I’m competitive I’m also incredibly
passionate about the environment I’ve
spent years passionately pursuing unique
independent experiences of the
environment I completed an independent
study researching the rates of
decomposition of supermarket wastes I
worked on a Cornell University study
examining the presence of invasive
species in a local Creek and I
collaborated with local businesses to
increase their sustainability through
this I’ve attempted to answer questions
about what is that puzzle me in the
world around me why do people refuse to
care about the environment why is it a
unique quality of mine to passionately
pursue its protection what can we do
what can I do to get people to reuse
compost decrease their consumption and
do more for the environment
instinctually these questions fill my
mind as I sit in lunch every day
surrounded by peers who eat half of
their process lunch and throw the West
rest away on a Styrofoam tray every time
I see that I know that what they’re
doing is wrong and I want to tell them
and educate them but until last summer I
never tied in my third defining
characteristic I love talking and
teaching my passions had always been
mine I networked my way to connections
with the mayor and business owners but I
hadn’t shared my values with the world
success we all want to be the best right
we want to be the best student the
fastest athlete the most innovative
inventor the most insightful
conversationalist whatever it is that we
do we want to find success to the
highest degree when we get there someone
will inevitably follow and will once
again have to redefine what success
means in 1957 the Soviet Union launched
Sputnik the first ever satellite in
space seeing what could be the United
States a year later launched Explorer 1
followed by solar-powered Vanguard and
Project score the first ever
communications
I threw this our world was inundated in
the functionality of satellites not only
did they meet the goals of our nation at
that day they provided incredible social
and commercial functions as well the
satellite television and long-distance
communication that we take for granted
today came as a result of this success
the space race has manifested itself in
my life in a series of events the first
of which occurred in our nation’s
capital at the Washington youth summit
on the environment there I found myself
surrounded by peers with shining resumes
and incredible world impacts one of
those peers was Jaxon Hinkle who I’ll
talk more about later at the time I had
established myself as passionate about
the environment I’d spent a day a week
earlier moving queen bees in an attempt
to resist the room I and I’ve presented
my independent composting research
findings at a science fair at Hobart and
William Smith Colleges but I was not
content I knew that no matter how
logical composting was if I didn’t share
its importance with the world and get
people to take part none of my efforts
mattered so on the hill I met this pier
right here this is Jackson Hinkle you
may know about him as Teen Vogue’s young
environmentalist of the year you may
know about his work to ban plastic bags
and bottles in his school district or
implement solar there you may know about
his advocacy for the safe storage of
nuclear waste meeting Jackson opened my
eyes to my failure to share my values
with the world but I did not give up I
did not step down and consider myself a
failure I decided I was going to change
my world and so I did by modeling his
school based club with a widespread
impact I created a club of my own but
where his was coin Team Zissou focusing
on advocacy and lifestyle I titled my
group the Eco geeks environmental
education club focusing on education for
primary and elementary students through
this might impact the skyrocketed not
only did I work with 15 plus peers to
teach thousands of students about the
environment recite
green energy and sustainability we
taught these students kindergarten
through fifth grade and assemblies about
sustainability over the holidays the use
of a zero-waste system in lunch rooms
and we help them construct compost bins
in their classrooms our impact did not
stop there we worked with adults
facility the facilities team at our high
school helped us build compost bins the
district office and superintendent of
Finance helped us procure grant funding
the food way food services teams allowed
us to audit the wastes in the cafeterias
and the superin and the principals of
the schools helped us implement
composting systems in their lunch rooms
by looking at Jackson’s path I was able
to shoot for the stars and find my
potential I was able to share my values
with the world created a lasting
infrastructure for sustainability and
gain confidence in my future endeavors
success in 1961 the Soviet Union
launched Yuri Gagarin into space the
first ever man there soon after the
United States sent Alan Shepard in the
first piloted space flight which was
followed by VOC shot one and two the
first multi-person cruise and the Gemini
missions through this we realized that
humans could spend time in space and
that time could be extended if they had
water NASA developed water filtration
