraging his peers to get involved in meaningful service. He partnered with his local parish to understand the most pressing needs his community faced, then organized a toiletry drive where classmates assembled hygiene kits using donated soap, toothpaste, shampoo, and other essentials. He used eco-friendly packaging when possible and encouraged the use of reusable bags during distribution. The project put over 150 kits into the hands of people experiencing homelessness and families facing economic hardship, with items ranging from toiletries to socks and gloves. For Santiago, these efforts showed him that sustainability can be community-based, practical, and personal all at once.
He continues to volunteer at the Pontiac nonprofit where he donated books, mentoring young people from families facing economic hardship or language barriers. Santiago sees himself in them. During one summer, he taught the children about medicine and health for an hour each day, covering the human body and ways to feel better both mentally and physically. He weaves in environmental health topics like the importance of clean water and hygiene habits, connecting their well-being to the world around them. He envisions expanding this work through a monthly Reading and Culture Day, partnering with local parishes and community centers so volunteers from high schools and churches can read to children in both English and Spanish.
At Rochester Adams High School, Santiago has competed at the regional and state level as a HOSA member each year from 2023 to 2025, gaining insight into issues like medically underserved areas and health professional shortages. He does not wait to be told to make a difference. He coordinates events for the Chess Club, swims on the varsity team, and holds membership in both the National Honor Society and the French Honor Society. His pattern of showing up for his community reflects the thoughtfulness and humility that define his leadership.
Santiago plans to attend the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, or Wayne State University to study biology with a minor in neuroscience, extending a life shaped by service into a future in medicine.
Purple Region
Please select a recipient name to read their bio.
GOLD - Christopher Ramirez
Major: Biochemistry with a minor in Environmental Science
High School: California Academy of Mathematics and Science
Hometown: Lakewood, CA
First-generation student, scientist, and activist, Christopher Ramirez, grew up exploring California. He hiked the Angeles Mountains, swam at local beaches, and walked through neighborhood parks. Over time, he watched those places change. Air pollution from freeways and ports thickened. Forest fires destroyed hiking sites. Plastic washed up on shores that once looked pristine. The shift in his environment urged him to act.
In 2023, Christopher began volunteering in the Aquarium of the Pacific's VolunTEEN program. There, he learned how to engage guests about ocean science and conservation while building skills in leadership and public communication. Samantha Paciotta, Youth Volunteer Coordinator at the Aquarium of the Pacific, describes Christopher as someone who consistently demonstrates exceptional dedication and leadership in environmental advocacy. She highlights his commitment to helping people of all ages and backgrounds connect with environmental stewardship and describes him as an engaging public speaker whose enthusiasm and commitment to conservation and education shine through.
Over his time at the aquarium, Christopher advanced to volunteering in its Teen Climate Council, a program centered on the youth voice in sustainability, environmental education, and climate action. Through his work in this program, he continuously contributes to youth engagement in climate challenges and helps bring awareness of these issues to people of all ages. Now in his second year, he serves as Lead Chair and has contributed close to 250 hours of service.
His proudest accomplishment came through organizing Sustainable Sit-Down, a virtual conference built with his team. The event connected teens from around the globe with environmental policy and climate professionals, offering direct exposure to careers in sustainability and ecology. One message stayed with him when a local high school student wrote, "I never knew I could have a job that helps the ocean through climate policies." For Christopher, the significance was not only the success of the conference but planting seeds of agency in young people who might not have seen themselves as future climate leaders.
The Teen Climate Council has continued to grow through his leadership. He worked with his team to create Teen Climate Fest, a two-day annual event that draws over 16,000 visitors to the aquarium for free, showcasing sustainability through art, food, and fashion. The council collaborated with organizations including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Idawild Arts Academy, Long Beach Beekeepers Association, and 4Ocean to produce children's books that teach conservation through interactive stories. He also worked with his peers to develop a documentary showcasing Tongan traditions and relationships to ocean animals, a project guided by the belief that diverse perspectives strengthen environmental education.
As President of the Marine Environmental Science Club at the California Academy of Mathematics and Science, Christopher has informed over 100 youth members about the importance of conservation and raised more than $1,000 to support cleanup efforts at Long Beach Shores. As a delegate at the Yokkaichi Environmental Summit in Japan, he presented renewable energy solutions to mayoral and government officials, focusing on strategies to limit energy consumption and reduce extreme weather events.
Christopher has pursued research across multiple institutions. Working at CSULB, he developed a methanotrophic bacteria project to optimize methane consumption with the goal of decreasing methane in the atmosphere. At UCI, he researched changes in atmospheric gas concentrations using Antarctic ice cores. At the Summer Science Program, a competitive research program, he modeled cancer cells using a yeast-based model and approached the project with sustainability in mind by minimizing waste through effective protocol design. He connects efficient research design with sustainability, noting that reducing faulty experiments and excessive equipment can lessen plastic, glass, and paper waste in scientific and medical settings.
He presented renewable energy proposals to address local pollution at the Arevon Pitch Competition, where he shared ideas for the Port of Long Beach, including wave-powered electricity and algae-based fuel.
His environmental work extends from research and policy proposals to direct conservation efforts. Last November, he traveled to Oaxaca, Mexico, during Thanksgiving Break, to work alongside biologists relocating endangered olive ridley and leatherback sea turtles through the Stanley G. Cohen Scholarship.
He holds a 4.0 unweighted GPA while pursuing advanced coursework in environmental science, chemistry, statistics, calculus, and physics, to name a few. His commitment to scholarship and service has earned national and regional recognition, including selection as a Coca-Cola Scholarship Semifinalist and a Student Eco Ambassador Scholarship recipient. His scientific curiosity is reflected in his achievement as an International Biology Bowl Semifinalist, while his leadership and civic engagement have been recognized through the DAR Youth Leadership Medal, the Presidential Volunteer Service Award Gold, and recognition as an Ivolou Volunteer Service Award Finalist.
Christopher plans to attend Stanford University, Yale University, or Harvard College to study biochemistry with a minor in environmental science. He looks ahead to a future where scientific research and environmental responsibility move hand in hand, continuing his work to protect communities and ecosystems alike.
High School: California Academy of Mathematics and Science
Hometown: Lakewood, CA
First-generation student, scientist, and activist, Christopher Ramirez, grew up exploring California. He hiked the Angeles Mountains, swam at local beaches, and walked through neighborhood parks. Over time, he watched those places change. Air pollution from freeways and ports thickened. Forest fires destroyed hiking sites. Plastic washed up on shores that once looked pristine. The shift in his environment urged him to act.
In 2023, Christopher began volunteering in the Aquarium of the Pacific's VolunTEEN program. There, he learned how to engage guests about ocean science and conservation while building skills in leadership and public communication. Samantha Paciotta, Youth Volunteer Coordinator at the Aquarium of the Pacific, describes Christopher as someone who consistently demonstrates exceptional dedication and leadership in environmental advocacy. She highlights his commitment to helping people of all ages and backgrounds connect with environmental stewardship and describes him as an engaging public speaker whose enthusiasm and commitment to conservation and education shine through.
Over his time at the aquarium, Christopher advanced to volunteering in its Teen Climate Council, a program centered on the youth voice in sustainability, environmental education, and climate action. Through his work in this program, he continuously contributes to youth engagement in climate challenges and helps bring awareness of these issues to people of all ages. Now in his second year, he serves as Lead Chair and has contributed close to 250 hours of service.
His proudest accomplishment came through organizing Sustainable Sit-Down, a virtual conference built with his team. The event connected teens from around the globe with environmental policy and climate professionals, offering direct exposure to careers in sustainability and ecology. One message stayed with him when a local high school student wrote, "I never knew I could have a job that helps the ocean through climate policies." For Christopher, the significance was not only the success of the conference but planting seeds of agency in young people who might not have seen themselves as future climate leaders.
The Teen Climate Council has continued to grow through his leadership. He worked with his team to create Teen Climate Fest, a two-day annual event that draws over 16,000 visitors to the aquarium for free, showcasing sustainability through art, food, and fashion. The council collaborated with organizations including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Idawild Arts Academy, Long Beach Beekeepers Association, and 4Ocean to produce children's books that teach conservation through interactive stories. He also worked with his peers to develop a documentary showcasing Tongan traditions and relationships to ocean animals, a project guided by the belief that diverse perspectives strengthen environmental education.
As President of the Marine Environmental Science Club at the California Academy of Mathematics and Science, Christopher has informed over 100 youth members about the importance of conservation and raised more than $1,000 to support cleanup efforts at Long Beach Shores. As a delegate at the Yokkaichi Environmental Summit in Japan, he presented renewable energy solutions to mayoral and government officials, focusing on strategies to limit energy consumption and reduce extreme weather events.
Christopher has pursued research across multiple institutions. Working at CSULB, he developed a methanotrophic bacteria project to optimize methane consumption with the goal of decreasing methane in the atmosphere. At UCI, he researched changes in atmospheric gas concentrations using Antarctic ice cores. At the Summer Science Program, a competitive research program, he modeled cancer cells using a yeast-based model and approached the project with sustainability in mind by minimizing waste through effective protocol design. He connects efficient research design with sustainability, noting that reducing faulty experiments and excessive equipment can lessen plastic, glass, and paper waste in scientific and medical settings.
He presented renewable energy proposals to address local pollution at the Arevon Pitch Competition, where he shared ideas for the Port of Long Beach, including wave-powered electricity and algae-based fuel.
His environmental work extends from research and policy proposals to direct conservation efforts. Last November, he traveled to Oaxaca, Mexico, during Thanksgiving Break, to work alongside biologists relocating endangered olive ridley and leatherback sea turtles through the Stanley G. Cohen Scholarship.
He holds a 4.0 unweighted GPA while pursuing advanced coursework in environmental science, chemistry, statistics, calculus, and physics, to name a few. His commitment to scholarship and service has earned national and regional recognition, including selection as a Coca-Cola Scholarship Semifinalist and a Student Eco Ambassador Scholarship recipient. His scientific curiosity is reflected in his achievement as an International Biology Bowl Semifinalist, while his leadership and civic engagement have been recognized through the DAR Youth Leadership Medal, the Presidential Volunteer Service Award Gold, and recognition as an Ivolou Volunteer Service Award Finalist.
Christopher plans to attend Stanford University, Yale University, or Harvard College to study biochemistry with a minor in environmental science. He looks ahead to a future where scientific research and environmental responsibility move hand in hand, continuing his work to protect communities and ecosystems alike.
SILVER - Azucena Sandoval
Major: Agricultural Engineering with a minor in Data Science
High School: Watsonville High School
Hometown: Watsonville, CA
Azucena Sandoval's sense of time was shaped by early mornings. At 5:45 AM, lights turned on, work began, and the drive to Mamá Tonia's house carried her past dimly lit fields where farmworkers were already tending crops. Azucena waved, her father waved back, and the day moved forward with the same rhythm her community in Watsonville, California lived by: show up, endure, provide.
To others, Mamá Tonia was simply the woman who watched Azucena while her parents worked. To Azucena, she was everything: the voice that said "Aquí estoy, mija" after every scraped knee, the steady presence who sat beside her as she read, listening with care even when English was not hers. Mamá Tonia's home was where loved ones gathered after long hours in the fields, turning labor into meals, music, laughter. She was the one who held that world together. Azucena believed it would always exist.
California's 2023 atmospheric rivers swept it away. Thousands were displaced, and the workers who had filled Mamá Tonia's home now rushed through storms to salvage what they could. Azucena heard Mamá Tonia on the phone, asking again and again: "¿Cómo puedo ayudar?" How can I help? But this time, even she could not piece things back together. Sitting outside the bedroom door, listening to Mamá Tonia's sobs, Azucena understood: it was her turn now.
Years earlier, in middle school, Azucena had met a Mexican climate advocate from UC Berkeley whose work and aspirations centered on helping her own community. She saw herself reflected in that woman and knew that future would one day be her own. "For my parents, who sacrifice tirelessly. For Mamá Tonia, who nurtured me as her own. For the fieldworkers, my community's foundation, whose resilience fuels mine. Ultimately, I do this for myself, an accumulation of their efforts, determined to give back to the world that made me.”
Sitting outside that bedroom door, the future arrived.
She branched out to local justice groups, organized community meetings, and helped agricultural workers access financial assistance, safety protections, and translation resources. She stood beside them in flood recovery efforts, advocating when the system would not.
Azucena had watched others speak for her community before she ever imagined speaking herself. She admired the advocates who stood in rooms and raised concerns that others carried quietly. She wanted to do the same, yet questioned whether her own voice could hold the same weight.
Still, when the moment came, she stepped forward.
During her first major public speech, Azucena relayed testimonies from those most affected by the floods: agricultural workers who lost their homes, their entire livelihoods in the flooded fields, people whose labor had sustained the very world that now failed to protect them. She carried into the room what she had carried since childhood: the ache of watching people endure, the quiet promise to protect them if she ever could. Passion carried her forward even as doubt followed close behind. She second-guessed every word, worried her nervousness softened what needed to be heard, yet she spoke all the same.
Then, a leading advocate she had long admired approached her. The executive director of Regeneración Pájaro Valley, a local climate justice organization that centers community voices in environmental solutions, Nancy Faulstich, came to ask a simple question: "Would you like to join Regeneración?" In that moment, Azucena understood that her voice had landed where it was meant to. And for the first time, she allowed herself to believe it mattered.
"Regeneración means renewal, reinstilling hope," Azucena says. After standing in front of a room with shaking hands and an exposed heart, unsure whether anything she said had reached beyond her own ribs, she was asked to stay. To belong. To work. That invitation changed how she understood herself. Regeneración gave her a place where her words were met with attention, where community stories guided solutions, where she could learn that her voice did not need to be perfect to be heard. It only needed to be hers.
Azucena has proudly been advancing Regeneración's mission since she joined in 2024 as the youngest intern on staff. During her time there, she has mobilized more than 500 residents on agricultural worker justice and climate resilience, ensuring bilingual access to emergency relief and sustainability programs. In an organization built to center community voices, she understood that her role begins with listening. She has spoken directly with agricultural workers about wage inequity, pesticide exposure, and workplace mistreatment, and has cultivated safe spaces to speak on immigrant rights. She organized storytelling workshops for 20 young people, amplifying their voices through photography to document the toll of climate change on their community. She co-conducted 300 transportation surveys that informed city policy discussions and helped families secure electric vehicle rebates.
Her presence has grown familiar in public spaces. She has tabled at community events, switching between Spanish and English depending on who stands in front of her, helping residents access disaster preparedness information and heat stress prevention resources. Her welcoming manner makes space for others, drawing in people who might otherwise stay on the margins of these conversations. She has spoken several times before the Watsonville City Council and nonprofit leaders about climate and environmental justice issues, advocating for fair agricultural labor protections and cleaner air. Her efforts helped elevate discussion on pesticide exposure among local leaders and advance a state air-monitoring initiative that brought air monitors to Watsonville.
Faulstich describes Azucena as highly intelligent and accomplished, humble, and committed to service. She shows up with a smile, compassion for others, and a tireless commitment to justice for those who have not had the opportunities she has had. She continuously advocates for workplace and community protections, dignity, the opportunity to self-advocate, better working conditions, and livable wages for agricultural workers. She speaks with her community, not for it, which is exactly what centering community voices requires.
She leads with that same commitment at Youth for Environmental Action, a youth organization supported by the Santa Cruz County Office of Education, where she has advanced Green School certification and sustainability initiatives across her region. The annual Earth Day forum she organized brought together more than 150 youth, teachers, and local leaders, including National Geographic photography winners, to promote environmental action and create space where young people could voice concerns and translate them into change.
She has carried her community's story to stages far from home. Selected from 1,062 participants across 105 countries, Azucena became the youngest global finalist in the Learning Planet Youth Design Challenge for pitching a sustainability-based learning program. She was invited to speak at the Global Launch during United Nations General Assembly week in New York City, sharing testimonials from agricultural workers in her community alongside UNESCO and Teach For All leaders.
Azucena has pursued technical training with the same aim: to one day create solutions that make the fields safer. Through the MITES Summer Program at MIT, where she was selected as one of 65 students from more than 5,000 applicants, she learned that engineering is not about being right but about challenging the solution. For her capstone project, she led a team to reverse-engineer the program's course placement algorithm. Using survey data, they found that 65 percent of students were placed into career courses they had experience in, while first-time learners, many from communities with limited resources, lost access to fields they had hoped to explore. Her team built a new algorithm that prioritized equity and opportunity alongside interest. Presenting to 150 peers, faculty, and Nobel laureates, she argued for reconsidering processes that appear neutral but concentrate opportunity among some while limiting it for others. The same principle she has been living by: those most affected should shape the systems meant to serve them.
She has continued building her technical foundation at Stanford's AIMI Center, where she was the youngest of 25 interns selected from more than 2,000 applicants. There, she collaborated with researchers to analyze 10,000 medical X-rays using machine learning models and explored how artificial intelligence could improve diagnostic accuracy. At SMASH UC Berkeley and the SAGE Program at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, she added to her technical range.
Further recognition has followed: the NCWIT Bay Area Affiliate and National Honorable Mention Awards, the Daughters of the American Revolution Award, Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation Semi-Finalist, California State Seal of Civic Engagement, and an Award of Recognition from her school's Environmental Science Department. In 2022, her submission for the #StepUp4Disarmament campaign was selected as a winner. She also competes in cross country and track and field, building endurance through practice of a different kind.
