Author: Allison Dodson

Noor Khalil is a senior at the American School of Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates. Animal rights and protecting the environment have always been her passion. A world traveler and supporter of cultural understanding and dialogue, Noor attended WYSE 2017, an experience which has affected her deeply.

Noor enjoys reading, singing, playing the piano, and classical ballet. She has been an avid ballet dancer since childhood. She is also extremely fond of psychology and hopes to major in it someday. At her school, she is an officer of the Kids For Wish Kids club which helps sick children. In 2016, Noor had the amazing opportunity to travel to remote areas of Thailand to help treat villagers, cook and distribute meals.

Drew Seipel is a senior at Glenelg Country School in Ellicott City, Maryland. He plans to attend college and major in Animal Behavior/Zoology and is hoping to work in Animal Conservation in the future. When not in school, he works as a lifeguard at a local gym. He enjoys performance art and is a member of a local performance group called Young Columbians. He enjoys helping in his community and regularly volunteers with Maryland Food Bank, Habitat for Humanity, Howard County Library System and a local “Riding for the Disabled” group. He is very excited to be a member of the WYSE 2018 Youth Advisory Board and for the opportunity to improve on this amazing program for future delegates. Drew’s experience with WYSE this past summer was an eye-opening opportunity, and he encourages anyone with an interest in environmental issues to apply for the summit in 2018.

Paige Simpson is a Junior at Manor New Tech High School in Manor, Texas. She serves as President of the high school theater club. She is also very active in 4-H and is the Secretary of her local chapter. Paige has been raising livestock since she was 8 years old. In her spare time she enjoys playing guitar and singing. Her time at WYSE had such a positive impact on her life, and she looks forward to helping make the experience great for students at WYSE 2018.

Emily Foiles is a junior at Doland High School. Her passion in life is studying and observing animals. Emily grew up on a farm in rural South Dakota where conservation is practiced every day. She helps her parents make sure the land will continue to be fruitful for years to come. After high school, Emily plans to go into a career involving conservation and resource management. Outside of conservation, Emily is active with 4-H, FFA, and Student Council.

Sydney Adkins is a junior at Cabell Midland High School in West Virginia. She is on her school’s swim team and Science Olympiad team and is also a member of the Leo Club and National Honor Society. Sydney has a passion for the environment and spends her free time caring for her vegetable and flower garden. When she attend colleges, she plans on studying to become a pediatrician with a minor in environmental science. WYSE was a memorable experience and has given her the tools to help her community and improve her public speaking. She is honored to be selected as a member of the Youth Advisory Board!

Christian Omoruyi is currently a junior at Center Grove High School in Greenwood, Indiana. An intrepid youth leader honored with a Youth Thrive Award from the YMCA, he has met with our nation’s leading officials from the legislative and executive branches of government. An indefatigable advocate for a more just, equitable, prosperous, and sustainable world, he serves as the president of his school’s Politics Club, the president of his school’s Model United Nations chapter, and as the captain of his school’s award-winning Academic QuizBowl team. He is a self-described foodie, avid reader, amateur guitarist, environmentalist, and world traveler who plans to visit Peru and Poland soon. He attended the Washington Youth Summit on the Environment in 2017 and is looking forward to raising environmental awareness in anticipation of the 2018 WYSE.

Natalie Northrup is a senior at Honeoye Falls-Lima High School, and the environment and its protection is her passion. She enjoys laying in hammocks reading anything from Into the Wild to Freakonomics, and she is often found biking, hiking and skiing cross-country. She is on my school’s swim team and Nordic skiing team, and connections from those teams have helped her start an environmental education club at her high school called The Eco-Geeks. The club helps educate students K-5 and has implemented composting and recycling in their cafeterias. Natalie’s environmental interests include engineering with an energy technology focus, and policy. She has been working in this field as a board member of a local festival and through collaborating with the Mayor to design a curbside composting system. Natalie cannot wait to help make WYSE 2018 as fantastic as WYSE 2017!

Veronica Paul is a senior in high school. She is on her high school’s Varsity Cheer team and is the Founder and President of her school’s Environmental Club. She helped organized her community’s March for Science and  annual Earth Day cleanups, and she is working on making the first garden for her school. Veronica loves to travel and has been in nearly every state as well as all over Europe.Her favorite trips include Paris and Olympic National Park. She also bakes sweets and write, and she has published works at her school. She plans to pursue a degree in Environmental Science focused on Marine Biology, as well as Premed in preparation of becoming a Pediatrician. Veronica loves doing things that positively benefit the environment and that inspire others to do the same. WYSE has taught her that everyone’s voice matters and that every action we do towards bettering the Environment is better than nothing. Don’t give up on your dreams and don’t let others stand in the way of what you want!