Rustic Spirit Spotlights: Ana, Ellie and Adrienne

In Rustic Spirit Spotlights we highlight young people around the world who are creating positive change in their communities. Not only have they made a difference, but they’re showing other young people they can change the world too.

These amazing teens are working hard to better their communities. We’re honored to recognize them!

Ana Radilla
Age 16
Cathedral Catholic High School
California, United States

This year Ana has gotten involved with a club that aims to help the environment and establish new ideas on how others can protect the earth. Ana is currently creating compost bins that are accessible for students at her school. She also reaches out to college students to come and advocate on environmental and STEAM topics.

Ana’s dream is to major in anything in the field of STEAM. In her free time, she loves to be outside running, surfing or swimming and spending time with her family.

To make a positive impact locally, Ana recommends brainstorming ideas that combine community growth with passions. Then, start advocating for ideas and remember, positive impacts can be small!

Ellie Baker
Age 16
Claymont High School
Ohio, United States

Ellie is part of many positive-impact initiatives at her school. She’s made blankets for nursing homes, participated in community clean-up days and food drives, and planted trees. The impact that means the most to Ellie is the work she did at a community service and leadership conference where she collaborated with students across Ohio to utilize leadership skills and give back to the community. The conference got her out of her comfort zone and left smiles on many faces.

In college, Ellie plans on majoring in political science, pre-law, or business. She aspires to be a general attorney or business attorney. For fun, Ellie enjoys school sporting events and seeing her friends.

Being uncomfortable when trying to make an impact in the community can be a good thing. Ellie realized being uncomfortable is necessary for growth!

Adrienne Bae
Age 16
The Quarry Lane School
California, United States

As a student advocate for mental health, Adrienne is the founder and president of Wellness Club, which aims to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health, educate the community, and ensure the wellness of the environment. The club achieves these goals through their projects which have recently included a community clean up and a Wellness Day at their high school. The club also plans to support a local mental health association with donations this year.

Adrienne has a passion for biology and plans to major in the subject. Her current career aspiration is to become a surgeon, but knows this could change as she learns more about other specialties. Adrienne takes ‘mental health walks’ every day as a stress reliever and has found it’s increased her awareness of the environment.

When starting her journey of impact, Adrienne wishes she had known that even the smallest impacts are still important. She advises others to stay consistent and genuinely passionate about what they’re working towards to have influence.

Nominate a Student

Do you know a student doing valuable work that deserves to be recognized? Nominate them here! Are you making an impact? Tell us about your work here.

Make Change

Interested in creating change in your community? Check out our guide and learn how to make an impact as a student.

At Rustic Pathways, our goal is to make positive contributions to the communities we visit through responsible travel operations and community service projects that contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.