for to meet this demand and through that
not only did they allow astronauts to
stay in space longer it provided people
in poverty and underdeveloped areas of
the world with clean drinking water were
before they didn’t have any success at
the Ephraim mentioned some on the
environment I met another peer Catherine
McConnell Kate blew my mind not only was
she an advocate for women and science
she would be attending the girls nation
conference just a week or so later she
also was passionate about both political
science and astrophysics she took these
passions and desires and brought them
back home where she founded a group
called you go girl okay in her home
state of Oklahoma
this group of empowered women worked to
organize protests rallies and community
events advocating for climate awareness
women’s rights
quality Kate shared this to me through
her use of social media and her pride in
her group of women she inspired people
to do in their communities and inspired
me to share the work of my club with my
community to get them to do as well on
YouTube you can find a video called a
parent’s guide to eco-friendly meal prep
this video was created by my eco geeks
this video collaborates with parents to
get them to increase their student
sustainability a lot of our work in
classrooms teaches students we teach
them to be passionate about the
environment and the necessity for
protection but they go home and share
this passion with their parents and
until their parents stopped sending
plastic bags and bottles disposable
packaging and access food the students
aren’t actually practicing the
sustainability that we teach them
through utilizing this platform we’re
able to communicate what the parents
need to do effectively and through this
our impact has increased incredibly
additionally you can find the Eco geeks
on Instagram we utilize this platform
because of our large base of peers that
are also there through this we can share
updates tips and events with these peers
and through showing our actions we
inspire them to take action of their own
success after Luna tans orbit of the
moon the United States took one giant
leap and landed Neil Armstrong and Buzz
Aldrin on the moon this was a mere
aspiration just decades before and
through striving towards that which
could be we were able to achieve it
after landing humans on the moon in the
space race that induced this we found
ourselves with more innovation the Black
& Decker Apollo core sampling drills led
to the ubiquitous cordless vacuum
cleaner the rubber made by Goodyear for
the Viking Mars Lander led to a tread
that had 10,000 more miles of life
success a trip to the moon in Latin my
life occurred at the college of the
Atlantic in Bar Harbor Maine where I
found
myself surrounded by 20 or so peers who
discussed the library of Babel learned
about the power to analyze programs and
developed an understanding of nature’s
ability to form connections I had
established my eco geeks well at that
time and was proud of all the work we
were doing but I of course was ambitious
I wanted more but with all the weight of
coordination and logistics on my
shoulders I could not achieve the
success that I wanted there surrounded
by like-minded peers and incredible
teachers like Bonnie Tai I learned about
the power of collaboration in Bonnie’s
class qualitative program evaluation
methods I learned about the power of
collaboration through the anal analysis
of a program called success this program
was a farm-to-school collaboration
taught by college of the atlantic
students that worked in elementary
schools to teach them about the
environment as eco geeks to through
analyzing its success I was able to
understand how I could increase my
impact was out increasing the burden
upon myself when I returned home I
worked with my eco geeks a group of six
or so of them and we formed a leadership
team this group had a person working on
grant funding and finances someone
working on curriculum development the
coordination and logistics behind the
lessons and assemblies and of course a
social media specialist we were able to
find success more maintainable and
enjoyable and taught an increased number
of lessons
additionally we created an
infrastructure that will allow the club
to continue successfully after I
graduate this June success so what could
you be we could be the society that
finally addresses the problems our
environments facing every day we could
create an eco nation that mimics efforts
of Finland Sweden Denmark and Iceland
the environmental performance index is
top performers we could raise a
generation of instinctually sustainable
kids who raise their children the same
way we could collaborate with artists
scientists and businessmen to work with
sea
Oh senators and engineers and
effectively communicate our ideas the
piece we could be a society of game
changers problem solvers doers so take a
moment to define what is in your life
what you are what you do and then dream
what could be what could you be what
could you do find someone who is what
could be and use their success to
inspire yours who knows you just might
end up on the moon thank you
[Applause]