What she carries forward is the drive to give back to the world that made her. Azucena will attend Stanford University, the University of California, Berkeley, or Yale University, where she plans to major in agricultural engineering with a minor in data science. Her aim has not changed since she first caught a glimpse of her future in someone else. She will move forward with the same drive to ensure environmental and humanitarian justice are achieved for her community. For her parents. For Mamá Tonia. For the fieldworkers. For everyone who shows up, endures, and provides. And for herself.
High School: Watsonville High School
Hometown: Watsonville, CA
Azucena Sandoval's sense of time was shaped by early mornings. At 5:45 AM, lights turned on, work began, and the drive to Mamá Tonia's house carried her past dimly lit fields where farmworkers were already tending crops. Azucena waved, her father waved back, and the day moved forward with the same rhythm her community in Watsonville, California lived by: show up, endure, provide.
To others, Mamá Tonia was simply the woman who watched Azucena while her parents worked. To Azucena, she was everything: the voice that said "Aquí estoy, mija" after every scraped knee, the steady presence who sat beside her as she read, listening with care even when English was not hers. Mamá Tonia's home was where loved ones gathered after long hours in the fields, turning labor into meals, music, laughter. She was the one who held that world together. Azucena believed it would always exist.
California's 2023 atmospheric rivers swept it away. Thousands were displaced, and the workers who had filled Mamá Tonia's home now rushed through storms to salvage what they could. Azucena heard Mamá Tonia on the phone, asking again and again: "¿Cómo puedo ayudar?" How can I help? But this time, even she could not piece things back together. Sitting outside the bedroom door, listening to Mamá Tonia's sobs, Azucena understood: it was her turn now.
Years earlier, in middle school, Azucena had met a Mexican climate advocate from UC Berkeley whose work and aspirations centered on helping her own community. She saw herself reflected in that woman and knew that future would one day be her own. "For my parents, who sacrifice tirelessly. For Mamá Tonia, who nurtured me as her own. For the fieldworkers, my community's foundation, whose resilience fuels mine. Ultimately, I do this for myself, an accumulation of their efforts, determined to give back to the world that made me.”
Sitting outside that bedroom door, the future arrived.
She branched out to local justice groups, organized community meetings, and helped agricultural workers access financial assistance, safety protections, and translation resources. She stood beside them in flood recovery efforts, advocating when the system would not.
Azucena had watched others speak for her community before she ever imagined speaking herself. She admired the advocates who stood in rooms and raised concerns that others carried quietly. She wanted to do the same, yet questioned whether her own voice could hold the same weight.
Still, when the moment came, she stepped forward.
During her first major public speech, Azucena relayed testimonies from those most affected by the floods: agricultural workers who lost their homes, their entire livelihoods in the flooded fields, people whose labor had sustained the very world that now failed to protect them. She carried into the room what she had carried since childhood: the ache of watching people endure, the quiet promise to protect them if she ever could. Passion carried her forward even as doubt followed close behind. She second-guessed every word, worried her nervousness softened what needed to be heard, yet she spoke all the same.
Then, a leading advocate she had long admired approached her. The executive director of Regeneración Pájaro Valley, a local climate justice organization that centers community voices in environmental solutions, Nancy Faulstich, came to ask a simple question: "Would you like to join Regeneración?" In that moment, Azucena understood that her voice had landed where it was meant to. And for the first time, she allowed herself to believe it mattered.
"Regeneración means renewal, reinstilling hope," Azucena says. After standing in front of a room with shaking hands and an exposed heart, unsure whether anything she said had reached beyond her own ribs, she was asked to stay. To belong. To work. That invitation changed how she understood herself. Regeneración gave her a place where her words were met with attention, where community stories guided solutions, where she could learn that her voice did not need to be perfect to be heard. It only needed to be hers.
Azucena has proudly been advancing Regeneración's mission since she joined in 2024 as the youngest intern on staff. During her time there, she has mobilized more than 500 residents on agricultural worker justice and climate resilience, ensuring bilingual access to emergency relief and sustainability programs. In an organization built to center community voices, she understood that her role begins with listening. She has spoken directly with agricultural workers about wage inequity, pesticide exposure, and workplace mistreatment, and has cultivated safe spaces to speak on immigrant rights. She organized storytelling workshops for 20 young people, amplifying their voices through photography to document the toll of climate change on their community. She co-conducted 300 transportation surveys that informed city policy discussions and helped families secure electric vehicle rebates.
Her presence has grown familiar in public spaces. She has tabled at community events, switching between Spanish and English depending on who stands in front of her, helping residents access disaster preparedness information and heat stress prevention resources. Her welcoming manner makes space for others, drawing in people who might otherwise stay on the margins of these conversations. She has spoken several times before the Watsonville City Council and nonprofit leaders about climate and environmental justice issues, advocating for fair agricultural labor protections and cleaner air. Her efforts helped elevate discussion on pesticide exposure among local leaders and advance a state air-monitoring initiative that brought air monitors to Watsonville.
Faulstich describes Azucena as highly intelligent and accomplished, humble, and committed to service. She shows up with a smile, compassion for others, and a tireless commitment to justice for those who have not had the opportunities she has had. She continuously advocates for workplace and community protections, dignity, the opportunity to self-advocate, better working conditions, and livable wages for agricultural workers. She speaks with her community, not for it, which is exactly what centering community voices requires.
She leads with that same commitment at Youth for Environmental Action, a youth organization supported by the Santa Cruz County Office of Education, where she has advanced Green School certification and sustainability initiatives across her region. The annual Earth Day forum she organized brought together more than 150 youth, teachers, and local leaders, including National Geographic photography winners, to promote environmental action and create space where young people could voice concerns and translate them into change.
She has carried her community's story to stages far from home. Selected from 1,062 participants across 105 countries, Azucena became the youngest global finalist in the Learning Planet Youth Design Challenge for pitching a sustainability-based learning program. She was invited to speak at the Global Launch during United Nations General Assembly week in New York City, sharing testimonials from agricultural workers in her community alongside UNESCO and Teach For All leaders.
Azucena has pursued technical training with the same aim: to one day create solutions that make the fields safer. Through the MITES Summer Program at MIT, where she was selected as one of 65 students from more than 5,000 applicants, she learned that engineering is not about being right but about challenging the solution. For her capstone project, she led a team to reverse-engineer the program's course placement algorithm. Using survey data, they found that 65 percent of students were placed into career courses they had experience in, while first-time learners, many from communities with limited resources, lost access to fields they had hoped to explore. Her team built a new algorithm that prioritized equity and opportunity alongside interest. Presenting to 150 peers, faculty, and Nobel laureates, she argued for reconsidering processes that appear neutral but concentrate opportunity among some while limiting it for others. The same principle she has been living by: those most affected should shape the systems meant to serve them.
She has continued building her technical foundation at Stanford's AIMI Center, where she was the youngest of 25 interns selected from more than 2,000 applicants. There, she collaborated with researchers to analyze 10,000 medical X-rays using machine learning models and explored how artificial intelligence could improve diagnostic accuracy. At SMASH UC Berkeley and the SAGE Program at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, she added to her technical range.
Further recognition has followed: the NCWIT Bay Area Affiliate and National Honorable Mention Awards, the Daughters of the American Revolution Award, Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation Semi-Finalist, California State Seal of Civic Engagement, and an Award of Recognition from her school's Environmental Science Department. In 2022, her submission for the #StepUp4Disarmament campaign was selected as a winner. She also competes in cross country and track and field, building endurance through practice of a different kind.
What she carries forward is the drive to give back to the world that made her. Azucena will attend Stanford University, the University of California, Berkeley, or Yale University, where she plans to major in agricultural engineering with a minor in data science. Her aim has not changed since she first caught a glimpse of her future in someone else. She will move forward with the same drive to ensure environmental and humanitarian justice are achieved for her community. For her parents. For Mamá Tonia. For the fieldworkers. For everyone who shows up, endures, and provides. And for herself.
BRONZE - Jenny De la Cruz Robles
Major: Public Health with a minor in Environmental Science
High School: Rancho San Juan High School
Hometown: Salinas, CA
Jenny De la Cruz Robles knows what it means to grow up in a place of contradictions. Salinas may be called the "Salad Bowl of the World," yet she has watched food insecurity persist. She has seen pride in community alongside realities shaped by pollution and inequality. For Jenny, sustainability is a lived responsibility. It is personal, local, and urgent, and it is exactly why she has chosen to show up as both an environmental advocate and a future public health leader.
Jenny's proudest accomplishment in her category grew from a place many locals avoid thinking about: Johnson Canyon Landfill. After intensive training with Salinas Valley Recycles, she learned how food scraps decompose without oxygen and release methane that is later flared. She also saw a looming consequence for her hometown. Without better waste diversion, Salinas could face the creation of a new landfill. Rather than accept that outcome, Jenny helped turn concern into action through the Grand Opening of the Salinas Valley Recycles Sustainability Fair and Education Center, which Jenny tells us was Salinas's most attended sustainability event and the culmination of a year of entirely student-run planning.
At the Grand Opening, renovated, recycled, and solar-powered shipping containers became a space where young people toured the landfill and received environmental literacy education. In the months leading up to the program, Jenny recruited and coordinated 50 youth volunteers who prepared a kid-friendly learning space with sorting games and environmental book donations. During the event, she led sewing stations, delivered speeches, and distributed Swedish dish cloths. In the spirit of sustainability, she also carried a rusty purple bicycle to a repair station and rode it for the first time in years, watching other discarded bicycles gain new purpose as well. She shares that experiences like these showed her how environmental action can feel accessible, cultural, and community-driven.
Her work with Salinas Valley Recycles Youth Council reflects careful planning and community care. She has designed environmental literacy reels, presentations, tours, and resource binders that serve as blueprints for schools seeking to implement food-scrap recycling programs. She recognizes that changing systems takes time. While high schools in her district have not yet adopted full food-scrap recycling, she has focused on building tools and momentum that peers can carry forward. She has already seen early results from her educational media, redesigned waste bin labels on campus, and the first stages of a food scraps program.
Jenny also brings youth voices into decision-making spaces. During her sophomore year, she addressed Salinas Union High School District leadership about the lack of proper waste disposal on campus, calling for better waste-sorting education and removal of single-use food packaging. She shared resources to begin improving sustainability practices in schools. Shortly after her address, single-use spork packets were removed from district campuses. She views this outcome as small progress that began with speaking up and offering solutions.
Her environmental work extends into research, public speaking, and academic competition. With Big Sur Land Trust, a local conservation organization, she conducted water research on Alisal Creek to measure the effects of agricultural runoff. At the California Resource Recovery Association Conference, she presented Art of Implementation: Building Strong Sustainable Solutions and Environmental Engagement for Youth, focused on creating effective youth-led sustainability programs. In the United States Academic Decathlon, themed Our Changing Climate, she earned recognition for a speech focused on landfills and later received a Bronze Speech Award. She also founded the only Academic Decathlon chapter in her county, raised more than seven hundred dollars to make materials accessible, and contributed to collaborative learning on campus.
Service remains central to Jenny's work. She has participated in beautification projects with AMOR Salinas and Blue Zones, and supported environmental stewardship efforts through community organizations. As a Monterey County Mental Health Youth Council member, she filmed bilingual drug prevention public service announcements for parents. Through a Summer Health Institute experience, she witnessed how mental health, addiction, environmental conditions, and access to care intersect in real lives. These experiences inform her belief that public health and environmental justice must be addressed together, especially in communities like her own.
Jenny's leadership and academic excellence have been recognized through a Blue Zones Community Service Award, AP with WE Service Recognition, AP Scholar distinction, and second place at the Monterey County Math Festival. She maintains an unweighted 4.0 GPA while pursuing advanced coursework. She also authors a blog, Ameliorate Articulations, where she shares reflections and calls to action shaped by her experiences in Salinas.
Julia Brooker, her mentor with Salinas Valley Recycles, describes Jenny as a senior youth leader who sets ambitious goals, mentors new members, organizes inclusive projects, and represents youth voices in sustainability discussions with local officials. This guidance and trust have supported her growth as a community advocate who leads with empathy and initiative.
Next, Jenny plans to continue her studies at Stanford University, the University of California, San Diego, or Johns Hopkins University, where she intends to major in public health with a minor in environmental science. She hopes to address social and environmental factors that shape health outcomes in communities like Salinas.
High School: Rancho San Juan High School
Hometown: Salinas, CA
Jenny De la Cruz Robles knows what it means to grow up in a place of contradictions. Salinas may be called the "Salad Bowl of the World," yet she has watched food insecurity persist. She has seen pride in community alongside realities shaped by pollution and inequality. For Jenny, sustainability is a lived responsibility. It is personal, local, and urgent, and it is exactly why she has chosen to show up as both an environmental advocate and a future public health leader.
Jenny's proudest accomplishment in her category grew from a place many locals avoid thinking about: Johnson Canyon Landfill. After intensive training with Salinas Valley Recycles, she learned how food scraps decompose without oxygen and release methane that is later flared. She also saw a looming consequence for her hometown. Without better waste diversion, Salinas could face the creation of a new landfill. Rather than accept that outcome, Jenny helped turn concern into action through the Grand Opening of the Salinas Valley Recycles Sustainability Fair and Education Center, which Jenny tells us was Salinas's most attended sustainability event and the culmination of a year of entirely student-run planning.
At the Grand Opening, renovated, recycled, and solar-powered shipping containers became a space where young people toured the landfill and received environmental literacy education. In the months leading up to the program, Jenny recruited and coordinated 50 youth volunteers who prepared a kid-friendly learning space with sorting games and environmental book donations. During the event, she led sewing stations, delivered speeches, and distributed Swedish dish cloths. In the spirit of sustainability, she also carried a rusty purple bicycle to a repair station and rode it for the first time in years, watching other discarded bicycles gain new purpose as well. She shares that experiences like these showed her how environmental action can feel accessible, cultural, and community-driven.
Her work with Salinas Valley Recycles Youth Council reflects careful planning and community care. She has designed environmental literacy reels, presentations, tours, and resource binders that serve as blueprints for schools seeking to implement food-scrap recycling programs. She recognizes that changing systems takes time. While high schools in her district have not yet adopted full food-scrap recycling, she has focused on building tools and momentum that peers can carry forward. She has already seen early results from her educational media, redesigned waste bin labels on campus, and the first stages of a food scraps program.
Jenny also brings youth voices into decision-making spaces. During her sophomore year, she addressed Salinas Union High School District leadership about the lack of proper waste disposal on campus, calling for better waste-sorting education and removal of single-use food packaging. She shared resources to begin improving sustainability practices in schools. Shortly after her address, single-use spork packets were removed from district campuses. She views this outcome as small progress that began with speaking up and offering solutions.
Her environmental work extends into research, public speaking, and academic competition. With Big Sur Land Trust, a local conservation organization, she conducted water research on Alisal Creek to measure the effects of agricultural runoff. At the California Resource Recovery Association Conference, she presented Art of Implementation: Building Strong Sustainable Solutions and Environmental Engagement for Youth, focused on creating effective youth-led sustainability programs. In the United States Academic Decathlon, themed Our Changing Climate, she earned recognition for a speech focused on landfills and later received a Bronze Speech Award. She also founded the only Academic Decathlon chapter in her county, raised more than seven hundred dollars to make materials accessible, and contributed to collaborative learning on campus.
Service remains central to Jenny's work. She has participated in beautification projects with AMOR Salinas and Blue Zones, and supported environmental stewardship efforts through community organizations. As a Monterey County Mental Health Youth Council member, she filmed bilingual drug prevention public service announcements for parents. Through a Summer Health Institute experience, she witnessed how mental health, addiction, environmental conditions, and access to care intersect in real lives. These experiences inform her belief that public health and environmental justice must be addressed together, especially in communities like her own.
Jenny's leadership and academic excellence have been recognized through a Blue Zones Community Service Award, AP with WE Service Recognition, AP Scholar distinction, and second place at the Monterey County Math Festival. She maintains an unweighted 4.0 GPA while pursuing advanced coursework. She also authors a blog, Ameliorate Articulations, where she shares reflections and calls to action shaped by her experiences in Salinas.
Julia Brooker, her mentor with Salinas Valley Recycles, describes Jenny as a senior youth leader who sets ambitious goals, mentors new members, organizes inclusive projects, and represents youth voices in sustainability discussions with local officials. This guidance and trust have supported her growth as a community advocate who leads with empathy and initiative.
Next, Jenny plans to continue her studies at Stanford University, the University of California, San Diego, or Johns Hopkins University, where she intends to major in public health with a minor in environmental science. She hopes to address social and environmental factors that shape health outcomes in communities like Salinas.
Red Region
Please select a recipient name to read their bio.
GOLD - Isabel Rose Gonzalez
Major: Chemistry with minors in Chemical Engineering and Environmental Engineering
High School: Manhasset High School
Hometown: Manhasset, NY
Isabel Rose Gonzalez grew up balancing schoolwork, family responsibilities, and curiosity that drew her toward science. When she joined the Science Research Program at Manhasset High School in ninth grade, she entered a space where patience, precision, and persistence turned questions about water pollution into sustained laboratory work.
