The real heroes of impossible2Possible are the Youth Ambassadors. They not only defy any perceived physical or mental barriers in their own lives, but they truly inspire the thousands of students who follow their every step during an expedition.
These Youth Ambassadors lead positive social action and are therefore ideal role models for today's youth.
Sierra is currently a freshman at New Mexico State University. She just graduated from Bosque School, a small liberal arts high school in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She graduated high school with high honors, participating in both Latin and Spanish for all four years. She was the recipient of the Bobcat award which is given to a student who is a competent multi-sport athlete, who demonstrates academic excellence and is a prominent figure in the Bosque School community. Throughout her four years in high school she played both Varsity Volleyball and Varsity Tennis, winning three tennis state championships and volleyball metro player of the year. She was in two community service groups for over three years, Key Club and Operation Smile and was also an active member in two additional groups, Model United Nations and Spanish Honor Society.
In the summer of 2009, she went on a 30-day back packing trip through the Wind River Wilderness where she collectively hiked over 117 miles and climbed a total of 19,505 ft with a pack weighing as much as 60 lbs. Also during this trip she successfully completed a 72 hour fast while challenged by the harsh conditions of the wilderness. She was the winner of the Aldo Leopold Essay Contest in which participants were asked to write a letter to Aldo Leopold, the great naturalist and author, explaining why his ideas are relevant today. “Mr. Leopold, although what you wrote so many years ago seems ancient to the modern generation, the message holds a deeper meaning today, as we battle ourselves in trying to preserve a world where things are less trivial and where a gust of wind may be telling us more than we know. We live in a world where we have sought to deprive our surroundings and give little back in return. This is the time to educate humanity on the positive effects of preservation, not for us but so that our children’s children can have the opportunity to see perfection in something that is not man-made.”
Hey there! My name is Isaiah Gilson my traditional name is Duthala; I am a 20 year old Southern Tutchone from the Yukon Territory. I am a member of the Kluane First Nations. I come from a very diverse background, also being Southern Tutchone; I am Powwatan, Tlingit, Norwegian, and English. As far back as I can remember I have always been adventurous and the explorer type. There are even a couple of stories of when I was child of me running away from home, during my bath time. All my Mom saw was my little bum running down the street.
Growing up I was on the land hunting frequently. And so I was always curious about “What's behind that mountain?!” or “Where does this trail lead to?” be it I'm in a city looking for cool and interesting places to hang out, or looking into a direction I want to go straight into the bush, I love exploring and reaching new heights.
My biggest role models in my life are the Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela, my Mom, one of my other father figures Francis, and much more of course. I am a grade 12 graduate of Amiskwaciy Academy; the school incorporates a lot of the Cree culture into the curriculum. During my time there I learned a great deal about Native culture and spirituality. I believe that life needs balance, I am very traditional with my heritage, but also I live in a modern society; as I like to say “I walk with a moccasin on one foot and a sneaker on the other”.
I try to be a open minded individual, as I see it if we are open to the world around us, then we can fully utilize opportunity, if we close out minds to the world around us in life we close that opportunity to learn from it. I do find value in a higher education, but at the moment I'm taking the time to learn about life and my heritage. Having an Aboriginal background my culture is a big part of my life it teaches me to respect the land, mother earth, and all life around me.
My goal in life is to help my people in a great aspect, as well as just people in general. I identify as being part of the human race, as well being Aboriginal, side by side. “My purpose in life is to help my people, once I fulfill that purpose, so will my purpose in life” Nelson Mandela. I am stoked for the opportunity that i2P has given me; I know it will help assist me in my life journey.
Jessie is going into grade 12 at Parkland Composite High school in Edson, AB, Canada. She is a member of the Edmonton Triathlon Academy and hopes to race elite at a National level. Jessie believes in living a active and healthy lifestyle. Aside from triathlon she enjoys being in the outdoors and participates in activities such as hiking, scuba diving, cross country skiing, and cross country running. Jessie likes to challenge her mental and physical limits, and believes nothing is Impossible.
Jessie's other passion is philanthropic work. She believes that we all have the power to create change. Jessie started a group called Create a Better Future at age 14, the idea behind the group was to think of creative ways to fundraise locally as well as globally. Their motto is ‘Youth Helping Youth'. The first initial fundraiser was a student art auction for Help Sudan; through this fundraiser $12000 was raised to build the first water well in Thawnwei Sudan. The local Rotary Club got behind the idea and the first Interact group was created in Edson Alberta. Jessie is currently the president of the local Interact club and there is over 30 youth involved between the ages of 12- 18. In June 2010 Create a Better Future raised an additional $10 000 to help complete the school in Thawnwei Sudan. They are well on their way to achieving their goal of raising enough money to make Thawnwei a self sustained community in Sudan. One of Jessie's goals in life is to educate youth about the current issues that face our world, and inspire them to create change.
