Plainfield South High School senior attends week-long leadership summit

  Plainfield South High School senior Abigail Malatia spent part of her summer as a National Youth Delegate to the 2022 Washington Youth Summit on the Environment at George Mason University.

She was one of 100 students chosen nationwide to participate in the week-long study of leadership in environmental science and conservation.

“I wanted to go for the experience and to learn new things,” Malatia said.

The senior got the chance to network with professionals in the field of environmental science, meet other students who share her passion for environmental science, and learn how decisions about protecting the environment are made in the real world.

Malatia also spent time behind the scenes of the Smithsonian Biology Conservation Center which is part of the Smithsonian Zoo.

Malatia was a junior in Samantha Scanlan’s Advanced Placement environmental science class when she applied last year.

Scanlan encouraged Malatia to apply because she wants to study marine biology and environmental science in college, Scanlan said.

“I knew it would be one of those experiences that would change her outlook on what she wants to do and give her a different perspective,” Scanlan said.

Malatia also got to see historic sites in Washington D.C. including the Washington Monument and the United States Capitol.