One of her proudest accomplishments is earning second place in chemistry at the 2025 International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). Reaching ISEF was a dream she had held since joining the Science Research Program. Isabel's research focused on how silver titanium dioxide, a silver nanocomposite, can be efficiently used to help remove pollutants from wastewater. Over the course of this project, she became familiar with chemistry concepts such as photocatalysis, which uses light to trigger reactions that break down pollutants, functionalization, which means adjusting a material’s surface so it performs better, and X-ray diffraction, a lab method that helps confirm a material’s structure. She also learned affordable environmental sustainability strategies while designing experiments and analyzing results. After eight hours of presenting to experts on judging day, receiving a grand award felt surreal. She shares that this experience built confidence to pursue environmental research and present scientific ideas to others. This project is currently under review for publication at the Columbia Junior Science Journal.
Earlier projects built the foundation for this work. As a ninth grader, she investigated sargassum, a type of seaweed that can accumulate along coastlines and disrupt marine ecosystems. She tested whether this seaweed could be repurposed as a fertilizer for cherry tomato plants, addressing plant growth and environmental waste. This work earned second place at the WAC Lighting Invitational Science Fair. As a sophomore, she created kapok fiber micromotors for wastewater remediation, in other words, designed tiny fiber-based devices that could travel in contaminated water and assist in cleaning it. This project earned recognition as a National ACAP Finalist. She was later nominated as a New York State Science Congress representative in both sophomore and junior years. Each project strengthened her ability to apply chemistry and engineering approaches to environmental challenges.
Isabel continues research beyond her school laboratory. She is part of the Eisele Research Group at the Center for Innovation and Discovery at the City College of New York, where she works on microfluidic synthesis and supramolecular self-assembly of nanostructures for cancer-detection studies. She plans to submit her current work to the Regeneron Science Talent Search.
Her science research mentor at Manhasset High School, Alison Huenger, describes Isabel as one of the strongest research students in the program. Huenger highlights her independence in developing long-term research projects, her ability to master advanced laboratory techniques with precision, and her skill in applying scientific literature to solve complex problems. She notes that she consistently carries out environmental research with determination and strong organizational planning, turning setbacks into learning opportunities and producing work recognized at science fairs at local, state, national, and international levels.
Isabel extends her work beyond research into school and community. At Manhasset High School, she participates in the Science Honors Society, the Green Club, and serves as Manhasset liaison for Water Wise Youth. She serves as Student Senate representative for the Spanish Honor Society, treasurer of the English Honor Society, and member of the Science Honor Society. Through Science Honor Society outreach, she works with elementary students. She also volunteers at Northwell Valley Stream Hospital, where she shadows nurses, helps with daily tasks, and speaks with patients who want company during long days. Through the Peer Responder Mentor Program, she tutors middle school students in English, math, science, and Spanish, and received a Superintendent Community Service Award for this work. As the oldest of five children, she helps care for younger siblings and manages family responsibilities alongside school and research.
Isabel brings her heritage into community projects through language and cultural outreach. As a Senate representative for the Spanish Honor Society, she proposed Spanish classes for children at the Manhasset library, combining language learning with music and art activities. She is coordinating this program with library staff to introduce young children to new languages and cultures at an early age.
Her research has earned recognition at regional, state, national, and international science competitions. She received first place and an Environmental Protection Agency Award at the Long Island Science and Engineering Fair, Best in Category at the Long Island Science Congress, third place and a RICOH Sustainability Award at the New York State Science and Engineering Fair, and Top Ten International Finalist recognition at the Junior Scientists and Young Meta research competition. She was also named an AP Scholar with Distinction and recognized in the National Hispanic Recognition Program for her academic achievement.
Isabel plans to study chemistry with minors in chemical engineering and environmental engineering at Yale University, Harvard College, or the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She hopes to continue research that develops practical scientific solutions to environmental challenges.
High School: Manhasset High School
Hometown: Manhasset, NY
Isabel Rose Gonzalez grew up balancing schoolwork, family responsibilities, and curiosity that drew her toward science. When she joined the Science Research Program at Manhasset High School in ninth grade, she entered a space where patience, precision, and persistence turned questions about water pollution into sustained laboratory work.
One of her proudest accomplishments is earning second place in chemistry at the 2025 International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). Reaching ISEF was a dream she had held since joining the Science Research Program. Isabel's research focused on how silver titanium dioxide, a silver nanocomposite, can be efficiently used to help remove pollutants from wastewater. Over the course of this project, she became familiar with chemistry concepts such as photocatalysis, which uses light to trigger reactions that break down pollutants, functionalization, which means adjusting a material’s surface so it performs better, and X-ray diffraction, a lab method that helps confirm a material’s structure. She also learned affordable environmental sustainability strategies while designing experiments and analyzing results. After eight hours of presenting to experts on judging day, receiving a grand award felt surreal. She shares that this experience built confidence to pursue environmental research and present scientific ideas to others. This project is currently under review for publication at the Columbia Junior Science Journal.
Earlier projects built the foundation for this work. As a ninth grader, she investigated sargassum, a type of seaweed that can accumulate along coastlines and disrupt marine ecosystems. She tested whether this seaweed could be repurposed as a fertilizer for cherry tomato plants, addressing plant growth and environmental waste. This work earned second place at the WAC Lighting Invitational Science Fair. As a sophomore, she created kapok fiber micromotors for wastewater remediation, in other words, designed tiny fiber-based devices that could travel in contaminated water and assist in cleaning it. This project earned recognition as a National ACAP Finalist. She was later nominated as a New York State Science Congress representative in both sophomore and junior years. Each project strengthened her ability to apply chemistry and engineering approaches to environmental challenges.
Isabel continues research beyond her school laboratory. She is part of the Eisele Research Group at the Center for Innovation and Discovery at the City College of New York, where she works on microfluidic synthesis and supramolecular self-assembly of nanostructures for cancer-detection studies. She plans to submit her current work to the Regeneron Science Talent Search.
Her science research mentor at Manhasset High School, Alison Huenger, describes Isabel as one of the strongest research students in the program. Huenger highlights her independence in developing long-term research projects, her ability to master advanced laboratory techniques with precision, and her skill in applying scientific literature to solve complex problems. She notes that she consistently carries out environmental research with determination and strong organizational planning, turning setbacks into learning opportunities and producing work recognized at science fairs at local, state, national, and international levels.
Isabel extends her work beyond research into school and community. At Manhasset High School, she participates in the Science Honors Society, the Green Club, and serves as Manhasset liaison for Water Wise Youth. She serves as Student Senate representative for the Spanish Honor Society, treasurer of the English Honor Society, and member of the Science Honor Society. Through Science Honor Society outreach, she works with elementary students. She also volunteers at Northwell Valley Stream Hospital, where she shadows nurses, helps with daily tasks, and speaks with patients who want company during long days. Through the Peer Responder Mentor Program, she tutors middle school students in English, math, science, and Spanish, and received a Superintendent Community Service Award for this work. As the oldest of five children, she helps care for younger siblings and manages family responsibilities alongside school and research.
Isabel brings her heritage into community projects through language and cultural outreach. As a Senate representative for the Spanish Honor Society, she proposed Spanish classes for children at the Manhasset library, combining language learning with music and art activities. She is coordinating this program with library staff to introduce young children to new languages and cultures at an early age.
Her research has earned recognition at regional, state, national, and international science competitions. She received first place and an Environmental Protection Agency Award at the Long Island Science and Engineering Fair, Best in Category at the Long Island Science Congress, third place and a RICOH Sustainability Award at the New York State Science and Engineering Fair, and Top Ten International Finalist recognition at the Junior Scientists and Young Meta research competition. She was also named an AP Scholar with Distinction and recognized in the National Hispanic Recognition Program for her academic achievement.
Isabel plans to study chemistry with minors in chemical engineering and environmental engineering at Yale University, Harvard College, or the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She hopes to continue research that develops practical scientific solutions to environmental challenges.
SILVER - Nicholas Francis Lenti
Major: Ecology with a minor in Education
High School: Trinity High School
Hometown: Bedford, NH
Nicholas Francis Lenti carries his calling in his name. His middle name was given as a tribute to St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals and ecology, and he has spent his life living up to it.
His journey began, as he describes it, "in the simplest of ways, with a boy getting lost in the beauty of nature one magical afternoon at a time." While classmates labeled him "Reptile Freak," his grandmother saw something they missed. A lifelong educator, she recognized that his enthusiasm for learning about animals was more than a phase. She took him to zoos, kept his spirits alive during those years, and on his eleventh birthday, gave him his first reptile: a bearded dragon he named Scales.
When his grandmother moved into a nursing home, Nicholas found a way to give back to the woman who had given him so much. He created Nick's Regal Reptiles (NRR), an educational animal presentation business, and held his first presentation at Bedford Falls nursing home. Watching her and her fellow residents interact with his animals brought him a joy beyond measure. After her passing, he was determined to use the interest she had nurtured in him for good.
Nicholas continues to spend most of his free time at local events, schools, libraries, and nursing homes, giving educational presentations focused on wildlife conservation and responsible pet ownership. He also volunteers at Friends of Aine, a grief center, where he shares his animals with grieving children. Kristen Cushman, Education Coordinator at Friends of Aine, has known Nicholas for ten years and has watched him grow into the person he is today. She describes him as someone who approaches this work with "exceptional knowledge, patience, and enthusiasm," noting that even when navigating difficult topics like grief with the children he serves, he remains focused and resilient, consistently achieving positive outcomes. She also praises his authenticity: "In a time when many young people are heavily influenced by social media and societal trends, Nicholas stays true to who he is." He "embraces his individuality and continuously strives for personal growth and excellence.”
Living in Bedford, New Hampshire, an area undergoing rapid real estate development, Nicholas recognized early that he had a role to play in sustaining the ecosystem around him. For local turtles, habitat loss caused by land development often results in high road mortality as feeding and nesting grounds become fragmented. In spring and summer, he organizes groups through NRR to bike around looking for turtles that need help crossing roads. During his school presentations, he reminds students to help turtles but never take them home, because "a turtle taken from its habitat is a turtle lost to the local population.”
His Catholic faith shapes how he sees this work. Every October 4th, Nicholas honors St. Francis by celebrating his feast day at his church. He brings his snakes and lizards to the Blessing of the Animals and assists in organizing the event. "Witnessing the love and connection that humans have with animals reminds me that working to sustain our environment and its inhabitants is a form of service to both God and humanity," he shares.
Nicholas has gained experience at two local rescue facilities. At Animal Adventures in Bolton, Massachusetts, he cared for rescued armadillos, kangaroos, sloths, Fennec foxes, and capybaras while giving educational presentations on wildlife conservation. At Zoo Creatures, a rehoming facility, he worked with rescued monitor lizards and witnessed the consequences of irresponsible pet ownership. He notes that reptile shows selling directly to the public have increased the number of people acquiring animals without understanding how to care for them, often resulting in the animals being discarded as they grow larger. He hopes one day to work with lawmakers to ensure the exotic pet trade is more properly regulated to protect both reptiles and ecosystems.
This past summer, Nicholas studied ecology at the Advanced Studies Program at St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire. The immersive, college-level program allowed him to explore ecological challenges facing the planet as resource use and populations increase. At the Turkey River Watershed, a tributary along the Merrimack River, he conducted field research on the effects of environmental factors on aquatic life. The experience reinforced what his grandmother had always taught him: that knowledge is the most powerful way to create change. It also affirmed that pursuing a degree in ecology is exactly the tool he needs to take an active role in protecting ecosystems.
In 2025, Nicholas received the Rachel Carson Healthy Planet Award. As a young Hispanic man of Puerto Rican heritage striving to become an impactful environmental steward, he says the honor made him feel "not just proud but emboldened." To be associated with such a celebrated environmentalist was an affirmation that he is making meaningful strides toward a career in sustainability and wildlife conservation. As he puts it, drawing on Carson's words: "In nature's economy the currency is not money, it is life.”
Nicholas has also been recognized as Trinity High School's Outstanding Theology Student, inducted into the National Honor Society, National English Honor Society, and National Art Honor Society, and earned Rookie of the Year for varsity cross country in 2022. He continues to compete in indoor and outdoor track and field.
Nicholas plans to attend Princeton University, Duke University, or the University of Michigan, where he will study ecology with a minor in education. He wants to use the power of education to protect the planet and hopes to be a role model for future generations of conservationists. The boy his grandmother saw when no one else did is now the young man she always knew he would become.
High School: Trinity High School
Hometown: Bedford, NH
Nicholas Francis Lenti carries his calling in his name. His middle name was given as a tribute to St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals and ecology, and he has spent his life living up to it.
His journey began, as he describes it, "in the simplest of ways, with a boy getting lost in the beauty of nature one magical afternoon at a time." While classmates labeled him "Reptile Freak," his grandmother saw something they missed. A lifelong educator, she recognized that his enthusiasm for learning about animals was more than a phase. She took him to zoos, kept his spirits alive during those years, and on his eleventh birthday, gave him his first reptile: a bearded dragon he named Scales.
When his grandmother moved into a nursing home, Nicholas found a way to give back to the woman who had given him so much. He created Nick's Regal Reptiles (NRR), an educational animal presentation business, and held his first presentation at Bedford Falls nursing home. Watching her and her fellow residents interact with his animals brought him a joy beyond measure. After her passing, he was determined to use the interest she had nurtured in him for good.
Nicholas continues to spend most of his free time at local events, schools, libraries, and nursing homes, giving educational presentations focused on wildlife conservation and responsible pet ownership. He also volunteers at Friends of Aine, a grief center, where he shares his animals with grieving children. Kristen Cushman, Education Coordinator at Friends of Aine, has known Nicholas for ten years and has watched him grow into the person he is today. She describes him as someone who approaches this work with "exceptional knowledge, patience, and enthusiasm," noting that even when navigating difficult topics like grief with the children he serves, he remains focused and resilient, consistently achieving positive outcomes. She also praises his authenticity: "In a time when many young people are heavily influenced by social media and societal trends, Nicholas stays true to who he is." He "embraces his individuality and continuously strives for personal growth and excellence.”
Living in Bedford, New Hampshire, an area undergoing rapid real estate development, Nicholas recognized early that he had a role to play in sustaining the ecosystem around him. For local turtles, habitat loss caused by land development often results in high road mortality as feeding and nesting grounds become fragmented. In spring and summer, he organizes groups through NRR to bike around looking for turtles that need help crossing roads. During his school presentations, he reminds students to help turtles but never take them home, because "a turtle taken from its habitat is a turtle lost to the local population.”
His Catholic faith shapes how he sees this work. Every October 4th, Nicholas honors St. Francis by celebrating his feast day at his church. He brings his snakes and lizards to the Blessing of the Animals and assists in organizing the event. "Witnessing the love and connection that humans have with animals reminds me that working to sustain our environment and its inhabitants is a form of service to both God and humanity," he shares.
Nicholas has gained experience at two local rescue facilities. At Animal Adventures in Bolton, Massachusetts, he cared for rescued armadillos, kangaroos, sloths, Fennec foxes, and capybaras while giving educational presentations on wildlife conservation. At Zoo Creatures, a rehoming facility, he worked with rescued monitor lizards and witnessed the consequences of irresponsible pet ownership. He notes that reptile shows selling directly to the public have increased the number of people acquiring animals without understanding how to care for them, often resulting in the animals being discarded as they grow larger. He hopes one day to work with lawmakers to ensure the exotic pet trade is more properly regulated to protect both reptiles and ecosystems.
This past summer, Nicholas studied ecology at the Advanced Studies Program at St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire. The immersive, college-level program allowed him to explore ecological challenges facing the planet as resource use and populations increase. At the Turkey River Watershed, a tributary along the Merrimack River, he conducted field research on the effects of environmental factors on aquatic life. The experience reinforced what his grandmother had always taught him: that knowledge is the most powerful way to create change. It also affirmed that pursuing a degree in ecology is exactly the tool he needs to take an active role in protecting ecosystems.
In 2025, Nicholas received the Rachel Carson Healthy Planet Award. As a young Hispanic man of Puerto Rican heritage striving to become an impactful environmental steward, he says the honor made him feel "not just proud but emboldened." To be associated with such a celebrated environmentalist was an affirmation that he is making meaningful strides toward a career in sustainability and wildlife conservation. As he puts it, drawing on Carson's words: "In nature's economy the currency is not money, it is life.”
Nicholas has also been recognized as Trinity High School's Outstanding Theology Student, inducted into the National Honor Society, National English Honor Society, and National Art Honor Society, and earned Rookie of the Year for varsity cross country in 2022. He continues to compete in indoor and outdoor track and field.
Nicholas plans to attend Princeton University, Duke University, or the University of Michigan, where he will study ecology with a minor in education. He wants to use the power of education to protect the planet and hopes to be a role model for future generations of conservationists. The boy his grandmother saw when no one else did is now the young man she always knew he would become.
BRONZE - Anabel Seni Corniel
Major: Environmental Science with a minor in French
High School: Shaker High School
Hometown: Albany, NY
Sofrito was Anabel Seni Corniel's first lesson in care. In her Dominican home, she watched her abuela build flavor from onions, peppers, and garlic, turning attention into a meal that held everyone close. Years later, Anabel brings that same care to a different kind of nourishment in Albany, New York. She is drawn to ecological restoration, community building, and environmental justice in her local community, especially in urban areas where green spaces are limited and access to fresh, locally sourced products is not always available.
Anabel's interest in environmental science grows from what she notices in daily life, including pollution, food waste, and deforestation. Her love of the ocean has shaped her concern about oil spills and declining ocean biodiversity. Time outdoors leaves her asking what happens to the air people breathe as carbon dioxide emissions rise. Those questions have guided her choices in school and in the field, including community service, an internship at Radix, and research with the University at Albany's Energy Department.
