The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established the National Environmental Youth Advisory Council (NEYAC) to provide independent advice and recommendations to the Administrator on how to increase EPA's efforts to address a range of environmental issues as they relate to youth. Council members will provide a critical perspective on how the impacts of climate change and other environmental harms affects youth communities.I am the youngest United States Federal Advisory Committee chairperson in history. As chairperson of the NEYAC, I lead the council's meetings in Washington and draft federal advice letters. I was nominated to the NEYAC by EPA Administrator Regan out of over 1,000 applicants.

The United Nations Association of the United States of America (UNA-USA) was founded in 1943, following the Second World War. The UNA-USA has played a critical role in supporting the ideals and vital work of the United Nations, including ratification and creation of the UN Charter. I am representing 200 chapters and 20,000 members as the UNA-USA’s Global Goals Ambassador for SDG 13: Climate Action. I am leading critical conversations on the Sustainable Development Goals and climate justice through Global Goals Week programming, chapter outreach, and the UN Declaration of Human Rights by American Youth.

Light CO2 is a climate action nonprofit. EIN 84-4891036. Activists can learn how to reduce their carbon footprint through a collection of youth-written articles and carbon offset. I created an online carbon footprint calculator. Then, I pitched for funding, won $5,000 from Amazon Web Services, and designed/launched an adaptive climate action app (Change Carbon) on the Apple App Store. I’ve written/edited over 100 articles, and community members have planted over 10,000 trees through our partner, Trees for the Future.

The Denver Public Schools (DPS) Superintendent Student Cabinet (SSC) is a forum of students from 50+ district-run/charter high schools which advise the Board of Education and Superintendent’s decision-making in Colorado’s largest school district. I created the structures and governance model of the SSC, planned/facilitated cabinet meetings with 1-3 representatives from every DPS high school (50-150 total), and advocated a Student Bill of Rights to voice underrepresented populations (LGBTQIA+/BIPOC). I also led the biannual Student Voice and Leadership (SVL) roundtables with 300+ students and supported SVL programs like Young African American & Latinx Leaders (YAALL).

Denver Public Schools (DPS) Students for Climate Action is a district-wide climate advocacy group aimed at promoting climate justice, establishing a network of sustainability clubs, and empowering students to lead the charge towards a livable future. I united dozens of students from nearby high schools, collected over 4,000 signatures/endorsements from community members/local politicians/businesses, and coordinated with environmental specialists in eight working groups to create/pass a climate justice policy ratified in 200 schools with 92,000 students. I also launched an online guidance course to empower student-driven climate policy nationwide.

The Young Americans Center for Financial Education’s (YACFE) Youth Advisory Board advises and oversees Young Americans Bank, the only FDIC-insured bank designed for young people, and YACFE’s financial literacy programs, which serve nearly 70,000 elementary through high schoolers. I chaired 20-member monthly meetings under parliamentary procedure, managed the board’s three sub-committees, and launched a free enterprise podcast to support financially disadvantaged youth. I coordinated with guest speakers to hold educational sessions and directed quarterly volunteer events. As co-host to the annual gala, I raised over $100,000 with the development team to further YACFE’s nonprofit programs.

Young AmeriTowne is a program that teaches business, economics, and free enterprise to 4th, 5th, and 6th graders. Students participate in a town simulation with a bank, market, radio station, mayor's office, and other elements. Young Americans serve 30,000 youth annually, helping reduce the United States' 43% financial illiteracy rate. During the summer, I volunteered at Young AmeriTowne to lead classes ranging from 20 to 50 students, coordinate fun, educational activities, and establish a safe, supportive environment for campers. I also served as a three-time guest speaker to the "Just Start It" youth entrepreneurship program for middle schoolers.

Throughout summer, I worked for approximately 6 weeks in the bank sector of Young Americans Center for Financial Education. I shadowed the Vice-President of Business Partners and Development. I enhanced back-end website SEO components, reorganized hundreds of bank records, and learned about organizational development practices. I also updated meta-data for thousands of images on yacenter.org.

The Sustainability Advisory Council (SAC) provides advice and recommendations to Denver’s Office of Climate Action, Sustainability, and Resiliency (CASR). The Climate Adaptation & Resiliency (CAR) sub-committee mitigates the causes of climate change and prepares for the changes it is already causing within the Denver metropolitan area. I directed city climate goals in alignment with the Climate Protection Fund 5-year plan ($40 million annual budget), advanced pollinator protection and pesticide reduction policy, and advised an $18 million community solar and tree canopy project. I served as the first and only member under 18 on the CAR sub-committee within the SAC.