Jessie is very passionate about environmental issues and hopes to pursue a career in Biology. In the future Jessie hopes to be able to help solve some of the environmental problems facing the world.
Jessie is thrilled to be given this opportunity of a lifetime.
Bridget has been competing in volleyball and basketball for most of her life. It is from playing these sports that she has learned the importance of dedication, responsibility, and hard work. She will be embarking on her third year as a member of the Lake Erie College volleyball team. Going into college Bridget was not sure what type of career she wanted to pursue, but has now declared a major in environmental science and plans to dedicate herself to conservation efforts. With this mindset, she has involved herself in a number of activities dealing with these interests. She is president of Students Acting For the Environment and a member of Students Making a Difference at Lake Erie College. She also gives her time as a volunteer for Lake Metroparks Penitentiary Glenn Wildlife and Rehabilitation Center. This past summer Bridget has worked extremely hard on improving her endurance; by competing in a half marathon, the Johnny Cake Five Mile Jog, and a sprint triathlon. Bridget also rode in a 100K bike ride for the American Diabetes Association in honor of her Baba (grandma), who was just recently diagnosed with diabetes. In the spring of 2011 Bridget intends to study abroad in South Africa to strengthen her awareness of conservation efforts. Her plans for after completing her bachelor's degree is to join the Peace Corps and help communities understand the importance of the environment and preserving it. Bridget feels so excited and blessed to go on the expedition and believes it will be a life changing journey that will open her eyes to new and different experiences.
Andy is a currently a junior at the University of Pittsburgh. He has always been an adventurer and an endurance athlete with a love of the outdoors. In 2008, he ran the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon in San Diego in 3:10, then he and his dad drove up to San Francisco where they began their 3800 mile, self-supported, transcontinental bicycle trek. After 7 incredible weeks they reached the Atlantic Ocean in Yorktown, Virginia. In 2009, Andy finished the grueling course of the Boston Marathon in 3:10, requalifying for the race. He recently went on Semester at Sea, on which he sailed around the world while visiting 10 countries in the best semester he's ever had! On this journey he saw firsthand the huge importance of access to clean drinking water, especially in countries such as Morocco, Ghana, and India. The time abroad also further whetted his appetite for travel, which will lead him to graduate early and spend the beginning of 2011 exploring the world for as long as possible. Andy is an extremely hard worker in everything he sets his mind to, and he is planning to attend one of the best medical schools in the world in 2011.
I am currently training full time for short track speed skating at the Olympic Oval in Calgary, Alberta, pursuing my goal of representing Canada on the National Team. My training however, is about more than becoming a world-class athlete; it’s about the lifestyle. This lifestyle of making the best choices for my body and my health is one that I commit to not only now while I'm training but for the rest of my life. A passionate northerner, I am most at home in the outdoors. I take every chance I get to head to the mountains to hike or mountain bike and my favourite place on earth is the East Arm of Great Slave Lake, NT, where I spent many summers camping with family and friends when I was growing up. I am currently pursuing my Bachelor of Kinesiology with a focus in pedagogy and psychology at the University of Calgary. My plan is to become a teacher and return to the north where I believe that because I grew up there myself, I am uniquely qualified to inspire northern kids to exceed their limits. The north has given me so many opportunities and I hope to pass these along to other young northerners. Outside of speed skating, I love to run, road and mountain bike and do yoga. While speed skating is my "job", running keeps me sane and during the off-season, I get out as much as I can both to enjoy being outside and to keep fit. The Special Olympics floor hockey team that I coach never ceases to inspire me, as these athletes overcome countless barriers in order to participate, and all the time with nothing less than a smile. I am thrilled to have been chosen as a youth ambassador for Tunisia 2010 and am looking forward to challenging my mental and physical limits. I can't think of a better way to kick off my 2010-2011 season than with a ten-day expedition in the Sahara!