The summer before her senior year, Anabel stepped into Radix Ecological Sustainability Center and found more than a site on a map. She arrived thinking she knew the site from the sidewalk, then found a living system at work. She describes walking through forest trails, learning about plants in Radix's greenhouse, and seeing how many systems work together inside an urban space. What started as half an acre of boulders and concrete became, in her words, a thriving ecosystem where organisms can coexist. Under mentor guidance, she helped support access to farmshare goods and fresh eggs, and a space where community members can take part in something bigger.
Her interest in energy and environment took a research turn through an internship at the University at Albany under mentorship from University Energy Officer Indumathi Lnu. Anabel analyzed campus heating usage data across a calendar year, studied factors that impact usage, and developed recommendations to improve efficiency. Lnu describes her as enthusiastic, intelligent, and curious, noting that she asked thoughtful questions that showed a strong understanding of complex technical concepts. She also pushed past what was required, researching topics independently and producing a presentation that clearly communicated results while explaining anomalies and trends in the data. Along the way, she learned about energy technologies and met with faculty and alumni to better understand careers across energy and environmental fields.
At Shaker High School, Anabel brings sustainability into student life through leadership and service. She helped found her school's Red Cross Club during junior year and now serves as treasurer. This year, she leads a student team creating monthly infographics for an American Red Cross sustainability initiative, offering classmates an accessible way to learn, volunteer, and show up for community needs. She also serves as president of her school's French Club, bringing her love of language into her leadership, and she has earned recognition as a member of the National French Honor Society. Her commitment to the arts has earned her a place in Tri-M National Music Honor Society. She has also logged more than 120 hours of service and joined Key Club projects that range from school cleanups to supporting a local homeless shelter, bringing the same steady reliability to community needs that she brings to environmental work.
Anabel's record reflects discipline across classrooms, clubs, and commitments. She holds a 4.0 unweighted GPA and has made High Honor Roll throughout high school. Her academic honors include the 2025 AP Scholar Award and a Level 4 National French Contest Silver Medal in 2025. She was also invited by College Board to serve as an SAT tutor in 2025, based on a score in the 90th percentile.
Aquatics has given her another community and another place to lead. Anabel Seni swims varsity for her school team and works as a swim instructor at Goldfish Swim School. She describes learning from older teammates as a freshman and later supporting others with technique before meets. Through teaching swim lessons, she has seen how patience and encouragement help each child progress. In her words, giving time to others is part of honoring the support she has received from family, coaches, friends, and peers.
Anabel Seni plans to attend Brown University, Yale University, or Dartmouth College, where she intends to study environmental science with a minor in French. She is excited by what becomes possible when science and language travel together, especially in a world where environmental challenges cross borders.
High School: Shaker High School
Hometown: Albany, NY
Sofrito was Anabel Seni Corniel's first lesson in care. In her Dominican home, she watched her abuela build flavor from onions, peppers, and garlic, turning attention into a meal that held everyone close. Years later, Anabel brings that same care to a different kind of nourishment in Albany, New York. She is drawn to ecological restoration, community building, and environmental justice in her local community, especially in urban areas where green spaces are limited and access to fresh, locally sourced products is not always available.
Anabel's interest in environmental science grows from what she notices in daily life, including pollution, food waste, and deforestation. Her love of the ocean has shaped her concern about oil spills and declining ocean biodiversity. Time outdoors leaves her asking what happens to the air people breathe as carbon dioxide emissions rise. Those questions have guided her choices in school and in the field, including community service, an internship at Radix, and research with the University at Albany's Energy Department.
The summer before her senior year, Anabel stepped into Radix Ecological Sustainability Center and found more than a site on a map. She arrived thinking she knew the site from the sidewalk, then found a living system at work. She describes walking through forest trails, learning about plants in Radix's greenhouse, and seeing how many systems work together inside an urban space. What started as half an acre of boulders and concrete became, in her words, a thriving ecosystem where organisms can coexist. Under mentor guidance, she helped support access to farmshare goods and fresh eggs, and a space where community members can take part in something bigger.
Her interest in energy and environment took a research turn through an internship at the University at Albany under mentorship from University Energy Officer Indumathi Lnu. Anabel analyzed campus heating usage data across a calendar year, studied factors that impact usage, and developed recommendations to improve efficiency. Lnu describes her as enthusiastic, intelligent, and curious, noting that she asked thoughtful questions that showed a strong understanding of complex technical concepts. She also pushed past what was required, researching topics independently and producing a presentation that clearly communicated results while explaining anomalies and trends in the data. Along the way, she learned about energy technologies and met with faculty and alumni to better understand careers across energy and environmental fields.
At Shaker High School, Anabel brings sustainability into student life through leadership and service. She helped found her school's Red Cross Club during junior year and now serves as treasurer. This year, she leads a student team creating monthly infographics for an American Red Cross sustainability initiative, offering classmates an accessible way to learn, volunteer, and show up for community needs. She also serves as president of her school's French Club, bringing her love of language into her leadership, and she has earned recognition as a member of the National French Honor Society. Her commitment to the arts has earned her a place in Tri-M National Music Honor Society. She has also logged more than 120 hours of service and joined Key Club projects that range from school cleanups to supporting a local homeless shelter, bringing the same steady reliability to community needs that she brings to environmental work.
Anabel's record reflects discipline across classrooms, clubs, and commitments. She holds a 4.0 unweighted GPA and has made High Honor Roll throughout high school. Her academic honors include the 2025 AP Scholar Award and a Level 4 National French Contest Silver Medal in 2025. She was also invited by College Board to serve as an SAT tutor in 2025, based on a score in the 90th percentile.
Aquatics has given her another community and another place to lead. Anabel Seni swims varsity for her school team and works as a swim instructor at Goldfish Swim School. She describes learning from older teammates as a freshman and later supporting others with technique before meets. Through teaching swim lessons, she has seen how patience and encouragement help each child progress. In her words, giving time to others is part of honoring the support she has received from family, coaches, friends, and peers.
Anabel Seni plans to attend Brown University, Yale University, or Dartmouth College, where she intends to study environmental science with a minor in French. She is excited by what becomes possible when science and language travel together, especially in a world where environmental challenges cross borders.
Tan Region
Please select a recipient name to read their bio.
GOLD - Hugo Córdova de Varona
Major: Chemical Engineering with minors in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence
High School: Colegio San Ignacio
Hometown: San Juan, PR
Hugo Córdova de Varona's environmental consciousness started at home. His mother's drive to protect the planet influenced the whole family: they reduce waste, fix and reuse items, recycle, and participate in beach cleanups. Even when visiting the beach just for fun, they clean it up. By high school, he had spent years working with coding and robotics, and he saw an opportunity to merge those technical interests with his environmental values.
His signature project began four years ago as a simple soil moisture sensor to determine the best time to water plants. Year after year, Hugo added complexity: automatic irrigation based on moisture thresholds, then temperature and humidity sensors, Bluetooth data transmission, a mobile app, and a rain collection system. By its final iteration, the project had become a full prototype for automatic irrigation and fertilization powered by machine learning. The system tracks over a dozen variables, including plant type and size, leaf surface area, soil moisture, pH, and ambient conditions, to make real-time decisions about when and how much to water and fertilize. Because no existing studies addressed automating fertilization using soil parameters and AI, Hugo had to assemble his own training dataset from scratch. His results speak for themselves: 92% accuracy for irrigation decisions, 78% for fertilization, and reductions of 88% in water consumption and 31% in fertilizer use. The system also helps prevent eutrophication, the nutrient pollution that chokes water bodies.
The project has earned Hugo a wall's worth of recognition. At Puerto Rico's Metropolitan Science Fairs, he collected six gold and two silver medals along with more than ten special awards, including the NASA Earth System Science Project Award, a US Air Force Outstanding Project designation, and the USAID Science Champion Award for using science to address international development challenges. His work qualified him as a Regeneron ISEF 2024 Observer, placing him among Puerto Rico's top fifteen scorers. At the Foro Internacional Ciencias en Puerto Rico, he won first place in the Environment category twice and took home the overall grand prize, qualifying for international fairs in Turkey, Mexico, Peru, Argentina, and Chile. At CIENTEC, Peru's international science fair, he claimed first place in engineering and technology. And at the Stockholm Junior Water Prize competition, Hugo earned first place at the state level in 2023 (though he could not be named state winner due to his age) before becoming the 2024 State Champion and representing Puerto Rico at nationals in Colorado.
Hugo brings the same hands-on design approach to the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers Jr. Recycling Plastic Boat Competition, where he and his team design, build, and race paddle boats constructed entirely from recycled plastic bottles, wrap, and fishing wire. The competition also requires a school and community recycling campaign. He grew from rower to co-leader as his team won first place in the relay race, poster presentation, boat design, and overall competition for three consecutive years because their raft remains the most stable, lightest, and fastest in the water. During three summers of Immersion Projects Design Thinking courses, he worked on additional projects related to recycling and sustainability, and in his chemistry class, he took on NASA's Plant Moon Challenge, testing different soil compositions and irrigation methods to grow plants more efficiently for space exploration.
Growing up in Puerto Rico has shaped how Hugo thinks about the environment and infrastructure. When Hurricanes Irma and María hit, his family stayed on the island. Their home became a relief center, receiving boxes of food, medicine, batteries, and clothes from friends on the mainland. Hugo and his mother delivered supplies across the island, often without cell service or any certainty they would find gas. Eight years later, Puerto Rico's power grid remains fragile, with outages occurring frequently and water supply shortages persisting. "Resilience isn't just a word in PR; it's daily life," Hugo writes. To address these challenges, he proposes implementing community microgrids across the island, using rooftops and parking areas to capture solar energy and create interconnected systems that could power and support each other. He points to the Casa Pueblo solar microgrid project in Adjuntas as a working model. As a future engineer, he hopes to be part of that implementation someday.
At Colegio San Ignacio, Hugo founded the AI & CS Club after recognizing that students interested in programming and data science lacked opportunities to explore those interests. In its first year, the club organized TED-style talks with professionals in data science, programming, and AI, and club teams competed in Lockheed Martin's CodeQuest and CyberQuest, winning first and third place, respectively. He is now planning his school's first hackathon with hopes of creating an interschool coding league to expand STEM opportunities across Puerto Rico. He also serves as president of the Science Club, where he leads Science Bowl preparations and coaches underclassmen for competitions, and as vice president of the Math Club, whose team ranks among the island's top five. His academic excellence has earned him recognition as a National Merit Scholarship Semi-Finalist, National Hispanic Recognition Award recipient, and AP Scholar with Distinction.
And there is more. Hugo participated in MIT's Jameel Clinic AI & Health Bootcamp, where his team built a machine-learning model to help predict strokes, and in MIT's FutureMakers Data Science and Analytics cohort, where he helped a nonprofit develop an AI model to guide its expansion strategy. That experience sparked the idea of offering his technical skills to a nonprofit for his senior service project. He completed Inspirit AI's virtual program and became an AI Ambassador at his school in tenth grade. He was among the first 100 middle school students to learn about quantum computing through The Coding School's Qbit program, taught by an MIT graduate. He has led his team to victories in VEX robotics competitions, earned multiple medals in math Olympiads and National Science Bowl competitions, and represented Puerto Rico at the MILSET International Science Expo in Mexico. This year, he and a partner are developing a wearable device that estimates stress from heart rate, sweat, and other physiological signals to study its relationship with academic motivation and performance. The list, frankly, keeps going.
Lilliam Rodríguez Capó, founder and CEO of VOCES Coalición de Inmunización y Promoción de la Salud de Puerto Rico, has known Hugo since he was eight years old, when he helped his family distribute aid across Puerto Rico after Hurricane María. She watched him sort donations and prepare supplies despite his young age. "Even then, it was apparent that he possessed maturity, empathy, and a sense of responsibility," she recalls. His growth over the years, she says, "has been remarkable but never surprising, because from the beginning, he stood out as someone driven by both intellect and purpose." She describes Hugo as "one of the most accomplished young innovators [she has] encountered," a young man of integrity, humility, and intellectual curiosity who carries "a rare balance of academic rigor, athletic commitment, emotional intelligence, and kindness." In her view, Hugo "represents the future of Hispanic excellence: a young innovator grounded in service, culture, family, faith, and purpose.”
Service is one of five pillars at his Jesuit school, and Hugo has completed over 100 hours since ninth grade, including beach cleanups with Para la Naturaleza and Scubba Dogs. The experiences he values most are those where he can apply his skills to help others. During tenth grade, he tutored a first-grader who had been identified for grade retention, a six-year-old from a difficult economic background who could not read. He brought memory phonetic games to make learning less tedious, and by the end of the year, the boy's teacher reported he was passing to the next grade. "This meant everything to me because I knew the impact it had on his life," Hugo shares. For his senior Maggis project (a Jesuit value meaning "more," serving with greater intention and purpose), he sought out VOCES, a nonprofit dedicated to preventive health and equal access. Learning that the organization needed a way to track HPV vaccine dose completion but lacked the funding and technical resources to build one, he gathered a team of seniors from his AI & CS Club to construct a web application for tracking doses, sending follow-up reminders, and educating the public about HPV and cancer prevention. He still finds time for varsity and club baseball, competing on the field with the same determination he brings to every other pursuit.
Hugo plans to study chemical engineering with minors in data science and artificial intelligence at Georgia Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or Stanford University. He wants to combine those fields to develop solutions for problems like inequitable access to clean water, food, and affordable healthcare. For this young Boricua who has watched his island adapt to one storm after another, technology is not a luxury for a few but a necessity for all.
High School: Colegio San Ignacio
Hometown: San Juan, PR
Hugo Córdova de Varona's environmental consciousness started at home. His mother's drive to protect the planet influenced the whole family: they reduce waste, fix and reuse items, recycle, and participate in beach cleanups. Even when visiting the beach just for fun, they clean it up. By high school, he had spent years working with coding and robotics, and he saw an opportunity to merge those technical interests with his environmental values.
His signature project began four years ago as a simple soil moisture sensor to determine the best time to water plants. Year after year, Hugo added complexity: automatic irrigation based on moisture thresholds, then temperature and humidity sensors, Bluetooth data transmission, a mobile app, and a rain collection system. By its final iteration, the project had become a full prototype for automatic irrigation and fertilization powered by machine learning. The system tracks over a dozen variables, including plant type and size, leaf surface area, soil moisture, pH, and ambient conditions, to make real-time decisions about when and how much to water and fertilize. Because no existing studies addressed automating fertilization using soil parameters and AI, Hugo had to assemble his own training dataset from scratch. His results speak for themselves: 92% accuracy for irrigation decisions, 78% for fertilization, and reductions of 88% in water consumption and 31% in fertilizer use. The system also helps prevent eutrophication, the nutrient pollution that chokes water bodies.
The project has earned Hugo a wall's worth of recognition. At Puerto Rico's Metropolitan Science Fairs, he collected six gold and two silver medals along with more than ten special awards, including the NASA Earth System Science Project Award, a US Air Force Outstanding Project designation, and the USAID Science Champion Award for using science to address international development challenges. His work qualified him as a Regeneron ISEF 2024 Observer, placing him among Puerto Rico's top fifteen scorers. At the Foro Internacional Ciencias en Puerto Rico, he won first place in the Environment category twice and took home the overall grand prize, qualifying for international fairs in Turkey, Mexico, Peru, Argentina, and Chile. At CIENTEC, Peru's international science fair, he claimed first place in engineering and technology. And at the Stockholm Junior Water Prize competition, Hugo earned first place at the state level in 2023 (though he could not be named state winner due to his age) before becoming the 2024 State Champion and representing Puerto Rico at nationals in Colorado.
Hugo brings the same hands-on design approach to the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers Jr. Recycling Plastic Boat Competition, where he and his team design, build, and race paddle boats constructed entirely from recycled plastic bottles, wrap, and fishing wire. The competition also requires a school and community recycling campaign. He grew from rower to co-leader as his team won first place in the relay race, poster presentation, boat design, and overall competition for three consecutive years because their raft remains the most stable, lightest, and fastest in the water. During three summers of Immersion Projects Design Thinking courses, he worked on additional projects related to recycling and sustainability, and in his chemistry class, he took on NASA's Plant Moon Challenge, testing different soil compositions and irrigation methods to grow plants more efficiently for space exploration.
Growing up in Puerto Rico has shaped how Hugo thinks about the environment and infrastructure. When Hurricanes Irma and María hit, his family stayed on the island. Their home became a relief center, receiving boxes of food, medicine, batteries, and clothes from friends on the mainland. Hugo and his mother delivered supplies across the island, often without cell service or any certainty they would find gas. Eight years later, Puerto Rico's power grid remains fragile, with outages occurring frequently and water supply shortages persisting. "Resilience isn't just a word in PR; it's daily life," Hugo writes. To address these challenges, he proposes implementing community microgrids across the island, using rooftops and parking areas to capture solar energy and create interconnected systems that could power and support each other. He points to the Casa Pueblo solar microgrid project in Adjuntas as a working model. As a future engineer, he hopes to be part of that implementation someday.
