My experience as a Young Ambassador helped me understand how to assess community needs, create an action plan, and organize volunteers to create change. For my project, I selected the “Greening and Beautification” category. I connected with park rangers at my local county park, Boyce Park. They explained what areas of the park had already been identified as needing management for invasive plant species. This park is known for mountain biking trails, and without management of the honeysuckle bushes, the trails will get overgrown and become unsafe for bikers. They taught me about the specific tools needed to effectively remove these bushes and provided the safety equipment such as goggles or glasses, gloves, and tools.

I found it challenging to find volunteers at my high school, so I asked my school counselor for help. She suggested I join and approach our Earth Club. I felt this would be the best club to find others who value stewardship or protecting nature. I was responsible for explaining the project and communicating the date and time to volunteer to the group. The day we gathered to volunteer, there were park rangers, my parent, myself, and students from Earth Club. Having the proper tools and working together allowed a large part of the forest to be cleared. While we were clearing the path, bikers were riding the trail, so we got cheers and encouragement!

To summarize, being a Young Ambassador shaped my understanding of stewardship because the volunteers and I were hands-on in creating change, specifically beautification. Caring for this park had meaning to me because it is close to my high school, my high school’s mountain biking club rides there, and parties are often held there. Being a Young Ambassador helped my understanding of civics because I needed many different people to assist in the project's success. I needed communication between myself, my counselor, park rangers, my parent, the teacher that led Earth Club, and the students. As Helen Keller stated, "Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much," and it was the gathering and communication between like-minded individuals that allowed my project to move from paper to real life.

Since becoming a Young Ambassador, I have positively impacted my community by educating the Earth Club at my school about my project. This included a presentation of the community need I identified, the action plan to address that need, and the outcome of the volunteer effort to clean up and beautify a bike trail in the county park. I continue to prioritize my academics and have been inducted into the National Honor Society with a 4.1429 GPA. I have also worked 1-2 nights per week for the past two years at an Italian restaurant as a busgirl.

A second way I have positively contributed to my community is by participating in my high school’s comprehensive planning committee. I was invited by the Vice Principal to be a voice for the student body at two after-school meetings. These meetings focused on the beliefs, vision, and mission of my high school. For example, I spoke about how counselors can help students choose classes that pertain to their future interests after high school. Another topic I voiced my opinion about was how teachers can motivate students to challenge themselves and reach their greatest potential.

A third way I have positively contributed to my community is by participating in tennis for a second year. In discussion with my coach, rising seniors are encouraged to serve as role models to younger students on the team. I try to motivate new players to not get discouraged as they learn the rules and skills of tennis.

A fourth way I have positively contributed to my community is by volunteering monthly with Global Links. Since deciding I will pursue physician assistance studies in college, I felt it was important to be part of this organization’s mission. According to the Global Links website, this organization is "a medical relief and development organization dedicated to improving health in resource-poor communities while promoting environmental stewardship in US healthcare hospitals and distributing them to public healthcare institutions, primarily in Latin America and the Caribbean.” I sort medical supplies into categories and check expiration dates. In addition, I created personal care kits that included hygiene products such as shampoo, soap, and toothpaste from donations obtained from staff at a local hospital. I did this with the help of my mother, who works at this hospital.

The final way I have positively contributed to my community is by continuing my role as a member of the Youth Research Advisory Board (YRAB) for the University of Pittsburgh for a second year. In this role, I contribute to discussions about different presenters' research with other students from various schools. Usually, this includes a study involving children and teenagers so we can give feedback on their methods as we know our age group best.

Through my experience as a Young Ambassador, I learned how to execute a long-term project. This project took place over 8 months and required both virtual and in-person communication skills. The planning steps of the project were important because they set up the foundation for the hands-on part. I learned how to follow a timeline by breaking a large goal into monthly steps to ensure it could be met.

The second thing I learned about myself was how to collaborate with leaders in my high school, as well as leaders in the community. I did this when I emailed park rangers who assisted me with parts of my county park that needed attention for invasive plant species removal. I also used email to communicate between my guidance counselor and my high school's Earth Club teacher. In this way, I was able to take the next steps to involve my peers in the project.

The third thing I learned about myself was the value of going outside my comfort zone. I am not an outdoorsy person. The Young Ambassador position required me to be hands-on with the project. This meant that I found myself in the woods using tools I had never seen or heard of before. It was uncomfortable at first, but I found a tool that worked for me to remove invasive plants on bike trails in my county's park.

Overall, I learned more about myself and enjoyed my experience as a Young Ambassador!