passionate about the environment I’ve
spent years passionately pursuing unique
independent experiences of the
environment I completed an independent
study researching the rates of
decomposition of supermarket wastes I
worked on a Cornell University study
examining the presence of invasive
species in a local Creek and I
collaborated with local businesses to
increase their sustainability through
this I’ve attempted to answer questions
about what is that puzzle me in the
world around me why do people refuse to
care about the environment why is it a
unique quality of mine to passionately
pursue its protection what can we do
what can I do to get people to reuse
compost decrease their consumption and
do more for the environment
instinctually these questions fill my
mind as I sit in lunch every day
surrounded by peers who eat half of
their process lunch and throw the West
rest away on a Styrofoam tray every time
I see that I know that what they’re
doing is wrong and I want to tell them
and educate them but until last summer I
never tied in my third defining
characteristic I love talking and
teaching my passions had always been
mine I networked my way to connections
with the mayor and business owners but I
hadn’t shared my values with the world
success we all want to be the best right
we want to be the best student the
fastest athlete the most innovative
inventor the most insightful
conversationalist whatever it is that we
do we want to find success to the
highest degree when we get there someone
will inevitably follow and will once
again have to redefine what success
means in 1957 the Soviet Union launched
Sputnik the first ever satellite in
space seeing what could be the United
States a year later launched Explorer 1
followed by solar-powered Vanguard and
Project score the first ever
communications
I threw this our world was inundated in
the functionality of satellites not only
did they meet the goals of our nation at
that day they provided incredible social
and commercial functions as well the
satellite television and long-distance
communication that we take for granted
today came as a result of this success
the space race has manifested itself in
my life in a series of events the first
of which occurred in our nation’s
capital at the Washington youth summit
on the environment there I found myself
surrounded by peers with shining resumes
and incredible world impacts one of
those peers was Jaxon Hinkle who I’ll
talk more about later at the time I had
established myself as passionate about
the environment I’d spent a day a week
earlier moving queen bees in an attempt
to resist the room I and I’ve presented
my independent composting research
findings at a science fair at Hobart and
William Smith Colleges but I was not
content I knew that no matter how
logical composting was if I didn’t share
its importance with the world and get
people to take part none of my efforts
mattered so on the hill I met this pier
right here this is Jackson Hinkle you
may know about him as Teen Vogue’s young
environmentalist of the year you may
know about his work to ban plastic bags
and bottles in his school district or
implement solar there you may know about
his advocacy for the safe storage of
nuclear waste meeting Jackson opened my
eyes to my failure to share my values
with the world but I did not give up I
did not step down and consider myself a
failure I decided I was going to change
my world and so I did by modeling his
school based club with a widespread
impact I created a club of my own but
where his was coin Team Zissou focusing
on advocacy and lifestyle I titled my
group the Eco geeks environmental
education club focusing on education for
primary and elementary students through
this might impact the skyrocketed not
only did I work with 15 plus peers to
teach thousands of students about the
environment recite
green energy and sustainability we
taught these students kindergarten
through fifth grade and assemblies about
sustainability over the holidays the use
of a zero-waste system in lunch rooms
and we help them construct compost bins
in their classrooms our impact did not
stop there we worked with adults
facility the facilities team at our high
school helped us build compost bins the
district office and superintendent of
Finance helped us procure grant funding
the food way food services teams allowed
us to audit the wastes in the cafeterias
and the superin and the principals of
the schools helped us implement
composting systems in their lunch rooms
by looking at Jackson’s path I was able
to shoot for the stars and find my
potential I was able to share my values
with the world created a lasting
infrastructure for sustainability and
gain confidence in my future endeavors
success in 1961 the Soviet Union
launched Yuri Gagarin into space the
first ever man there soon after the
United States sent Alan Shepard in the
first piloted space flight which was
followed by VOC shot one and two the
first multi-person cruise and the Gemini
missions through this we realized that
humans could spend time in space and
that time could be extended if they had
water NASA developed water filtration
