Hello! My name is Madison. I have received an incredible opportunity through George Mason University to attend the Washington Youth Summit on the Environment from June 28th to July 3rd, 2026, in Washington, D.C. Attending this event would grant me the National Youth Delegate Certificate of Merit in addition to one general elective science college credit from the Environmental Science and Policy program at George Mason University! The only issue is that the trip itself is extremely expensive. My parents are in an extremely tight spot financially and are unable to support me through the costs of this opportunity. I am working to pay for it myself, but on average, I only make around a thousand dollars a month, excluding my car payment, car insurance, gas money, and other bills. So I come up short when it comes to the cost.

Receiving your help would greatly relieve the financial challenge of this trip, and it would allow me to have a head start in my environmental education that not many get the opportunity to have. Ever since I was a child, I’ve always known that I wanted to pursue a career in environmental science and to be an environmental activist. I would watch Greta Thunberg speak to crowds of hundreds of people on television about climate change and the impact humans are having on our world, and I was inspired. So I know I will do my utmost best to learn and experience as much as I possibly can during the Washington Youth Summit on the Environment and apply it to my future! After high school, I have a dream of majoring in Environmental Engineering to produce cleaner, more efficient energy and to cause a positive impact on the environment! Not only this, but to learn about agriculture and efficient farming practices, because I want to spend two or more years in the Peace Corps and teach communities about efficient farming techniques and energy conservation.

I am very grateful for this opportunity and motivated to make the absolute most of this experience and more like it, come the future. Your help will allow me the confidence to know I can be successful in the goals I have set for myself, and to use my education to better the lives of not only myself, but also the lives of others. Thank you!