Connor is a Grade 12 student at Kelowna Secondary School in Kelowna, BC, Canada. As a member of the KSS Interact Club for 3 years, Connor has become very involved with volunteer work locally and globally. This past fall, he put on an event at his school called KSS in the Congo, a weeklong event to raise money to build a school in a war torn area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Through incredibly generous support, over $10,000 was raised to build a school in the small village in the mountains of High Plateau, DRC. Connor has been a competitive runner for 6 years and will be pursuing running at the collegiate level next year and hopes to one day represent Canada at the Olympics or World Championships. This past fall, he won gold at the BC High School Cross Country Provincials and competed at the Canadian Junior Cross Country Championships in Guelph, Ontario. He will be pursuing Animal Biology at the University of Guelph next year and hopes to one day become a Veterinarian and possibly travel overseas and work with Veterinarians without Borders. He has been raised in an incredible family and has lived in Kelowna his whole life. He is an outdoor enthusiast who loves snowboarding, waterskiing, hiking, camping, swimming and biking. He feels that this expedition is a stepping stone to his life of adventure, humanitarianism and pushing himself to his physical and mental limits.
Kajsa is an active high school student and athlete from Vancouver, British Columbia. She has been involved in sports since a very young age; she competed in team sports as well as running, swimming, and triathlons, but now solely focuses on cross-country skiing in hopes of one day making the Olympic team. Kajsa volunteers with her club and also helps coach a physical education class at her school; she hopes to encourage young athletes in any way she can and inspire youth to dream big and challenge themselves in all aspects of life. Although still in high school, Kajsa focuses on literature and social sciences with a keen interest in history, human geography, and how humans interact with the earth as well as each other. She feels that social issues in the world are equally as important as environmental ones. Upon graduation, Kajsa aspires to become a writer/journalist and continue to be involved in sport for as long as her body will let her. This expedition brings together all the things she loves: adventure, exercise, and travel. Kajsa is ecstatic about being chosen as one of the five youth ambassadors and cannot wait to share her experiences in Tunisia with everyone following the expedition.
Kathleen is a very energetic, young Inuk who grew up in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut. She has been drawn to learn more about her culture and about the environment that surrounds her. Her drive to become closer with the ancient Inuit culture has led her to become a skilled Throat Singer and performs regularly to raise awareness of this ancient art. Through her studies at Nunavut Sivuniksavut, she has become very interested in the changing Arctic. Over the last year, she has learned a lot about changes the Inuit have gone through in the past and how the changes have had some negative impacts on Inuit life, simply because it happened too fast and Inuit as a people we're not prepared. She has realized that global warming, will affect her culture and their way of life. People in the north will come to experience just as much change as Inuit in the past, and the changes are already taking shape. She wants to help raise the awareness of the impending affects to the northern people and prepare them for the coming years. Kathleen sees this expedition as another learning tool, a way to expand her knowledge of the reality that Northern Canada faces. Her goal is to come back from the expedition and share her memories and experiences with other young Inuit, as well as other Canadians. She feels, it is important that people are educated about the world around us. Kathleen is confident this journey will be an experience that she utilizes in the future to inspire and educate those she comes in contact with.
Thomsen is a 20-year old Métis hailing from Yellowknife, NT who pursues his Olympic dreams full-time as a professional cross country skier based out of Whistler, BC. Since the age of 17 he has been co-owner of Mountain Bike Madness, a summer day camp based out of Yellowknife. The camp focuses on getting kids ages 9-13 outdoors, having a great time, and living healthy lifestyles. Although school work is currently taking a backseat in his life, Thomsen continues to dabble in part-time correspondence studies, with a general interest in the Sciences. Although he specializes in races less than 3 minutes in length, Thomsen got his first taste of Ultra racing in March 2009 by winning the diamond in the 3-day, 135km Rock and Ice Ultra K-Rock ski race and plans to compete in similar events in the future. With a keen interest in the environment and a strong connection to the North, Thomsen is extremely excited to share the experience of hiking the Akshayuk Pass this fall.
Amanda is a hard working college student with dreams of venturing into the non-profit world upon graduation. Even though she lost her mother at an early age it has not stopped her from achieving her life goals. With support from her father and her boyfriend Marcus she dedicates herself to her studies and her passions. She feels her life experiences have instilled a deep love for life, exploration, and an insatiable thirst to do the best she can to make this world a better place. She loves simple things, simple joys, and little acts of kindness. She has been called an “old soul with a young heart.” Amanda believes through her soul that she can be the change she wishes to see in the world. She majors in conservation biology at the University of California Riverside and works as volunteer at the Riverside Humane Society as a cat and dog socializer. Between quarters at school she works at UC Riverside in dentrification and soil/water quality sciences. She loves to skateboard, kayak, swim, rock climb, and play team sports. She is a southern California native with a love for the north and the frigid cold!