At Colegio San Ignacio, Hugo founded the AI & CS Club after recognizing that students interested in programming and data science lacked opportunities to explore those interests. In its first year, the club organized TED-style talks with professionals in data science, programming, and AI, and club teams competed in Lockheed Martin's CodeQuest and CyberQuest, winning first and third place, respectively. He is now planning his school's first hackathon with hopes of creating an interschool coding league to expand STEM opportunities across Puerto Rico. He also serves as president of the Science Club, where he leads Science Bowl preparations and coaches underclassmen for competitions, and as vice president of the Math Club, whose team ranks among the island's top five. His academic excellence has earned him recognition as a National Merit Scholarship Semi-Finalist, National Hispanic Recognition Award recipient, and AP Scholar with Distinction.
And there is more. Hugo participated in MIT's Jameel Clinic AI & Health Bootcamp, where his team built a machine-learning model to help predict strokes, and in MIT's FutureMakers Data Science and Analytics cohort, where he helped a nonprofit develop an AI model to guide its expansion strategy. That experience sparked the idea of offering his technical skills to a nonprofit for his senior service project. He completed Inspirit AI's virtual program and became an AI Ambassador at his school in tenth grade. He was among the first 100 middle school students to learn about quantum computing through The Coding School's Qbit program, taught by an MIT graduate. He has led his team to victories in VEX robotics competitions, earned multiple medals in math Olympiads and National Science Bowl competitions, and represented Puerto Rico at the MILSET International Science Expo in Mexico. This year, he and a partner are developing a wearable device that estimates stress from heart rate, sweat, and other physiological signals to study its relationship with academic motivation and performance. The list, frankly, keeps going.
Lilliam Rodríguez Capó, founder and CEO of VOCES Coalición de Inmunización y Promoción de la Salud de Puerto Rico, has known Hugo since he was eight years old, when he helped his family distribute aid across Puerto Rico after Hurricane María. She watched him sort donations and prepare supplies despite his young age. "Even then, it was apparent that he possessed maturity, empathy, and a sense of responsibility," she recalls. His growth over the years, she says, "has been remarkable but never surprising, because from the beginning, he stood out as someone driven by both intellect and purpose." She describes Hugo as "one of the most accomplished young innovators [she has] encountered," a young man of integrity, humility, and intellectual curiosity who carries "a rare balance of academic rigor, athletic commitment, emotional intelligence, and kindness." In her view, Hugo "represents the future of Hispanic excellence: a young innovator grounded in service, culture, family, faith, and purpose.”
Service is one of five pillars at his Jesuit school, and Hugo has completed over 100 hours since ninth grade, including beach cleanups with Para la Naturaleza and Scubba Dogs. The experiences he values most are those where he can apply his skills to help others. During tenth grade, he tutored a first-grader who had been identified for grade retention, a six-year-old from a difficult economic background who could not read. He brought memory phonetic games to make learning less tedious, and by the end of the year, the boy's teacher reported he was passing to the next grade. "This meant everything to me because I knew the impact it had on his life," Hugo shares. For his senior Maggis project (a Jesuit value meaning "more," serving with greater intention and purpose), he sought out VOCES, a nonprofit dedicated to preventive health and equal access. Learning that the organization needed a way to track HPV vaccine dose completion but lacked the funding and technical resources to build one, he gathered a team of seniors from his AI & CS Club to construct a web application for tracking doses, sending follow-up reminders, and educating the public about HPV and cancer prevention. He still finds time for varsity and club baseball, competing on the field with the same determination he brings to every other pursuit.
Hugo plans to study chemical engineering with minors in data science and artificial intelligence at Georgia Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or Stanford University. He wants to combine those fields to develop solutions for problems like inequitable access to clean water, food, and affordable healthcare. For this young Boricua who has watched his island adapt to one storm after another, technology is not a luxury for a few but a necessity for all.
SILVER - Kiora Rosario
Major: Marine Biology on a Pre-Veterinary track
High School: Kailua High School
Hometown: Kaneohe, HI
Kiora Rosario learned to swim before she could walk. Growing up in Hawaii, surrounded by turquoise waters and diverse marine life, she developed an early love for the ocean that would eventually steer her toward environmental science. In a place so endowed with life of many forms, Kiora has watched animals like sea turtles become strangled and poisoned by trash, much of it plastic. Protecting Hawaii's waters and the creatures that call them home has shaped much of her work ever since.
In ninth grade, Kiora built a water filtration system designed to remove microplastics from water samples. The filter was constructed from recycled materials, with its main component being coir, the fibrous material from coconut husks. She tested various methods of processing the coir and found that boiling and pulverizing it was most effective at capturing microplastics. "This proved that natural solutions exist for unnatural problems," she writes. Kiora presented her work at the Windward District Science and Engineering Fair (WINSEF), where she earned Best in Category for Environmental Engineering, the Association for Women Geoscientists Award, and qualification for the Hawaii State Science and Engineering Fair (HSSEF).
The following year, Kiora and a friend stumbled upon something unexpected: a fungus growing within a solution of Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA), a type of plastic. Curious whether the fungus was metabolizing the PVA, they cultured it in various concentrations to provide data for future research. The project advanced to both WINSEF and HSSEF again. That same year, Kiora led a schoolwide initiative called "Sea the Change." Working with classmates and members of the Kiwanis Club, she helped construct and install 15 recycling bins across her campus for collecting cans and bottles. The recyclables are donated to Bottles4College, a nonprofit that uses bottle returns to fund college scholarships for high school students in Hawaii. "When I see one of the bins filled with recyclables, it gives me hope to know that these cans and bottles will be kept out of the sea and put to a greater purpose," she shares. Kiora's environmental efforts have earned her a Letter of Encouragement from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2024.
Kiora is a participant in the Kilo Kai Marine Science Program, which teaches high school students in Hawaii about marine science and respect for the islands' ecosystems. Through the program, she collaborated with other students to examine the relationship between turbidity, or water cloudiness, and the health of coral symbionts, the tiny algae that live within coral tissue and help it survive. The team presented their findings at Imi Wai Ola, a statewide student science conference hosted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Kiora's senior capstone project continues this thread, investigating the impacts of turbidity on coral health and abundance in Kane'ohe Bay, while also addressing fibropapillomatosis, a tumor-causing disease that affects green sea turtles. Completion of this project will earn her STEM Honors at graduation, alongside the Academic Honors certificate she is also on track to receive.
Kiora ranks first in her class of 195 students at Kailua High School, a distinction she has earned while maintaining a 4.0 unweighted GPA and being a permanent fixture on the honor roll through her time there. Her achievements span multiple disciplines: she has earned Academic Excellence awards in both Chemistry and Trigonometry, fourth place at National History Day in Hawaii for an essay about the history of Puerto Rico, and second place in a statewide poetry contest celebrating her love for the library. Her teacher, Clint Medeiros, who has had Kiora in his AVID class for all four years, praises her exceptional work ethic and commitment to excellence. He notes her outstanding academic performance and adds that "when faced with difficulties, she takes initiative to overcome them through diligent effort and perseverance." In his view, Kiora "is destined for a remarkable future.”
That determination shows up in her service as well. Kiora will graduate with approximately 500 hours of community service. In tenth grade alone, she logged over 227 hours, the highest in her Key Club chapter that year, earning Bronze status in the Member Recognition Program and multiple Member of the Month recognitions. She now serves as division assistant of service for Key Club, organizing projects across Division 22 Komohana, which encompasses high schools on the east side of her island. Kiora is also the club's editor, creating monthly digital newsletters highlighting service projects. She contributes to the service committee of the National Honor Society and is a fellow in the Center for Tomorrow's Leaders program, where she has led community action projects addressing bullying and marine pollution.
Kiora's service takes many forms. For the past four years, she has assisted teachers at elementary school enrichment programs during almost every fall, spring, and summer break. She provides one-on-one homework help through Malama Mentors and tutors classmates in biology and math on her own time. At a local fishpond, Kiora volunteers monthly to pull invasive mangroves and pick up plastic from the surrounding soil. She has worked at a Lo'i, or taro farm, where she pulled weeds and marveled at the little snails and tiny frogs skipping across the water's surface. "It was so beautiful to see the ecosystem that existed right before me," she recalls. "I have been inspired to return ever since, and do my part to help the ecosystem thrive." Kiora volunteers at the Kiwanis Family Dance for individuals with special needs, where she dances with attendees and runs prize giveaways, and has distributed medals at the Honolulu Marathon every year of high school. She also plays on her school's softball and tennis teams and performs in band.
Her family's motto echoes in everything Kiora does. "What do Rosarios do?" her dad would ask when she was young. "Help people!" she would answer. Kiora plans to study marine biology on a pre-veterinary track at the University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, the University of Zagreb, or University College Dublin. The little girl who swam before she walked is now preparing to spend her life caring for the ocean and the creatures that depend on it.
High School: Kailua High School
Hometown: Kaneohe, HI
Kiora Rosario learned to swim before she could walk. Growing up in Hawaii, surrounded by turquoise waters and diverse marine life, she developed an early love for the ocean that would eventually steer her toward environmental science. In a place so endowed with life of many forms, Kiora has watched animals like sea turtles become strangled and poisoned by trash, much of it plastic. Protecting Hawaii's waters and the creatures that call them home has shaped much of her work ever since.
In ninth grade, Kiora built a water filtration system designed to remove microplastics from water samples. The filter was constructed from recycled materials, with its main component being coir, the fibrous material from coconut husks. She tested various methods of processing the coir and found that boiling and pulverizing it was most effective at capturing microplastics. "This proved that natural solutions exist for unnatural problems," she writes. Kiora presented her work at the Windward District Science and Engineering Fair (WINSEF), where she earned Best in Category for Environmental Engineering, the Association for Women Geoscientists Award, and qualification for the Hawaii State Science and Engineering Fair (HSSEF).
The following year, Kiora and a friend stumbled upon something unexpected: a fungus growing within a solution of Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA), a type of plastic. Curious whether the fungus was metabolizing the PVA, they cultured it in various concentrations to provide data for future research. The project advanced to both WINSEF and HSSEF again. That same year, Kiora led a schoolwide initiative called "Sea the Change." Working with classmates and members of the Kiwanis Club, she helped construct and install 15 recycling bins across her campus for collecting cans and bottles. The recyclables are donated to Bottles4College, a nonprofit that uses bottle returns to fund college scholarships for high school students in Hawaii. "When I see one of the bins filled with recyclables, it gives me hope to know that these cans and bottles will be kept out of the sea and put to a greater purpose," she shares. Kiora's environmental efforts have earned her a Letter of Encouragement from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2024.
Kiora is a participant in the Kilo Kai Marine Science Program, which teaches high school students in Hawaii about marine science and respect for the islands' ecosystems. Through the program, she collaborated with other students to examine the relationship between turbidity, or water cloudiness, and the health of coral symbionts, the tiny algae that live within coral tissue and help it survive. The team presented their findings at Imi Wai Ola, a statewide student science conference hosted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Kiora's senior capstone project continues this thread, investigating the impacts of turbidity on coral health and abundance in Kane'ohe Bay, while also addressing fibropapillomatosis, a tumor-causing disease that affects green sea turtles. Completion of this project will earn her STEM Honors at graduation, alongside the Academic Honors certificate she is also on track to receive.
Kiora ranks first in her class of 195 students at Kailua High School, a distinction she has earned while maintaining a 4.0 unweighted GPA and being a permanent fixture on the honor roll through her time there. Her achievements span multiple disciplines: she has earned Academic Excellence awards in both Chemistry and Trigonometry, fourth place at National History Day in Hawaii for an essay about the history of Puerto Rico, and second place in a statewide poetry contest celebrating her love for the library. Her teacher, Clint Medeiros, who has had Kiora in his AVID class for all four years, praises her exceptional work ethic and commitment to excellence. He notes her outstanding academic performance and adds that "when faced with difficulties, she takes initiative to overcome them through diligent effort and perseverance." In his view, Kiora "is destined for a remarkable future.”
That determination shows up in her service as well. Kiora will graduate with approximately 500 hours of community service. In tenth grade alone, she logged over 227 hours, the highest in her Key Club chapter that year, earning Bronze status in the Member Recognition Program and multiple Member of the Month recognitions. She now serves as division assistant of service for Key Club, organizing projects across Division 22 Komohana, which encompasses high schools on the east side of her island. Kiora is also the club's editor, creating monthly digital newsletters highlighting service projects. She contributes to the service committee of the National Honor Society and is a fellow in the Center for Tomorrow's Leaders program, where she has led community action projects addressing bullying and marine pollution.
Kiora's service takes many forms. For the past four years, she has assisted teachers at elementary school enrichment programs during almost every fall, spring, and summer break. She provides one-on-one homework help through Malama Mentors and tutors classmates in biology and math on her own time. At a local fishpond, Kiora volunteers monthly to pull invasive mangroves and pick up plastic from the surrounding soil. She has worked at a Lo'i, or taro farm, where she pulled weeds and marveled at the little snails and tiny frogs skipping across the water's surface. "It was so beautiful to see the ecosystem that existed right before me," she recalls. "I have been inspired to return ever since, and do my part to help the ecosystem thrive." Kiora volunteers at the Kiwanis Family Dance for individuals with special needs, where she dances with attendees and runs prize giveaways, and has distributed medals at the Honolulu Marathon every year of high school. She also plays on her school's softball and tennis teams and performs in band.
Her family's motto echoes in everything Kiora does. "What do Rosarios do?" her dad would ask when she was young. "Help people!" she would answer. Kiora plans to study marine biology on a pre-veterinary track at the University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, the University of Zagreb, or University College Dublin. The little girl who swam before she walked is now preparing to spend her life caring for the ocean and the creatures that depend on it.
BRONZE - Aurora Espasas Howard
Major: Marine Biology with a minor in Environmental Studies
High School: CeDIn High School
Hometown: San Juan, PR
Aurora Espasas Howard grew up with sand on her shoes and salt on her skin. San Juan gave her an ocean that felt like both playground and classroom, and a father who treated each shoreline walk as an invitation to look closer. On those walks, Aurora learned that care starts with paying attention. She learned how tides shift, how trash lingers, how fragile beauty can be when no one steps in to care for it.
Once a month, Aurora meets the Puerto Rican shoreline before most of San Juan wakes and the sun rises, joining Chelonia, a sea turtle conservation organization, to monitor leatherback turtle nests, collect data, and guide hatchlings toward open water. She also returns on Saturdays with her father in the summer to mark nests along the coast. These mornings demand patience and teach teamwork, while offering a front row seat to science shaped by care. Each time she sees a turtle reach the sea, Aurora says she feels hope that her generation can be part of the solution.
For Aurora, ocean love began at home. Childhood days spent exploring beaches with her father, a lifelong surfer, taught her to observe tides, sand, and wildlife with respect. Family practice shaped her habits early. Materials were reused, plastic was avoided, and trash was picked up along the way. At twelve, Aurora became a vegetarian after learning about the environmental effects of meat production. That choice reflected a growing sense of responsibility toward land and water that sustain island life.
Protecting marine life became part of a wider commitment to her community. As a ninth grader, Aurora joined her school's Interact Club, helping organize beach cleanups and food drives. One year later, she became one of the first members of her school's Surfrider chapter, a group focused on coastal restoration. With Surfrider, Aurora helped plant mangroves in Laguna de Condado, where pollution threatens fragile waters, and in Piñones, where erosion puts both shoreline and nearby families at risk. She also took part in restoration conferences that connected students with conservation workers from across the island.
Aurora's role as a Blue Carbon Ambassador with EarthEcho International expanded that work into communication. During a retreat, she helped manage social media and document conservation projects, learning how images and stories can turn concern into participation. Through Earth Eco, Aurora later received approval and funding to create a mangrove nursery at her high school, a project designed to support future planting efforts and give students direct access to restoration work on their own campus.
Aurora's understanding of service was shaped long before any organization knew her name. After Hurricane María tore off her family's roof and flooded her home, her father cooked for neighbors with what little remained, gathering people who needed warmth as much as food. Watching that care take form during loss taught her that service begins with presence. Aurora carries that lesson into conservation work by listening first, working in groups, and making space for voices that often go unheard. At home, her family rescues abandoned animals, a response to a problem she sees across Puerto Rico. She has also worked with Animal Control to buy collars for stray cats near her neighborhood and helped find permanent homes for each of them.
That instinct to serve continues in her school community. At CeDIn High School, Aurora belongs to the Environmental Club and serves on her school's leadership directive board. She leads monthly service projects through Interact, shares opportunities with classmates to increase participation, and creates informational materials on issues such as climate change and palm oil to help neighbors make informed choices.
Curiosity remains Aurora's quiet companion. Her former teacher, Lina Collado, remembers nine-year-old Aurora lingering after class with a camera and notebook, documenting lizards in her school courtyard for a yearlong photography project. That habit of careful watching still guides her. Aurora plays guitar, dives, photographs coastlines, and builds small archives of moments that might pass unseen.
When Aurora speaks about her future, the ocean remains at the center of the picture. She plans to study marine biology with a minor in environmental studies, with hopes of attending the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Occidental College, or the University of California, San Diego. She wants to protect the ocean that shaped her, carrying her father's lessons in compassion into marine conservation.
High School: CeDIn High School
Hometown: San Juan, PR
Aurora Espasas Howard grew up with sand on her shoes and salt on her skin. San Juan gave her an ocean that felt like both playground and classroom, and a father who treated each shoreline walk as an invitation to look closer. On those walks, Aurora learned that care starts with paying attention. She learned how tides shift, how trash lingers, how fragile beauty can be when no one steps in to care for it.
