When I walked into ETHS for the first time, I didn’t imagine I’d be speaking at climate rallies, sitting on our city’s Environment Board or helping lead a youth-led climate justice movement. Honestly, I was just trying not to get lost in the hallways.

I never thought the shy, terrified-to-go-to-a-giant-high-school freshman me would grow into someone who gives speeches, co-captains the gymnastics team and still has a bedroom floor covered in fabric scraps from way too many sewing projects. But here we are.

Over the past four years, I’ve grown more comfortable—not just in this school, but in my own skin as a changemaker. And I didn’t do it alone. Every step of the way, I’ve had people who showed me what was possible. Mentors who believed in me before I believed in myself. Teachers who pushed me. Older students who took the time to answer my questions and peers who walked beside me when things felt hard.

That’s why I believe mentorship—giving it and receiving it—is one of the most influential drivers of change.

I know I’m not the only one who wants to make the world better. I see it in friends who tutor younger students, classmates who call out injustice and teammates who show up for each other even when life is tough. That gives me hope.

The challenges we face—climate change, inequality, political division—can feel overwhelming. But they won’t be solved by one person or one type of leader. They need all of us. Whether you want to be an artist, a coder, a nurse or a business owner, you have something valuable to offer—and someone younger who could use your support to discover their own path. Show your excitement when you see a peer doing something cool, maybe ask them about it.

Your curiosity matters. Your joy matters. The way you care about people matters.

One of the best parts of ETHS is how different we all are—our cultures, our talents, our dreams. That diversity is our strength. And when we lift each other up, learn from one another and look out for those coming after us, we start to build something bigger than ourselves.

So here’s my challenge to you: find someone to learn from, and be someone others can learn from, too. Ask questions. Offer help. Listen deeply. Pay attention to those moments when someone just needs to be seen. You don’t have to be an expert—you just have to care enough to try.

We can all be part of building the world we wish we grew up in, so that one day, we actually get to live in it. And if we each mentor someone along with us, this journey starts to feel a lot less lonely and a lot more powerful.