The skills I’ve developed and feel most confident in include public speaking, empathetic leadership, and networking. This program has changed the way I see the world, I now carry a much more empathetic view, understanding firsthand how hard it can be for beliefs to shift even as people learn and grow.

It has also greatly expanded my interest in marine conservation, so much so that it’s changed the trajectory of my life: I’ll be pursuing it in my first year of college.

The level of support I received exceeded anything I thought possible from a virtual cohort. Youth lives and futures are so deeply impacted by this program that its effects will continue long after our time in the cohort has ended.