Once a month, Aurora meets the Puerto Rican shoreline before most of San Juan wakes and the sun rises, joining Chelonia, a sea turtle conservation organization, to monitor leatherback turtle nests, collect data, and guide hatchlings toward open water. She also returns on Saturdays with her father in the summer to mark nests along the coast. These mornings demand patience and teach teamwork, while offering a front row seat to science shaped by care. Each time she sees a turtle reach the sea, Aurora says she feels hope that her generation can be part of the solution.
For Aurora, ocean love began at home. Childhood days spent exploring beaches with her father, a lifelong surfer, taught her to observe tides, sand, and wildlife with respect. Family practice shaped her habits early. Materials were reused, plastic was avoided, and trash was picked up along the way. At twelve, Aurora became a vegetarian after learning about the environmental effects of meat production. That choice reflected a growing sense of responsibility toward land and water that sustain island life.
Protecting marine life became part of a wider commitment to her community. As a ninth grader, Aurora joined her school's Interact Club, helping organize beach cleanups and food drives. One year later, she became one of the first members of her school's Surfrider chapter, a group focused on coastal restoration. With Surfrider, Aurora helped plant mangroves in Laguna de Condado, where pollution threatens fragile waters, and in Piñones, where erosion puts both shoreline and nearby families at risk. She also took part in restoration conferences that connected students with conservation workers from across the island.
Aurora's role as a Blue Carbon Ambassador with EarthEcho International expanded that work into communication. During a retreat, she helped manage social media and document conservation projects, learning how images and stories can turn concern into participation. Through Earth Eco, Aurora later received approval and funding to create a mangrove nursery at her high school, a project designed to support future planting efforts and give students direct access to restoration work on their own campus.
Aurora's understanding of service was shaped long before any organization knew her name. After Hurricane María tore off her family's roof and flooded her home, her father cooked for neighbors with what little remained, gathering people who needed warmth as much as food. Watching that care take form during loss taught her that service begins with presence. Aurora carries that lesson into conservation work by listening first, working in groups, and making space for voices that often go unheard. At home, her family rescues abandoned animals, a response to a problem she sees across Puerto Rico. She has also worked with Animal Control to buy collars for stray cats near her neighborhood and helped find permanent homes for each of them.
That instinct to serve continues in her school community. At CeDIn High School, Aurora belongs to the Environmental Club and serves on her school's leadership directive board. She leads monthly service projects through Interact, shares opportunities with classmates to increase participation, and creates informational materials on issues such as climate change and palm oil to help neighbors make informed choices.
Curiosity remains Aurora's quiet companion. Her former teacher, Lina Collado, remembers nine-year-old Aurora lingering after class with a camera and notebook, documenting lizards in her school courtyard for a yearlong photography project. That habit of careful watching still guides her. Aurora plays guitar, dives, photographs coastlines, and builds small archives of moments that might pass unseen.
When Aurora speaks about her future, the ocean remains at the center of the picture. She plans to study marine biology with a minor in environmental studies, with hopes of attending the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Occidental College, or the University of California, San Diego. She wants to protect the ocean that shaped her, carrying her father's lessons in compassion into marine conservation.
Teal Region
Please select a recipient name to read their bio.
GOLD - Alan Mendez
Major: Aerospace Engineering and Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Computer Science
High School: Skyline High School
Hometown: Longmont, CO
Alan Mendez grew up surrounded by Colorado's mountains and open spaces, spending time hiking, walking by lakes, and watching how the natural world shifted with the seasons. He also watched those places change. Pollution increased. Extreme weather became more common. The effects of pollution and overuse showed up in neighborhoods where families worked hard but did not always have access to clean parks or sustainable options. For Alan, those observations sharpened into a question: how could engineering help protect the environment instead of harm it?
The answer began to take shape at home. His parents, who immigrated from Mexico, taught him early not to waste food, water, or electricity. The family reused what they could, planted small gardens, and treated nature with gratitude. Those lessons stuck. Sustainability, Alan came to understand, was not just about recycling. It was about creating smarter systems that helped people use resources responsibly.
Alan put that belief into practice through the Innovation Center Robotics Program, where he worked with a team to design a prototype that used sensors to reduce energy waste in school buildings. He helped program the sensors and test different materials to improve efficiency. "Seeing it work for the first time was one of the most exciting moments I've had in engineering," he shares. The project showed Alan that small changes in technology could make a real difference for the environment, and that even as a student, he could contribute to solutions.
His work at the Innovation Center grew into a leadership role. Alan became Head Referee and mentor for VEX IQ Robotics competitions, designing competition layouts, testing robot code, and guiding younger students through the process of building and troubleshooting their own robots. Many of those students arrived nervous, unsure whether they belonged in STEM. Alan understood the feeling. He had once been the same way. Over time, he watched them gain confidence as their robots came to life. He made a point of showing them how engineering connects to environmental responsibility, teaching them that technology could be used to protect the planet.
Alan's mentorship earned him the Robotics Leadership and Mentorship Award from the Innovation Center in 2023. His contributions to STEM were further recognized with the Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) Program Recognition for Excellence in STEM in 2024 and the Colorado School of Mines Medal of Achievement in Math in 2025.
Alan has taken his commitment to environmental care into his community in other ways as well. He helped organize a neighborhood clean-up around McIntosh Lake in Longmont, where volunteers collected trash, sorted recyclables, and talked to families about keeping the park clean. Watching the lake look clearer by the end of the day gave him a sense of pride and reinforced what he already believed: that change starts locally and grows through example. Alan has also helped elderly neighbors by shoveling snow, mowing lawns, and assisting them with recycling. These acts may seem simple, but they reflect the consistency and care his parents modeled for him.
Looking ahead, Alan sees an opportunity to address what he considers one of his community's most pressing issues: the lack of awareness and access to sustainable practices, especially in low-income and Hispanic neighborhoods. He envisions bilingual workshops in schools and community centers that teach ways to reduce waste, save energy, and protect natural areas. Alan hopes to collaborate with local organizations to install solar-powered lights or small garden projects that demonstrate green technology in action. His goal is to help people understand that sustainability is not something far away. It is something everyone can be part of.
Alan's path through high school has been shaped by P-TECH, which allowed him to take college-level coursework alongside his high school classes. He will graduate with both his high school diploma and an Associate's Degree in Computer Information Systems from Front Range Community College. Through P-TECH, Alan completed internships with IBM and with the NSF National AI Institute for Student-AI Teaming (iSAT) at CU Boulder, where he contributed to projects involving artificial intelligence, data systems, and education. At IBM, he worked on a global team to address real business and technology challenges. At iSAT, he helped test how AI could support teachers and students in the classroom. These experiences confirmed his interest in using technology to make a meaningful impact.
Since the age of 15, Alan has balanced school, internships, and family responsibilities. He has participated in the Latinx Excellence, Achievement, and Development Scholars (LEADS) Program at Front Range Community College. At Skyline High School, Alan serves as Treasurer of La Raza Club, where he helps organize cultural events and fundraisers to support Hispanic families and promote inclusion. He is a member of the National Honor Society and DECA, and has been on the Academic Honor Roll for six consecutive years. On the soccer field, Alan earned Academic All-State First Team honors in 2024.
His principal, Anthony Barela, describes Alan as "among the most exceptional students in [his] graduating class," noting his determination, resilience, and commitment to academic excellence. Barela highlights Alan's technical expertise and his ability to apply knowledge in real-world contexts, adding that through his leadership roles, Alan has developed "a deep sense of cultural pride and service." As a first-generation student, Barela writes, Alan "has pursued his education with determination and resilience, seizing every opportunity to prepare himself for success in higher education.”
Alan plans to study aerospace engineering and mechanical engineering with a minor in computer science at the Colorado School of Mines, the University of Colorado Boulder, or Brown University. He wants to design systems that are both powerful and sustainable, and to keep combining technology with environmental care. For this young engineer from Longmont, protecting the planet is not separate from building the future. It is the whole point.
High School: Skyline High School
Hometown: Longmont, CO
Alan Mendez grew up surrounded by Colorado's mountains and open spaces, spending time hiking, walking by lakes, and watching how the natural world shifted with the seasons. He also watched those places change. Pollution increased. Extreme weather became more common. The effects of pollution and overuse showed up in neighborhoods where families worked hard but did not always have access to clean parks or sustainable options. For Alan, those observations sharpened into a question: how could engineering help protect the environment instead of harm it?
The answer began to take shape at home. His parents, who immigrated from Mexico, taught him early not to waste food, water, or electricity. The family reused what they could, planted small gardens, and treated nature with gratitude. Those lessons stuck. Sustainability, Alan came to understand, was not just about recycling. It was about creating smarter systems that helped people use resources responsibly.
Alan put that belief into practice through the Innovation Center Robotics Program, where he worked with a team to design a prototype that used sensors to reduce energy waste in school buildings. He helped program the sensors and test different materials to improve efficiency. "Seeing it work for the first time was one of the most exciting moments I've had in engineering," he shares. The project showed Alan that small changes in technology could make a real difference for the environment, and that even as a student, he could contribute to solutions.
His work at the Innovation Center grew into a leadership role. Alan became Head Referee and mentor for VEX IQ Robotics competitions, designing competition layouts, testing robot code, and guiding younger students through the process of building and troubleshooting their own robots. Many of those students arrived nervous, unsure whether they belonged in STEM. Alan understood the feeling. He had once been the same way. Over time, he watched them gain confidence as their robots came to life. He made a point of showing them how engineering connects to environmental responsibility, teaching them that technology could be used to protect the planet.
Alan's mentorship earned him the Robotics Leadership and Mentorship Award from the Innovation Center in 2023. His contributions to STEM were further recognized with the Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) Program Recognition for Excellence in STEM in 2024 and the Colorado School of Mines Medal of Achievement in Math in 2025.
Alan has taken his commitment to environmental care into his community in other ways as well. He helped organize a neighborhood clean-up around McIntosh Lake in Longmont, where volunteers collected trash, sorted recyclables, and talked to families about keeping the park clean. Watching the lake look clearer by the end of the day gave him a sense of pride and reinforced what he already believed: that change starts locally and grows through example. Alan has also helped elderly neighbors by shoveling snow, mowing lawns, and assisting them with recycling. These acts may seem simple, but they reflect the consistency and care his parents modeled for him.
Looking ahead, Alan sees an opportunity to address what he considers one of his community's most pressing issues: the lack of awareness and access to sustainable practices, especially in low-income and Hispanic neighborhoods. He envisions bilingual workshops in schools and community centers that teach ways to reduce waste, save energy, and protect natural areas. Alan hopes to collaborate with local organizations to install solar-powered lights or small garden projects that demonstrate green technology in action. His goal is to help people understand that sustainability is not something far away. It is something everyone can be part of.
Alan's path through high school has been shaped by P-TECH, which allowed him to take college-level coursework alongside his high school classes. He will graduate with both his high school diploma and an Associate's Degree in Computer Information Systems from Front Range Community College. Through P-TECH, Alan completed internships with IBM and with the NSF National AI Institute for Student-AI Teaming (iSAT) at CU Boulder, where he contributed to projects involving artificial intelligence, data systems, and education. At IBM, he worked on a global team to address real business and technology challenges. At iSAT, he helped test how AI could support teachers and students in the classroom. These experiences confirmed his interest in using technology to make a meaningful impact.
Since the age of 15, Alan has balanced school, internships, and family responsibilities. He has participated in the Latinx Excellence, Achievement, and Development Scholars (LEADS) Program at Front Range Community College. At Skyline High School, Alan serves as Treasurer of La Raza Club, where he helps organize cultural events and fundraisers to support Hispanic families and promote inclusion. He is a member of the National Honor Society and DECA, and has been on the Academic Honor Roll for six consecutive years. On the soccer field, Alan earned Academic All-State First Team honors in 2024.
His principal, Anthony Barela, describes Alan as "among the most exceptional students in [his] graduating class," noting his determination, resilience, and commitment to academic excellence. Barela highlights Alan's technical expertise and his ability to apply knowledge in real-world contexts, adding that through his leadership roles, Alan has developed "a deep sense of cultural pride and service." As a first-generation student, Barela writes, Alan "has pursued his education with determination and resilience, seizing every opportunity to prepare himself for success in higher education.”
Alan plans to study aerospace engineering and mechanical engineering with a minor in computer science at the Colorado School of Mines, the University of Colorado Boulder, or Brown University. He wants to design systems that are both powerful and sustainable, and to keep combining technology with environmental care. For this young engineer from Longmont, protecting the planet is not separate from building the future. It is the whole point.
SILVER - Joseph Lucero
Major: Engineering with a minor in Spanish
High School: Cheyenne East High School
Hometown: Cheyenne, WY
Joseph Lucero knows that cleaner spaces do not happen by accident. They happen because somebody notices what needs attention, rolls up his sleeves, and does the work. In Cheyenne, Wyoming, Joseph has shown consistent involvement in public spaces, school communities, and his parish through care and follow-through that last beyond a single day of service.
His proudest environmental accomplishment began with a friend's Eagle Scout project along Cheyenne's Greenway. Joseph joined a team clearing litter, hauling heavy bags of trash, and repainting areas covered in graffiti. It was the kind of work that asks for focus and teamwork, not just good intentions. "It was awesome to see the immediate impact of our efforts. The Greenway looked nicer, safer, and more inviting for people and wildlife," he recalls. The project strengthened his appreciation for maintaining public environments and reinforced his belief that collective effort can improve shared spaces.
Joseph carried that mindset into everyday choices that rarely come with recognition. He makes a habit of picking up litter around Cheyenne East High School, nearby streets, the gym, and other public places whenever he sees it. Joseph credits Boy Scouts for shaping this practice through principles like Leave No Trace and leaving a place better than he found it. His approach to environmental responsibility is practical and personal, built on noticing what is in front of him and acting without waiting to be asked.
Service, for Joseph, is not limited to one cause. It is a way of moving through the world. His Catholic faith shapes that commitment, and his home reinforced the same expectation through habits of respect for people and surroundings. At St. Joseph's Church, that sense of responsibility shows up in long-term leadership. Joseph serves as a youth representative on the Parish Council, supports Sunday liturgy as an altar server, and has served as a faith formation teacher for younger children. Amber Gregorio, Faith Formation director at St. Joseph's, writes that Joseph leads with a friendly and cheerful presence and describes him as a role model with a strong work ethic and a positive attitude.
Joseph's Eagle Scout project reflects how he blends planning with care for spaces that raised him. For St. Joseph's Church, he redirected a slope so water would drain away from the foundation, then replaced grass with decorative rock. He organized materials, built a schedule, and coordinated volunteers from start to finish, taking responsibility for details while staying flexible as needs changed. Joseph takes pride in knowing that his work will serve the church for years to come.
At school, Joseph brings that same calm reliability to roles that require people skills and steady presence. He supports Cheyenne East athletics through athletic training and sports medicine, working with a certified trainer to tape, provide first aid, and help athletes on the sidelines. Joseph also serves as a student leader in Fellowship of Christian Athletes, leading devotionals, planning meetings, and supporting classmates looking for community and encouragement. As head chair of the Mayor's Youth Council and a peer mentor through Anchored for Life, he has taken on leadership that asks him to listen closely, use his voice, and show up for others when it matters.
Joseph's record reflects consistency and range. He has earned recognition as Laramie County School District Student of the Week, East High Student of the Week, Carey Junior High Student of the Year, and Meadowlark Student of the Year, along with an Academic Letter in 2025. Joseph maintains a 4.0 unweighted GPA while pursuing advanced coursework that includes AP Statistics, AP Physics, AP English Literature and Composition, IB Spanish, and college-level classes in government and cultural anthropology. Basketball, National Honor Society, and more than 400 hours of community service round out a high school career shaped by discipline and responsibility.
Looking ahead, Joseph hopes to continue his education at the University of Wyoming, the University of Colorado Boulder, or the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, studying engineering with a minor in Spanish. He has already learned what many adults spend years figuring out: that communities stay strong when people decide to care for what they share. Joseph is ready to keep building, serving, and leaving every space he enters better than he found it.
High School: Cheyenne East High School
Hometown: Cheyenne, WY
Joseph Lucero knows that cleaner spaces do not happen by accident. They happen because somebody notices what needs attention, rolls up his sleeves, and does the work. In Cheyenne, Wyoming, Joseph has shown consistent involvement in public spaces, school communities, and his parish through care and follow-through that last beyond a single day of service.
His proudest environmental accomplishment began with a friend's Eagle Scout project along Cheyenne's Greenway. Joseph joined a team clearing litter, hauling heavy bags of trash, and repainting areas covered in graffiti. It was the kind of work that asks for focus and teamwork, not just good intentions. "It was awesome to see the immediate impact of our efforts. The Greenway looked nicer, safer, and more inviting for people and wildlife," he recalls. The project strengthened his appreciation for maintaining public environments and reinforced his belief that collective effort can improve shared spaces.
Joseph carried that mindset into everyday choices that rarely come with recognition. He makes a habit of picking up litter around Cheyenne East High School, nearby streets, the gym, and other public places whenever he sees it. Joseph credits Boy Scouts for shaping this practice through principles like Leave No Trace and leaving a place better than he found it. His approach to environmental responsibility is practical and personal, built on noticing what is in front of him and acting without waiting to be asked.
Service, for Joseph, is not limited to one cause. It is a way of moving through the world. His Catholic faith shapes that commitment, and his home reinforced the same expectation through habits of respect for people and surroundings. At St. Joseph's Church, that sense of responsibility shows up in long-term leadership. Joseph serves as a youth representative on the Parish Council, supports Sunday liturgy as an altar server, and has served as a faith formation teacher for younger children. Amber Gregorio, Faith Formation director at St. Joseph's, writes that Joseph leads with a friendly and cheerful presence and describes him as a role model with a strong work ethic and a positive attitude.