for to meet this demand and through that
not only did they allow astronauts to
stay in space longer it provided people
in poverty and underdeveloped areas of
the world with clean drinking water were
before they didn’t have any success at
the Ephraim mentioned some on the
environment I met another peer Catherine
McConnell Kate blew my mind not only was
she an advocate for women and science
she would be attending the girls nation
conference just a week or so later she
also was passionate about both political
science and astrophysics she took these
passions and desires and brought them
back home where she founded a group
called you go girl okay in her home
state of Oklahoma
this group of empowered women worked to
organize protests rallies and community
events advocating for climate awareness
women’s rights
quality Kate shared this to me through
her use of social media and her pride in
her group of women she inspired people
to do in their communities and inspired
me to share the work of my club with my
community to get them to do as well on
YouTube you can find a video called a
parent’s guide to eco-friendly meal prep
this video was created by my eco geeks
this video collaborates with parents to
get them to increase their student
sustainability a lot of our work in
classrooms teaches students we teach
them to be passionate about the
environment and the necessity for
protection but they go home and share
this passion with their parents and
until their parents stopped sending
plastic bags and bottles disposable
packaging and access food the students
aren’t actually practicing the
sustainability that we teach them
through utilizing this platform we’re
able to communicate what the parents
need to do effectively and through this
our impact has increased incredibly
additionally you can find the Eco geeks
on Instagram we utilize this platform
because of our large base of peers that
are also there through this we can share
updates tips and events with these peers
and through showing our actions we
inspire them to take action of their own
success after Luna tans orbit of the
moon the United States took one giant
leap and landed Neil Armstrong and Buzz
Aldrin on the moon this was a mere
aspiration just decades before and
through striving towards that which
could be we were able to achieve it
after landing humans on the moon in the
space race that induced this we found
ourselves with more innovation the Black
& Decker Apollo core sampling drills led
to the ubiquitous cordless vacuum
cleaner the rubber made by Goodyear for
the Viking Mars Lander led to a tread
that had 10,000 more miles of life
success a trip to the moon in Latin my
life occurred at the college of the
Atlantic in Bar Harbor Maine where I
found
myself surrounded by 20 or so peers who
discussed the library of Babel learned
about the power to analyze programs and
developed an understanding of nature’s
ability to form connections I had
established my eco geeks well at that
time and was proud of all the work we
were doing but I of course was ambitious
I wanted more but with all the weight of
coordination and logistics on my
shoulders I could not achieve the
success that I wanted there surrounded
by like-minded peers and incredible
teachers like Bonnie Tai I learned about
the power of collaboration in Bonnie’s
class qualitative program evaluation
methods I learned about the power of
collaboration through the anal analysis
of a program called success this program
was a farm-to-school collaboration
taught by college of the atlantic
students that worked in elementary
schools to teach them about the
environment as eco geeks to through
analyzing its success I was able to
understand how I could increase my
impact was out increasing the burden
upon myself when I returned home I
worked with my eco geeks a group of six
or so of them and we formed a leadership
team this group had a person working on
grant funding and finances someone
working on curriculum development the
coordination and logistics behind the
lessons and assemblies and of course a
social media specialist we were able to
find success more maintainable and
enjoyable and taught an increased number
of lessons
additionally we created an
infrastructure that will allow the club
to continue successfully after I
graduate this June success so what could
you be we could be the society that
finally addresses the problems our
environments facing every day we could
create an eco nation that mimics efforts
of Finland Sweden Denmark and Iceland
the environmental performance index is
top performers we could raise a
generation of instinctually sustainable
kids who raise their children the same
way we could collaborate with artists
scientists and businessmen to work with
sea
Oh senators and engineers and
effectively communicate our ideas the
piece we could be a society of game
changers problem solvers doers so take a
moment to define what is in your life
what you are what you do and then dream
what could be what could you be what
could you do find someone who is what
could be and use their success to
inspire yours who knows you just might
end up on the moon thank you
[Applause]
Please follow and like us: