My recent experiences as a Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful Young Ambassador has helped me to understand my role in stewardship and civics. The program encouraged me to reflect on my personal growth. I first became interested in civic and community service work through my parents’
involvement with environmental causes. One of my earliest experiences was volunteering with the City of Pottsville Shade Tree Commission for Arbor Day, where I helped plant trees in public spaces. At the time, it felt like a simple volunteer activity, but it made me proud to be doing something that would last and benefit everyone. As I got older, those experiences started to mean more to me. I later volunteered with the Environmental Protection Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation. I planted trees in Centralia, a town that had been abandoned due to an underground coal mine fire. Seeing a place so affected by an environmental disaster made me realize that environmental issues are not just something you read about, they impact real people’s lives. Around the same time, I began noticing environmental changes in my own town, especially the impacts of a nearby landfill. Things like air quality and odors affected daily life and made it harder to enjoy being outside. That growing awareness led me to get involved in civic processes, including speaking at public hearings hosted by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection about the landfill. Those moments showed me that community engagement isn’t just volunteering, it’s speaking up, asking questions, and taking part in decisions that affect where you live. My recent experiences as a Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful Young Ambassador and a Karma for Cara Youth Grant recipient allowed me to perform meaningful community service. I conducted community cleanups, educational events, and created a community butterfly garden project. To me, community service is important because it makes an impact on lives. Whether planting trees that will grow for decades or speaking out on the importance of recycling, my actions touch the lives of others. Being a Young Ambassador has taught me that even small efforts can have meaningful impacts, and that I have the ability and responsibility to make positive changes in my community. These experiences have shaped my commitment to continued civic engagement and community service. I plan to continue my work in environmental advocacy and community service in the future, using both volunteer work and public engagement to help create positive change. Community service, to me, is not just something I do, it is a responsibility I carry with me into the future.

Since becoming a Young Ambassador, I am currently completing a very important community service project in my town. I am a youth recipient of a Karma for Cara Foundation Microgrant. I am one of 48 youth grant award recipients nationwide. I designed and led a community butterfly garden project in my hometown of Saint Clair to support pollinator habitat, environmental education, and native plant conservation. This community project involved planning, community engagement, and hands-on environmental action. Most recently I was asked by the Foundation to create a short video on my project for Earth Day 2026. My project has a Facebook Page – “Youth Growing Change: A Monarch Garden Project” - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581925896427 . I continue to serve on the Schuylkill Keep It Pretty Advisory Board as a Youth Advisor. I participate in planning discussions, youth engagement, and community-based environmental initiatives. I will be participating in local cleanup events during the month of April 2026. Lastly, as a member of the Schuylkill County Youth Summit, I represent youth perspectives in county-level discussions on community needs, civic engagement, and environmental awareness, including sustainability-related topics.

Through my experiences as a Young Ambassador I have learned that I can rise to the occasion when challenged, I am able to achieve goals with the support of others, and I am capable of making a difference in my community. As a Young Ambassador I conducted a Community Needs Assessment: Recycling at Nativity BVM High School. I identified key stakeholders and implemented a survey and researched data sources. In March of 2025 I held a community education event for 14 second grade students on the importance of recycling. I also coordinated an Earth Day 2025/Keep PA Beautiful Young Ambassador Cleanup Event. I worked with the Schuylkill Keep It Pretty director, and Fairlane Village Mall manager, as well as the advisor of the Pottsville Area High School Ecology Club. I organized a team of 12 high school and 3 adult volunteers. We removed 18 bags of litter over a period of 2.5 hours. These experiences have propelled me to seek new leadership opportunities. I was recently awarded a Karma for Cara Foundation Community Service Microgrant to lead a youth service project called “Youth Growing Change: A Community Butterfly Garden Project.” For this project, I am establishing a Monarch Butterfly Conservation Garden on public property near the playground in my town.