The Youth Participatory Led-Research (YPAR) UC Berkeley framework is an innovative approach to positive youth and community development based on social justice principles. This Environmental Justice Research Project aims to inform the K-12 Colorado sustainability curriculum, intending to publish in the spring of 2023. I worked with researchers from the University of Colorado Denver and the University of Denver to qualitatively examine K-12-based environmental justice initiatives, conducted interviews with teachers, students, and community leaders, and obtained a $3,000 grant from DU Grand Challenges. By emphasizing a student-based approach, I hope to improve the effectiveness of Colorado’s sustainability curriculums.

East High School Sustainability Club supports a climate-conscious culture through community engagement, volunteer opportunities, and change-making initiatives. I implemented a kitchen composting system in Denver’s 3rd largest high school, developed a school-wide sustainability-engagement lesson plan, and hosted weekly environmental experts, including Colorado Senator Chris Hansen. I coordinated our tree planting volunteer event (covered by local media), which reforested over 400 trees in fire zones and the local Denver-Boulder community. I also partnered with McKinstry Engineering to conduct a building energy audit, making East High School the first school in Colorado to pursue the Eco-Schools Certification.

Model United Nations (MUN) is a simulation in which students are assigned individual countries within a body of the United Nations to learn about diplomacy and international relations. Denver East MUN is an independent club with 90 delegates. I recruited/trained over 30 new delegates, planned two culturally immersive international competition trips to New York City (largest MUN conference in the world with over 5,000 delegates) and Mexico City (bilingual conference), and raised $4,000 in need-based financial aid scholarships. I chaired regional conferences, coordinated monthly competitions, and designed weekly lessons to teach students about international issues.

Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) inspires and prepares students to become community-minded business leaders through relevant career preparation (role-play, presentation-based, and objective test events). East FBLA hosts 32 competitors. Seeking to start an entrepreneurship club, I discovered East FBLA. I increased chapter membership by 20 students, instructed 60 percent of members to win/final their events in districts, and hosted career guidance and guest speaker seminars. I competed in Marketing, Social Media Strategy, Accounting, and International Business FBLA tracts. I secured school-based scholarships, planned district/state travel, and championed six student-run businesses in the Yearbook’s Student Spotlight.

Denver East Forensics Team (DEFT) encompasses 120 debaters. In the International Extemporaneous event, students are presented with a question on current international affairs and, in 30 minutes, must prepare a 7-minute speech answering the question. I lectured weekly on current events, coached 50 novice debaters, and hosted East High School’s annual debate tournament, one of the largest in Colorado (11 Speech and Debate events). I ran team warm-ups, judged/competed in 60 debate tournaments, and filed over 2,000 debate articles. I led DEFT to earn the Top 20 School of Excellence award amongst 1,247 schools.

The Student Advisory Board directs and develops weekly lesson plans for East High School’s advisory classes. Through grade-specific groupings, students gain situationally-specific support, ranging from course selection to college guidance. Randomized student assignments promote diverse interactions. I collaborated with peer leaders during the return of in-person learning to establish weekly, school-wide advisory classes, which provided mental health support to the 2,581 student body. I presented to nearly 200 school staff on the importance of social-emotional learning spaces, developed 40-minute lesson plans, including a 4-part series on consent, and guided immersive, value-based activities to encourage mindfulness.

East High School National Honors Society's chapter comprises the highest academically achieving students who participate in at least 50 hours of community service annually. High school juniors and seniors are eligible for membership. I coordinated monthly community trash pickups, participated in food drives and letter-writing events to support nearby homeless shelters and the children's hospital, and held the highest class rank of the 581 students in my school. We also engaged our school community through events, including creating holiday gift baskets for janitorial staff. By graduation, I will have accumulated more than 100 volunteer hours.

The We the People Constitutional Law Program challenges students to explore constitutional topics through six panels, each holding four-minute hearings and six-minute examinations. Panel Six investigates ​​21st Century Challenges to American Constitutional Democracy. I extensively examined topics such as the justification of revolutions, philosophy, and systemic injustice through writing five 15-page research papers, created five “Opening Statements” addressing distinct, 3-part questions with my four panel members, and collaborated weekly with Colorado Supreme Court Justice Melissa Hart. I supported the other five panels through over 40 joint rehearsals and encouraged school-wide civic engagement programs.

I was selected as one of 30 fellows from over 300 applicants for a 10-week entrepreneurship intensive. I worked on the Climate Tech team to develop Gut, a platform aimed at reducing food waste and redefining the dining experience. Our team won the final startup pitch competition to a panel of Silicon Valley investors.