Tamara is a lifelong athlete, competing in gymnastics since early childhood. As a young teenager she competed at the provincial level in trampoline and gymnastics and is now continuing her passion through coaching. The vigorous training and conditioning over the years has allowed her to develop an extremely strong work ethic. The countless hours of hard work taught her how to push beyond her perceived limits to achieve what she thought was unreachable. This dedication showed when her best friend was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer. Tamara and three others championed an effort and raised $30,000 to help the family with medical expenses. Through their efforts they helped the family through a very difficult and trying time. Her friend was able to receive a liver transplant and is now fully recovered. Tamara is truly honored to be part of the i2P Baffin Island Expedition and she feels this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. She desires to learn and experience life to its fullest, to learn new things and to see the world. She also has a commitment to convey her experiences to others, and in particular her peers in a way that engages them in setting out on their own exploration of the diverse nature of our world.
Sandi is co-founder of a student volunteer organization at Lake Erie College called “Students Making a difference”. The group focuses on volunteer activities around the community, and their goal is to inspire not only the student body at school but also the surrounding community to help others in need. Life has not always come easy for her, growing up for most of her life in a single parent family she has learned the value of hard work and dedication. She is a natural athlete and is currently a member of the Women's basketball team for her school. Recently, she has found a passion for endurance sports, competing in triathlons and a ½ marathon where she placed second in her age group. She feels as though the challenges of the Baffin expedition will be a tremendous learning experience that will help her in all aspects of her life.
I am senior at Glenbrook North High School in Northbrook, Illinois. Ever since I was a little girl I have had a love for adventure and an unrelenting passion for the sciences. I live with my 3 dogs, my parents, and up until July of 2008, I had a 29 year old brother who I lost to a tragic accident. My brother was always the one who told me I could do anything if I worked hard, and I hold that close to my heart each and every day. My life revolves around my community service and volunteer work, music and research. If I could pay for it, I would honestly be a professional student for the rest of my life. Unfortunately, I do not think that will be possible so I am going for the next best thing: a biochemist.
I have interned at Fermilabs (particle accelerator laboratory in Batavia, IL) working on the tevatron (particle collider) and it was one of the best experiences of my life. Last year, I served as a chemistry teacher assistant. Obviously science is a huge part of my life, so you can imagine when the day before my 18th birthday I received a phone call saying I was accepted for the scholarship position, it was probably one of my most proud moments of my life. Ever since my parents and I have been getting ready for this amazing expedition, and quite honestly-- I talk about it to anyone that will listen. I put in many hours into studying in preparation for this trip so I could go in fully educated and ready to study the South Pole!
I applied for this extraordinary expedition with the hope of learning so I could make a difference in the natural world I love so much. Even with my obvious love for science, it is still incredibly important that I use my passion to help serve a larger purpose than just me as an individual. This voyage was an opportunity that few people could ever even dream of, and here I was--- prepared for the single most incredible experience of my life. It is my goal now to help the natural world through my passion for science and going to Antarctica was the perfect opportunity to begin something that I plan to pursue for the rest of my life. I am 100% sure that myself, the other much-deserving scholarship candidate (Dylan Polacek) and the other individuals attending will be forever changed...for the better.
I am a junior at Boca Raton High School. I am in my second year of Marine Science and have taken classes from Environmental Science to Physics and Chemistry. I am on the Lacrosse and Cross Country teams at my school. I have three sisters and two dogs, and I maintain a saltwater aquarium in my room. I have lived in Florida all my life and always within a few miles of the ocean. Therefore, most of my interests center around the water. I am a certified scuba diver, love to fish and love roller coasters.
My love for adventure and science is exactly why I filled out the application for the Antarctic Expedition. I have never seen snow, so this expedition will be quite the adventure. When I read more about the trip and what we will be doing, I immediately put all my efforts into obtaining this scholarship. When I got a phone call after lacrosse practice one day saying I had been chosen, I could not believe my ears.
Since then, I have been researching and reading about the Antarctic and planning for the trip. Just recently, I got together what I need to wear. Because I have never been in snow before, I needed help preparing. I borrowed clothes from a friend and I bought a parka and boots. I also needed to buy long underwear, because I definitely was not planning on borrowing those. Although it is summer in Antarctica and the warmest temperatures are on the peninsula, it is still supposed to be between -10 and 10 degrees.
If given the opportunity to go on an expedition from Ushuaia, Argentina (the southernmost city in the world) through the rough seas of the Drake Passage, to the extreme continent of Antarctica, I doubt anyone would hesitate answering. The knowledge gained from this trip will be priceless. However, for me personally, the reason this expedition is so important is that this is what I want to do with my life. It is my dream to pursue environmental science as a career. This expedition will allow me to apply my passion and experience the beauty of Antarctica hands on. I am sure this expedition will be lifechanging for me and the others involved.
I want to thank everyone at i2P for changing my life.