Joseph's Eagle Scout project reflects how he blends planning with care for spaces that raised him. For St. Joseph's Church, he redirected a slope so water would drain away from the foundation, then replaced grass with decorative rock. He organized materials, built a schedule, and coordinated volunteers from start to finish, taking responsibility for details while staying flexible as needs changed. Joseph takes pride in knowing that his work will serve the church for years to come.
At school, Joseph brings that same calm reliability to roles that require people skills and steady presence. He supports Cheyenne East athletics through athletic training and sports medicine, working with a certified trainer to tape, provide first aid, and help athletes on the sidelines. Joseph also serves as a student leader in Fellowship of Christian Athletes, leading devotionals, planning meetings, and supporting classmates looking for community and encouragement. As head chair of the Mayor's Youth Council and a peer mentor through Anchored for Life, he has taken on leadership that asks him to listen closely, use his voice, and show up for others when it matters.
Joseph's record reflects consistency and range. He has earned recognition as Laramie County School District Student of the Week, East High Student of the Week, Carey Junior High Student of the Year, and Meadowlark Student of the Year, along with an Academic Letter in 2025. Joseph maintains a 4.0 unweighted GPA while pursuing advanced coursework that includes AP Statistics, AP Physics, AP English Literature and Composition, IB Spanish, and college-level classes in government and cultural anthropology. Basketball, National Honor Society, and more than 400 hours of community service round out a high school career shaped by discipline and responsibility.
Looking ahead, Joseph hopes to continue his education at the University of Wyoming, the University of Colorado Boulder, or the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, studying engineering with a minor in Spanish. He has already learned what many adults spend years figuring out: that communities stay strong when people decide to care for what they share. Joseph is ready to keep building, serving, and leaving every space he enters better than he found it.
BRONZE - Sofia Chavez Vargas
Major: Biology with minors in Chinese and Japanese
High School: Smoky Hill High School
Hometown: Aurora, CO
Sofia Chavez Vargas noticed the litter before she noticed the landscape. Running varsity cross country through Colorado's trails, she found herself paying attention to small details she might have otherwise missed: trees, streams, wildlife, the way the wind felt on her face. But Sofia also noticed trash along worn-down paths, and it bothered her. "Being out in nature and giving back to it just felt like it made sense together," she shares. For Sofia, loving nature means protecting it.
That instinct took shape through the Youth Community Advisory Board, where Sofia led a trash cleanup focused on local parks and streets. The areas had become unsafe for children to play, cluttered with hazards like broken glass. She organized volunteers, secured supplies, and made sure everyone worked safely and efficiently. Sofia also spoke with community members about the project and why it mattered. Afterward, she checked in with residents, who told her they felt differently walking through the neighborhood and were grateful their children could finally play safely in the parks. The experience showed her that small actions can carry real weight.
Sofia's interest in environmental care started earlier, in middle school, when she noticed how much trash students left behind during lunch. "It felt disrespectful, especially for the staff who worked hard to clean up every day," she explains. She started looking for ways to help, joining volunteer efforts to clean parks and streets. At Smoky Hill High School, Sofia continues that habit, staying behind after football and basketball games to make sure the area is clean again.
Sofia has also turned her attention to food waste. Volunteering at food banks, she helps sort and organize donations, packaging items for families, and making sure food reaches people instead of being thrown away. The work showed her that even small tasks can help others in meaningful ways, and it deepened her appreciation for how resources move through a community when people work together.
Sofia's commitment to service connects to something personal. Organizations in her community once supported her family, and that kindness left a mark. The volunteers at those events were always kind and understanding, and Sofia wanted to offer others the same. Now, she volunteers at the same kinds of events that once helped her family, including health fairs where she is often assigned to the check-in desk because she speaks Spanish. "It's meaningful to see how relieved families look when someone can finally understand them," she shares. As the only bilingual person in her household, Sofia understands firsthand how language barriers can make essential services feel out of reach.
That understanding fueled her work with Teen Voices in Healthcare, an internship where Colorado youth share their experiences to help improve healthcare systems. Sofia has spoken about language barriers and confusing paperwork, advocating for clearer information, more translators, and a system that listens to patients. She hopes to make healthcare more understandable and accessible for every family, regardless of income or language.
Sofia's interest in healthcare has taken her through the Colorado Health Careers Academy, where she earned a Basic Life Support certification, and the CU Science Discovery STEM Research Program, where she conducted research on Graves' disease and presented her findings at the STEM Research Expo. She is now planning to lead a diabetes health fair with the Youth Community Advisory Board. Some of Sofia's other accomplishments include earning an Academic All-State Honorable Mention in 2025, the American Legion Auxiliary Essay Winner award in 2025, and recognition as a writer for Expression Literary and Arts Magazine in 2025.
At Smoky Hill High School, Sofia holds leadership roles as an officer in both Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) and the National English Honor Society. Through HOSA, she has helped organize successful blood drives and other community service events. Sofia also volunteers with Aurora Sister Cities International, where she helps coordinate local events and connect with community members. As a mentor in the Girls Who Code Club, she has guided middle school girls through coding and watched their confidence grow, proud to see younger girls finding their voices and interests in technology.
Her teacher, William Warren, who had Sofia in his Honors Anatomy and Physiology course, describes her as "a very active and caring person who was a fantastic member of [his] classroom." He notes that Sofia "showed a level of professionalism and interest in science that is rare," adding that she was "regularly able to help those around her understand rigorous topics.”
Sofia plans to study biology with minors in Chinese and Japanese at Metropolitan State University of Denver, the University of Colorado Denver, or Regis University. Her goal is a career in medicine and research, where she is excited by the possibility of contributing to advances that can directly help people and breaking down the barriers that keep families from accessing care.
High School: Smoky Hill High School
Hometown: Aurora, CO
Sofia Chavez Vargas noticed the litter before she noticed the landscape. Running varsity cross country through Colorado's trails, she found herself paying attention to small details she might have otherwise missed: trees, streams, wildlife, the way the wind felt on her face. But Sofia also noticed trash along worn-down paths, and it bothered her. "Being out in nature and giving back to it just felt like it made sense together," she shares. For Sofia, loving nature means protecting it.
That instinct took shape through the Youth Community Advisory Board, where Sofia led a trash cleanup focused on local parks and streets. The areas had become unsafe for children to play, cluttered with hazards like broken glass. She organized volunteers, secured supplies, and made sure everyone worked safely and efficiently. Sofia also spoke with community members about the project and why it mattered. Afterward, she checked in with residents, who told her they felt differently walking through the neighborhood and were grateful their children could finally play safely in the parks. The experience showed her that small actions can carry real weight.
Sofia's interest in environmental care started earlier, in middle school, when she noticed how much trash students left behind during lunch. "It felt disrespectful, especially for the staff who worked hard to clean up every day," she explains. She started looking for ways to help, joining volunteer efforts to clean parks and streets. At Smoky Hill High School, Sofia continues that habit, staying behind after football and basketball games to make sure the area is clean again.
Sofia has also turned her attention to food waste. Volunteering at food banks, she helps sort and organize donations, packaging items for families, and making sure food reaches people instead of being thrown away. The work showed her that even small tasks can help others in meaningful ways, and it deepened her appreciation for how resources move through a community when people work together.
Sofia's commitment to service connects to something personal. Organizations in her community once supported her family, and that kindness left a mark. The volunteers at those events were always kind and understanding, and Sofia wanted to offer others the same. Now, she volunteers at the same kinds of events that once helped her family, including health fairs where she is often assigned to the check-in desk because she speaks Spanish. "It's meaningful to see how relieved families look when someone can finally understand them," she shares. As the only bilingual person in her household, Sofia understands firsthand how language barriers can make essential services feel out of reach.
That understanding fueled her work with Teen Voices in Healthcare, an internship where Colorado youth share their experiences to help improve healthcare systems. Sofia has spoken about language barriers and confusing paperwork, advocating for clearer information, more translators, and a system that listens to patients. She hopes to make healthcare more understandable and accessible for every family, regardless of income or language.
Sofia's interest in healthcare has taken her through the Colorado Health Careers Academy, where she earned a Basic Life Support certification, and the CU Science Discovery STEM Research Program, where she conducted research on Graves' disease and presented her findings at the STEM Research Expo. She is now planning to lead a diabetes health fair with the Youth Community Advisory Board. Some of Sofia's other accomplishments include earning an Academic All-State Honorable Mention in 2025, the American Legion Auxiliary Essay Winner award in 2025, and recognition as a writer for Expression Literary and Arts Magazine in 2025.
At Smoky Hill High School, Sofia holds leadership roles as an officer in both Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) and the National English Honor Society. Through HOSA, she has helped organize successful blood drives and other community service events. Sofia also volunteers with Aurora Sister Cities International, where she helps coordinate local events and connect with community members. As a mentor in the Girls Who Code Club, she has guided middle school girls through coding and watched their confidence grow, proud to see younger girls finding their voices and interests in technology.
Her teacher, William Warren, who had Sofia in his Honors Anatomy and Physiology course, describes her as "a very active and caring person who was a fantastic member of [his] classroom." He notes that Sofia "showed a level of professionalism and interest in science that is rare," adding that she was "regularly able to help those around her understand rigorous topics.”
Sofia plans to study biology with minors in Chinese and Japanese at Metropolitan State University of Denver, the University of Colorado Denver, or Regis University. Her goal is a career in medicine and research, where she is excited by the possibility of contributing to advances that can directly help people and breaking down the barriers that keep families from accessing care.
Yellow Region
Please select a recipient name to read their bio.
GOLD - Julia Lupica
Major: Environmental Science and Sustainability with a minor in Spanish
High School: Mountain View High School
Hometown: Mesa, AZ
In Mesa, Arizona, Julia Lupica has learned that climate work is not always glamorous. Sometimes it is dirt under fingernails, a sun that does not quit, and a garden that needs care when school is out. Julia has stepped into that challenge with planning, persistence, and a belief that sustainability should live on campus, not stay on a poster.
Julia's proudest environmental accomplishment started with a problem her Gardening Club sponsor could not solve alone. Each summer, blazing heat wiped out school garden plants, no matter how much they were watered. Julia set out to design a system that could last through Arizona summers, and she landed on solar power. With hours spent researching, budgeting, and filming an application video, she secured a Mesa Youth Climate Action Fund Grant for a campus pollination garden paired with a solar-powered watering system.
Julia brought the project to life through old-fashioned work and smart organizing. She recruited volunteers through the National Honor Society, offered a gift card for whoever logged the most service hours, and learned what work ethic can look like with a shovel in hand. In the end, her campus gained a planter box filled with fertile soil and desert pollinator plants chosen for lower water needs, plus a watering system designed for sustainability. For Julia, seeing a project come to fruition made the effort feel real, seeing a product of her hard work standing in front of her.
That same drive shows up in how Julia has shaped her school community. When she joined the Gardening Club, she hoped for a space to build gardening skills. The club did not match what she expected, so Julia ran for president in junior year and worked to grow membership and momentum. She encouraged members to help maintain the garden and donate seeds, while guiding activities that ranged from germinating seeds to building a hydroponic garden that remains a work in progress. For Earth Day, Julia planned a festival with five other clubs and kept sustainability at the center through compostable cups and compostable spoons used by a shaved ice truck. The event hosted an AP Environmental Science clothing exchange, and students working with solar panels explained why their work matters for mitigating climate issues.
Julia's environmental lens began at home. She remembers planter boxes in her backyard and a father who taught her how to plant seeds, water them, and talk to them each day. Family time included picking olives, cracking them with a rubber mallet, and brining them. Her mother's focus on using ingredients to their full potential shaped how Julia thinks about waste, and her aunt's influence on composting sparked a question she still carries: what could composting look like at school, using scraps from culinary classes and coffee grounds from teacher lounges. In a high school with more than 200 teachers, Julia has also seen how many paths exist toward climate action, from building planter boxes on campus to running a yearly clothing exchange that keeps usable items in rotation.
Julia's work with city partners has added another layer to that commitment. At Hacktivate Mesa, an event aligned with the Mesa climate action plan, Julia's group earned first place for proposing a way to reduce food deserts through food trucks distributing fresh fruits and vegetables. The plan included an app where a community made up largely of Latinos could share recipes using the produce. Julia says the win made her feel heard, and it reminded her that solutions can begin with young people who show up prepared.
Julia's leadership and academic work have earned recognition in multiple arenas. She received the St. Lawrence University Book Award for outstanding promotion of sustainability on her school's campus, along with a National College Board Recognition Award, and in 2024 placed fifth in a duo radio broadcasting contest. In classrooms, Julia has taken on advanced coursework across an array of subjects, including science, government, literature, and Spanish. Isabel Chávez, Julia's Spanish teacher for two years and sponsor of her school's Spanish Latino Club, describes her as a student who sets high goals for herself and follows through with exceptional dedication. Chávez adds that Julia approaches each task with maturity and purpose and has watched her lead as Co-President of the Spanish Latino Club, planning multicultural events that bring together students, staff, and community members. That drive to connect across cultures and communities extends beyond her campus, as Julia's participation in the U.S. Youth Ambassador program reflects a student who wants to understand the world while improving her own corner of it.
Julia plans to continue her studies at Arizona State University, the University of Southern California, or the University of Arizona, pursuing environmental science and sustainability with a minor in Spanish. With her hands in the soil and her eyes on the systems around it, Julia is building a future where caring for community and caring for planet feel like the same responsibility.
High School: Mountain View High School
Hometown: Mesa, AZ
In Mesa, Arizona, Julia Lupica has learned that climate work is not always glamorous. Sometimes it is dirt under fingernails, a sun that does not quit, and a garden that needs care when school is out. Julia has stepped into that challenge with planning, persistence, and a belief that sustainability should live on campus, not stay on a poster.
Julia's proudest environmental accomplishment started with a problem her Gardening Club sponsor could not solve alone. Each summer, blazing heat wiped out school garden plants, no matter how much they were watered. Julia set out to design a system that could last through Arizona summers, and she landed on solar power. With hours spent researching, budgeting, and filming an application video, she secured a Mesa Youth Climate Action Fund Grant for a campus pollination garden paired with a solar-powered watering system.
Julia brought the project to life through old-fashioned work and smart organizing. She recruited volunteers through the National Honor Society, offered a gift card for whoever logged the most service hours, and learned what work ethic can look like with a shovel in hand. In the end, her campus gained a planter box filled with fertile soil and desert pollinator plants chosen for lower water needs, plus a watering system designed for sustainability. For Julia, seeing a project come to fruition made the effort feel real, seeing a product of her hard work standing in front of her.
That same drive shows up in how Julia has shaped her school community. When she joined the Gardening Club, she hoped for a space to build gardening skills. The club did not match what she expected, so Julia ran for president in junior year and worked to grow membership and momentum. She encouraged members to help maintain the garden and donate seeds, while guiding activities that ranged from germinating seeds to building a hydroponic garden that remains a work in progress. For Earth Day, Julia planned a festival with five other clubs and kept sustainability at the center through compostable cups and compostable spoons used by a shaved ice truck. The event hosted an AP Environmental Science clothing exchange, and students working with solar panels explained why their work matters for mitigating climate issues.
Julia's environmental lens began at home. She remembers planter boxes in her backyard and a father who taught her how to plant seeds, water them, and talk to them each day. Family time included picking olives, cracking them with a rubber mallet, and brining them. Her mother's focus on using ingredients to their full potential shaped how Julia thinks about waste, and her aunt's influence on composting sparked a question she still carries: what could composting look like at school, using scraps from culinary classes and coffee grounds from teacher lounges. In a high school with more than 200 teachers, Julia has also seen how many paths exist toward climate action, from building planter boxes on campus to running a yearly clothing exchange that keeps usable items in rotation.
Julia's work with city partners has added another layer to that commitment. At Hacktivate Mesa, an event aligned with the Mesa climate action plan, Julia's group earned first place for proposing a way to reduce food deserts through food trucks distributing fresh fruits and vegetables. The plan included an app where a community made up largely of Latinos could share recipes using the produce. Julia says the win made her feel heard, and it reminded her that solutions can begin with young people who show up prepared.
Julia's leadership and academic work have earned recognition in multiple arenas. She received the St. Lawrence University Book Award for outstanding promotion of sustainability on her school's campus, along with a National College Board Recognition Award, and in 2024 placed fifth in a duo radio broadcasting contest. In classrooms, Julia has taken on advanced coursework across an array of subjects, including science, government, literature, and Spanish. Isabel Chávez, Julia's Spanish teacher for two years and sponsor of her school's Spanish Latino Club, describes her as a student who sets high goals for herself and follows through with exceptional dedication. Chávez adds that Julia approaches each task with maturity and purpose and has watched her lead as Co-President of the Spanish Latino Club, planning multicultural events that bring together students, staff, and community members. That drive to connect across cultures and communities extends beyond her campus, as Julia's participation in the U.S. Youth Ambassador program reflects a student who wants to understand the world while improving her own corner of it.
Julia plans to continue her studies at Arizona State University, the University of Southern California, or the University of Arizona, pursuing environmental science and sustainability with a minor in Spanish. With her hands in the soil and her eyes on the systems around it, Julia is building a future where caring for community and caring for planet feel like the same responsibility.
