A Reason To Think Deeper

2018 Healthy Rivers Youth Water Summit, keynote speaker Sara Porterfield, Tributaries Consulting LLC. Photo by Eyedrop Design

2018 Healthy Rivers Youth Water Summit. Photo by Andrea Holland Sears

By Will Hassel, Glenwood Springs Middle School Student

From the beginning of middle school, I have been involved in various teams and clubs that all have some connection to water. In 6th grade, half of the year was devoted to a unit on rivers. Nate Higginson, from the Middle Colorado Watershed Council took this opportunity to form a River Watch Club for Glenwood Springs Middle School. A couple of friends and I went out once a week to collect and analyze the water from streams near the school. The following year, I got to do a presentation at the first Youth Water Summit about Two Rivers Park and water quality there. I was interested in the program, so Rob Buirgy, the teacher who helped me with the presentation, gave me the information about the leader team.

I thought that the team would be composed of ten or so middle schoolers doing nothing and one adult that would do everything. I imagined that everything would be planned out, like a classroom lesson and that we would make minimal progress in a long span of time. 

It turned out that there were many different ages of participants: 8th graders, high schoolers, and college interns. When we met in the fall to start planning for the summit, it felt like everyone had an idea to pitch in or a thought to share. It was super cool to see everyone come together.

I think that the main thing that I learned from this experience is that I have the power to do what I think is right. When I had an idea and participated in discussion, everyone listened and actually thought about my input. When I presented my group’s Lens on Climate Change film (Green Skis) at the Healthy Rivers Youth Water Summit, there were a lot of strangers, as well as people that I knew that asked a lot of questions. These questions gave me a reason to think deeper about my topics, which allowed me to understand them better. Everyone in the room was watching, which proves that they care. Similarly, when I was watching other students’ presentations, I saw that they too were having an impact on everyone else in the room. 

This was an amazing experience, and I think that it was a great opportunity for me to learn and grow.

​Author Will Hassel served on the Youth Water Leadership Program's 2018 Summit Leader Team and is a student at Glenwood Springs Middle School in Glenwood Springs, Colorado.