Finding Skills Within Myself With the Youth Water Leader Team

Madeline Dean introducing all the participating schools at the 2019 Healthy Rivers Youth Water Summit. photo by Colin Laird

by Madeline Dean, Ross Montessori School student
Ever since I was born, I was outside and playing in the mud. My family made sure I didn't grow up surrounded by electronics so I knew what nature and the outdoors was really like. So when I found out about the Youth Water Leader Team I jumped in head first and applied.

When I was accepted into the Team I was actually a little nervous but I realized I had nothing to be nervous about throughout the semester. I experienced things I would have never thought I could possibly do such as the Ecoflight I went on, to look at our watersheds from above. I even found things in myself that I had not realized was even there. For example, when I went on stage at the Healthy Rivers Youth Water Summit in front of 130+ people and introduced the schools. I learned so much from the Youth Water Leadership Team and I will always be thankful for it.
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Madeline Dean is a 7th grader at Ross Montessori School in Carbondale, Colorado.