SILVER - Noelle Arambula
Major: Environmental Conservation Science with minors in Ecology and Biology
High School: Ironwood High School
Hometown: Glendale, AZ
In Noelle Arambula's daily routine, sustainability is not a trend. It is a set of choices she repeats until they become habit. Noelle buys clothes secondhand to cut demand for new manufacturing, carries a reusable tote to skip single-use bags, and keeps parts of worn household items for future projects. At home, she has pushed her household toward recycling, swapped plastic waste bags for reused paper grocery bags, and researched biodegradable cat litter as the sole caretaker of her cats. Noelle even stepped away from wearing makeup each day after learning how often raw materials are obtained through environmentally irresponsible practices. For Noelle, green work begins before a meeting, before a club title, before a spotlight. It begins with what she decides to do on an ordinary Tuesday.
Those choices grew from an early education that did not come from a textbook. Noelle spent her childhood in rural Ohio beside her grandmother's 60-acre tree farm, where the forest served as playground and classroom. From ages two to fourteen, she spent hours outside each week, learning to identify poison ivy and other hazardous plants, studying trees so she could help care for the land, and exploring naturopathic uses of forest plants. Noelle also helped maintain water runoff systems on the farm and learned how drainage changes across soil types, plus the role fire management plays in conservation. Those years gave her what she describes as a personal connection to nature, one that still shapes her goal of building a career that gives back to the environments that formed her.
At fourteen, Noelle moved across the country and met a new biome head-on in Arizona's deserts. That transition asked her to adapt what she knew about forests to a landscape with different rules, different risks, and different beauty. It also brought her closer to the Hispanic half of her identity. Noelle took Spanish classes, visited local family members, and practiced her language skills while learning what it means to belong in a place that felt new in many ways. Through that experience, Noelle came to see a relationship between cultural identity and local natural resources, and she feels compelled to help people recognize that protecting nature can also mean protecting the places and traditions that shape who they are. In her view, diverse educators matter for the same reason. Students build stronger perspectives when they learn from people with different backgrounds and different vantage points.
Noelle also thinks about sustainability as infrastructure and public life, not only personal habits. In Glendale and across the valley, she sees car traffic and vehicle pollution as a daily problem. Noelle argues that safer, more convenient alternatives have to be part of the answer. Her proposals include improved public transportation, wider bike lanes, and protective medians that separate cyclists from traffic, with ideas such as using outer lanes of multi-lane roads for safer cycling space. Noelle also points to policy levers, including tax credits for low-income households to purchase bicycles, and tax credits for companies that support a set percentage of employees who work from home. In the spirit of practical problem-solving, she even imagines scholarship support for inventors creating a phone-charging device powered by cycling, plus weather-friendly bicycle designs such as a windshield and roof if they can be made in a cost-effective, environmentally responsible way.
Service has given Noelle a place to practice leadership and care in real time. For three summers, she has volunteered one week as kitchen help at a rustic church camp in Ohio for campers ages ten to thirteen. Days mean six to seven hours of work, feeding about sixty people, from setting tables and washing dishes to cleaning floors and preparing for the next meal. Noelle also stays in a cabin with campers and helps lead group activities with fellow counselors, using the camp's rustic setting to encourage campers to experience nature and build respect for the forest. One note from a camper stayed with her. The camper wrote that Noelle was one of the kindest people she had met and someone she looked up to, a message that strengthened Noelle's resolve to keep showing up as a role model.
Since age fourteen, Noelle has also spent two to three hours each month visiting homebound elderly members of her church with her youth group. They visit, sing, and pray together, always asking if someone has a favorite hymn. She recalls one visit when a reserved older man chose a song and shared through tears that the lyrics had comforted him during fear while serving overseas. Moments like that helped Noelle recognize how presence, music, and community can reach people when nothing else will.
Music is also one of the places where Noelle has challenged herself to lead. An introvert by her own description, she has worked to build the leadership skills she will need to influence people around her. Noelle serves as President of her school's Choir Club, running weekly meetings after school, organizing events, and delegating tasks. As the most experienced member of her school's advanced performance choir, she has also taken on an informal role as student liaison to the conductor, helping represent group opinion and weigh in on music choices. In her second year at church camp, administrators recognized her dedication by naming her co-head of kitchen staff at age sixteen. Noelle was also nominated to serve as a delegate for American Legion Auxiliary Arizona Girls State in the summer of 2025, where she met women leaders across levels of government, took part in an election process, and learned why municipal planning and infrastructure matter for community success. For Noelle, that lesson belongs in environmental work, because environmental issues require thoughtful representation at every level of government.
Noelle's academic record reflects sustained effort across demanding classes and commitments. She holds a 3.92 unweighted GPA and has earned induction into the National Honor Society, a Certificate of Achievement for an ACT score of 30, Certificates of Academic Excellence across multiple years, and selection for the Arizona Music Educators Association Honors Choir.
Noelle plans to continue her education at Freed-Hardeman University, Harding University, or Lipscomb University, studying environmental conservation science with minors in ecology and biology. She wants a career that lets her protect forests and deserts alike, bringing along her vision for a greener community. Little by little, Noelle is building a future where care shows up as action.
High School: Ironwood High School
Hometown: Glendale, AZ
In Noelle Arambula's daily routine, sustainability is not a trend. It is a set of choices she repeats until they become habit. Noelle buys clothes secondhand to cut demand for new manufacturing, carries a reusable tote to skip single-use bags, and keeps parts of worn household items for future projects. At home, she has pushed her household toward recycling, swapped plastic waste bags for reused paper grocery bags, and researched biodegradable cat litter as the sole caretaker of her cats. Noelle even stepped away from wearing makeup each day after learning how often raw materials are obtained through environmentally irresponsible practices. For Noelle, green work begins before a meeting, before a club title, before a spotlight. It begins with what she decides to do on an ordinary Tuesday.
Those choices grew from an early education that did not come from a textbook. Noelle spent her childhood in rural Ohio beside her grandmother's 60-acre tree farm, where the forest served as playground and classroom. From ages two to fourteen, she spent hours outside each week, learning to identify poison ivy and other hazardous plants, studying trees so she could help care for the land, and exploring naturopathic uses of forest plants. Noelle also helped maintain water runoff systems on the farm and learned how drainage changes across soil types, plus the role fire management plays in conservation. Those years gave her what she describes as a personal connection to nature, one that still shapes her goal of building a career that gives back to the environments that formed her.
At fourteen, Noelle moved across the country and met a new biome head-on in Arizona's deserts. That transition asked her to adapt what she knew about forests to a landscape with different rules, different risks, and different beauty. It also brought her closer to the Hispanic half of her identity. Noelle took Spanish classes, visited local family members, and practiced her language skills while learning what it means to belong in a place that felt new in many ways. Through that experience, Noelle came to see a relationship between cultural identity and local natural resources, and she feels compelled to help people recognize that protecting nature can also mean protecting the places and traditions that shape who they are. In her view, diverse educators matter for the same reason. Students build stronger perspectives when they learn from people with different backgrounds and different vantage points.
Noelle also thinks about sustainability as infrastructure and public life, not only personal habits. In Glendale and across the valley, she sees car traffic and vehicle pollution as a daily problem. Noelle argues that safer, more convenient alternatives have to be part of the answer. Her proposals include improved public transportation, wider bike lanes, and protective medians that separate cyclists from traffic, with ideas such as using outer lanes of multi-lane roads for safer cycling space. Noelle also points to policy levers, including tax credits for low-income households to purchase bicycles, and tax credits for companies that support a set percentage of employees who work from home. In the spirit of practical problem-solving, she even imagines scholarship support for inventors creating a phone-charging device powered by cycling, plus weather-friendly bicycle designs such as a windshield and roof if they can be made in a cost-effective, environmentally responsible way.
Service has given Noelle a place to practice leadership and care in real time. For three summers, she has volunteered one week as kitchen help at a rustic church camp in Ohio for campers ages ten to thirteen. Days mean six to seven hours of work, feeding about sixty people, from setting tables and washing dishes to cleaning floors and preparing for the next meal. Noelle also stays in a cabin with campers and helps lead group activities with fellow counselors, using the camp's rustic setting to encourage campers to experience nature and build respect for the forest. One note from a camper stayed with her. The camper wrote that Noelle was one of the kindest people she had met and someone she looked up to, a message that strengthened Noelle's resolve to keep showing up as a role model.
Since age fourteen, Noelle has also spent two to three hours each month visiting homebound elderly members of her church with her youth group. They visit, sing, and pray together, always asking if someone has a favorite hymn. She recalls one visit when a reserved older man chose a song and shared through tears that the lyrics had comforted him during fear while serving overseas. Moments like that helped Noelle recognize how presence, music, and community can reach people when nothing else will.
Music is also one of the places where Noelle has challenged herself to lead. An introvert by her own description, she has worked to build the leadership skills she will need to influence people around her. Noelle serves as President of her school's Choir Club, running weekly meetings after school, organizing events, and delegating tasks. As the most experienced member of her school's advanced performance choir, she has also taken on an informal role as student liaison to the conductor, helping represent group opinion and weigh in on music choices. In her second year at church camp, administrators recognized her dedication by naming her co-head of kitchen staff at age sixteen. Noelle was also nominated to serve as a delegate for American Legion Auxiliary Arizona Girls State in the summer of 2025, where she met women leaders across levels of government, took part in an election process, and learned why municipal planning and infrastructure matter for community success. For Noelle, that lesson belongs in environmental work, because environmental issues require thoughtful representation at every level of government.
Noelle's academic record reflects sustained effort across demanding classes and commitments. She holds a 3.92 unweighted GPA and has earned induction into the National Honor Society, a Certificate of Achievement for an ACT score of 30, Certificates of Academic Excellence across multiple years, and selection for the Arizona Music Educators Association Honors Choir.
Noelle plans to continue her education at Freed-Hardeman University, Harding University, or Lipscomb University, studying environmental conservation science with minors in ecology and biology. She wants a career that lets her protect forests and deserts alike, bringing along her vision for a greener community. Little by little, Noelle is building a future where care shows up as action.
BRONZE - Moises Medina
Major: Environmental Engineering with a minor in Geology
High School: Cesar Chavez High School
Hometown: Phoenix, AZ
Moises Medina remembers the coolness underneath his grandmother's lemon tree, a small pocket of shade surrounded by tomatoes, peppers, and squash in her small New Mexico town. Her garden was more than rows of vegetables. It was a microclimate, a refuge from heat, and a classroom where Moises learned that caring for the earth and caring for people could be the same act. His grandmother often harvested more than her family could eat and gave the extra away: a sack of pecans for a neighbor, jars of salsa for relatives. Watching her share so freely with her community planted something in Moises that would shape his high school years in Phoenix.
Moises's fascination with weather took hold during monsoon season, when haboobs swallowed distant mountains and sudden rain arrived with thunder and lightning. As he learned more about climate, Moises noticed something troubling. The rains that once brought relief to the desert had grown weaker in cities like Phoenix and Tucson. Concrete and asphalt absorb heat and create what scientists call the urban heat island effect, a wall of warmth that prolongs heatwaves and blocks the monsoon's arrival. Moises began to see his grandmother's garden in a new light. She had built a microclimate of her own, and if one garden could change the temperature of a backyard, Moises wondered what many gardens could do for a city.
At Cesar Chavez High School, Moises wanted to share his interest in the environment with his community, so he founded an environmental club. His goal was to bring awareness to environmental issues through hands-on activities that would stick with his classmates. One of the first projects involved seed bombs, small bundles designed to grow native wildflowers. Moises taught club members how materials like concrete trap heat and how urban greenery can cool a neighborhood while supporting pollinators. Another activity borrowed from a lab he loved in his AP Environmental Science class: edible models of soil layers made from pudding, cookie crumbs, and gummy worms. Moises also organized sessions where members made new paper from used paper and led a poster-painting event to spread sustainable practices across campus. His teacher, Brooke Carlson, describes Moises as the one who "personally launched an environmental awareness campaign" at the school, noting his creativity and calm leadership in everything from seed bombs to poster designs. With the Phoenix Zoo Trailblazers Youth Council, Moises has found another outlet for environmental education, engaging visitors in conservation and ecology.
Moises also volunteers at the St. Vincent de Paul Urban Farm, a commitment that carries personal meaning. His grandparents left everything behind in Mexico when they migrated to the United States, and during those early years, his family relied on community gardens and food banks to feed five children. "Every time I volunteer in the garden, I think back to the struggles that my family faced when they first came to the United States," Moises shares. "I feel inspired, knowing that I can help families in need just like the people that helped my family when they were in need." At St. Vincent de Paul, Moises has learned to care for soil, maintain irrigation systems, and grow different crops. He hands out fresh produce to families and has brought his environmental club members to harvest vegetables, plant seeds, and fill raised beds alongside him. The experience also encouraged Moises to start a garden at home, where he now grows peppers, tomatoes, squash, and cilantro. When his harvests exceed what his family can use, he shares with neighbors, echoing his grandmother's example. Several of his family members and friends have since started gardens of their own.
Moises has spent three years on the Academic Decathlon team, mastering material across seven subjects and earning recognition for his speech and interview skills. In 2025, he claimed a Silver Medal in Science at Regionals and a Bronze Medal in Science at Online Nationals. He was also named an AP Scholar with Honors that same year. Carlson calls Moises "dependable, organized," and someone who "leads by example," adding that his intellectual curiosity and strong communication make him "an invaluable member" of the team.
Moises plans to study environmental engineering with a minor in geology at Northern Arizona University, Arizona State University, or the University of Arizona. He sees urban greenery as one answer to the heat that grips desert cities, a way to call the monsoon back one green space at a time. The boy who once stood in the shade of his grandmother's lemon tree now tends his own garden and teaches others to do the same, convinced that every plot of soil, every seed bomb, every shared harvest brings his community a little closer to relief.
High School: Cesar Chavez High School
Hometown: Phoenix, AZ
Moises Medina remembers the coolness underneath his grandmother's lemon tree, a small pocket of shade surrounded by tomatoes, peppers, and squash in her small New Mexico town. Her garden was more than rows of vegetables. It was a microclimate, a refuge from heat, and a classroom where Moises learned that caring for the earth and caring for people could be the same act. His grandmother often harvested more than her family could eat and gave the extra away: a sack of pecans for a neighbor, jars of salsa for relatives. Watching her share so freely with her community planted something in Moises that would shape his high school years in Phoenix.
Moises's fascination with weather took hold during monsoon season, when haboobs swallowed distant mountains and sudden rain arrived with thunder and lightning. As he learned more about climate, Moises noticed something troubling. The rains that once brought relief to the desert had grown weaker in cities like Phoenix and Tucson. Concrete and asphalt absorb heat and create what scientists call the urban heat island effect, a wall of warmth that prolongs heatwaves and blocks the monsoon's arrival. Moises began to see his grandmother's garden in a new light. She had built a microclimate of her own, and if one garden could change the temperature of a backyard, Moises wondered what many gardens could do for a city.
At Cesar Chavez High School, Moises wanted to share his interest in the environment with his community, so he founded an environmental club. His goal was to bring awareness to environmental issues through hands-on activities that would stick with his classmates. One of the first projects involved seed bombs, small bundles designed to grow native wildflowers. Moises taught club members how materials like concrete trap heat and how urban greenery can cool a neighborhood while supporting pollinators. Another activity borrowed from a lab he loved in his AP Environmental Science class: edible models of soil layers made from pudding, cookie crumbs, and gummy worms. Moises also organized sessions where members made new paper from used paper and led a poster-painting event to spread sustainable practices across campus. His teacher, Brooke Carlson, describes Moises as the one who "personally launched an environmental awareness campaign" at the school, noting his creativity and calm leadership in everything from seed bombs to poster designs. With the Phoenix Zoo Trailblazers Youth Council, Moises has found another outlet for environmental education, engaging visitors in conservation and ecology.
Moises also volunteers at the St. Vincent de Paul Urban Farm, a commitment that carries personal meaning. His grandparents left everything behind in Mexico when they migrated to the United States, and during those early years, his family relied on community gardens and food banks to feed five children. "Every time I volunteer in the garden, I think back to the struggles that my family faced when they first came to the United States," Moises shares. "I feel inspired, knowing that I can help families in need just like the people that helped my family when they were in need." At St. Vincent de Paul, Moises has learned to care for soil, maintain irrigation systems, and grow different crops. He hands out fresh produce to families and has brought his environmental club members to harvest vegetables, plant seeds, and fill raised beds alongside him. The experience also encouraged Moises to start a garden at home, where he now grows peppers, tomatoes, squash, and cilantro. When his harvests exceed what his family can use, he shares with neighbors, echoing his grandmother's example. Several of his family members and friends have since started gardens of their own.
Moises has spent three years on the Academic Decathlon team, mastering material across seven subjects and earning recognition for his speech and interview skills. In 2025, he claimed a Silver Medal in Science at Regionals and a Bronze Medal in Science at Online Nationals. He was also named an AP Scholar with Honors that same year. Carlson calls Moises "dependable, organized," and someone who "leads by example," adding that his intellectual curiosity and strong communication make him "an invaluable member" of the team.
Moises plans to study environmental engineering with a minor in geology at Northern Arizona University, Arizona State University, or the University of Arizona. He sees urban greenery as one answer to the heat that grips desert cities, a way to call the monsoon back one green space at a time. The boy who once stood in the shade of his grandmother's lemon tree now tends his own garden and teaches others to do the same, convinced that every plot of soil, every seed bomb, every shared harvest brings his community a little closer to relief.