MEET EVAN BARNARD: YOUTH AMBASSADOR FOR MENTOR FOUNDATION USA

Hi, my name is Evan Barnard, and I am a junior at Johns Creek High School in Johns Creek, Georgia. An aspiring ecologist, I conduct scientific research on roadside habitats and work on the Tybee Island Sea Turtle Project.

18 December 2014 | News

Selected for the Model Atlanta Regional Commission and 21st Century Leader’s Earthcare environmental leadership program, I hope to work as a scientist for a conservation organization and create policies to protect the environment and educate people about the importance of sustainable development.

I believe it is very important to be involved in your community, and I have led two Global Youth Service Day projects and I volunteer with the Chattahoochee Nature Center and National Parks Service. For five years I have worked with the visually impaired community to implement Braille nature trails and programs to increase access to nature for the visually impaired. Encouraging other kids to get involved with volunteering, I was honored to give a TEDx talk as part of TEDxYouthDay and serve as a National Child Awareness Month Youth Ambassador with the Festival of Children and Youth Service America.

Raising drug awareness is very important to me, because the effects are not only bad for your health but also hurt kids’ abilities to learn. Johns Creek High School has so many amazing students. However, even the brightest teenagers can be prone to drug use even though many think they are too smart to let themselves get addicted or that it will never happen to them. Drug addiction can happen to anyone. I hope that if kids know the risks and health effects of taking drugs that they will never start.