Never too young to make a difference

KateLynn Slaamot
NLJ Correspondent
 
Peyton Crinklaw, a sophomore at Newcastle High school, is one of 250 high school students around the United States selected to attend the Washington Youth Summit on the Environment at George Mason University. The summit teaches students about environmental sciences, conservation and more.
“I feel like humans today don’t realize what impact we have on the environment,” Crinklaw said. Because there are numerous environmental issues in the world, Crinklaw said she thought getting involved to make a difference was important. 
Wildlife has a major impact on humans and how they survive, Crinklaw said, and conservation and maintaining balanced populations and ecosystems can help keep human society sustainable. 
However, according to Allison Dodson, assistant director of the Washington Scholars Program, problems such as climate change, the health of coastal communities and much more can’t be solved without the help of people who are interested in this area of science. The Washington Scholars Program is the umbrella program for WYSE.
“We can start to figure out solutions,” Dodson said. More exposure to these issues can affect change and resiliency to combat environmental problems, she said. 
This is WYSE’s 10th anniversary, and Dodson is excited about that prospect, she said. The summit is located on the George Mason University campus, and this year’s event will take place June 23-28. 
WYSE offers a wide range of educational experiences as it strives to groom future leaders in the area of conservation and environmental sciences. The summit boasts speakers, panel discussions in which students can dive into a specific area that they want to learn about, field experiences and more. Crinklaw said that delegates will visit the Smithsonian Zoo, the National Geographic Society Museum and the National Aquarium, among others. 
Crinklaw was nominated for the summit by a teacher at the high school, and she had to apply for the program by a certain date. Students are chosen based on their academics and interest shown in environmental studies. They must have a grade point average of 3.5 or higher, and they also take an online survey to share about their involvement in their local community, among other things. 
Crinklaw hopes to have a future career in the area of environmental sciences, she said, and that is one reason she desired to attend WYSE. 
“I want to be a zoologist veterinarian,” Crinklaw said. The career entails work with exotic animals, and she is looking forward to learning more about these kinds of animals, she said. She wants to learn about what causes certain wildlife to become extinct and how people can help. 
According to Crinklaw, she was inspired by wildlife conservation
professional and public figure Stephanie Arne to become involved in the effort to keep the environment healthy and balanced. Arne also showed Crinklaw that she can make a difference in her world. 
“I want to learn more about what I can do to help my environment,” she said.
WYSE is advantageous in many ways to attendees, according to Dodson. The summit entrenches students in the environmental sciences and shows them the numerous career options available in the multifaceted field, she said. The program also offers one college credit to George Mason University. Lifelong friendships are also developed at the event, Dodson said, and students can connect with others their age who have similar interests. Those connections can build a network that enables a group effort to address issues moving forward. 
Although Crinklaw said she is very excited about this opportunity, she’s not the only one. Krystal Crinklaw, her mother, said that her daughter had always wanted to be a veterinarian. Over the years, the younger Crinklaw’s aspirations have grown more specific, and her interest in exotic animals began. She is involved with the local FFA’s veterinary science team and has also interned with veterinarian Alicia Redding at her clinic, her mother said. 
Hard work and dedication has played a major role to get her to where she is, and Crinklaw is committed to academics and maintains a 3.8 GPA, Krystal Crinklaw said. The budding environmental scientist has also been working hard to raise the necessary funds for WYSE, and a raffle for a firearm or cash is currently in the works. Other fundraising has included a bake sale a couple of weeks ago, and the NHS sophomore has also been earning money babysitting. Her parents have also contributed to the trip.
“She (Peyton) works hard every day,” said Krystal Crinklaw.