Rustic Spirit Spotlights: Kyla, Liam and Ashley

‘Rustic Spirit’ lives within Rustic Pathways alumni, or students that have returned from our travel programs. These students are self-aware, empathetic, and have a desire to positively impact the lives of others.

But Rustic Spirit also shines within young change makers around the world. These individuals are community-oriented and positive impact-minded.

They inspire you with their actions and motivate you to do good too. Teens with Rustic Spirit protect our planet, help others and make the world a better place.

We want to recognize and celebrate these individuals. The following students embody Rustic Spirit and are making a positive impact wherever they go.

Kyla Campbell
Age 17
Pleasant Valley High School
United States

Kyla’s strong work ethic, leadership skills and commitment to making change shows through in the impact work she pursues. Kyla is a Youth Ambassador for the End the Silence Youth Mental Health & Suicide Prevention initiative in which she has passionately contributed to designing and implementing conferences and events.

She is part of the presentation team for Athlete Committed, a program that educates athletes on stress, sleep, training/recovery, character, substance use, and nutrition. Additionally, Kyla has served over 200 hours of community service and philanthropy through the National Charity League.

In her free time, Kyla loves to ride her horse Sierra, go to church service, travel, play basketball, and spend time with loved ones. Kyla plans to major in either pre-med or health sciences, and aspires to work in the medical field as an anesthesiologist or a physician’s assistant.

Impact advice: I would encourage other students to always stand up for what you believe. Always get involved in initiatives that are important to you and align with your morals and ideas to make your community a better place. Never compromise on your own values, take risks and stand out while being courageous.

Liam Albin
Age 17
Apollo High School
California, United States

Liam is a caring and selfless individual who has stepped up as a leader at his school. He helps with events and strives to create a sense of community at his school. He always supports his peers if they need help or a safe place to share their feelings. Liam also works with children at his church four days per week.

He enjoys swimming, surfing, and going on adventures with friends. Liam plans on doing pre-med or nursing in college and aspires to work in the medical field where he can help people in their time of need.

Impact advice: Do not be scared to go for it. Holding back or second guessing on helping someone in a positive way is what makes it hard. Do not waste time but know your facts before you try.

Ashley Sherman
Age 15
Boulder Creek High School
Arizona, United States

Ashley is president of her high school’s Interact Club which brings teens together to develop leadership skills while discovering the power of ‘Service Above Self’. This fall Ashley organized a school-wide food drive with club members and sponsors, collecting 1100 pounds of food.

In her free time Ashley enjoys writing and reading books, and doing crafts. She loves to travel, meet new people, and learn new things. Ashley is currently interested in engineering, fashion, and STEM subjects, but as a freshman in high school has plenty of time to decide a future major.

How to get involved at a new school: I moved to Arizona from Tennessee in May of 2020. It was very hard going into a new school. I decided to join as many clubs as possible to meet new people.

I went to the first Interact meeting, decided to run for an office, and to my surprise I got President. I asked questions and got involved with the club sponsors. A few meetings later I began talking to Foothills Food Bank and arranged a food drive for my school.

All I had to do to make this happen was speak up and ask the people around me how to put everything together. Simple as that!

So, if you know what you want and you aren’t afraid to ask questions and try new things, anything is possible.

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.