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William Flanagan

425

Bold Points

1x

Finalist

1x

Winner

Bio

As a child, I was always fascinated with the beautiful world around me. I was obsessed with dinosaurs, and I wanted to be a paleontologist when I grew up. This is where my love for environmental science began. As I progressed through each grade in school, my interests changed slightly, but I knew that I wanted to be a scientist. My favorite place to be is at the beach, and some of my fondest memories include going fishing with my dad and digging for sand crabs with my sister. When I got to high school, my sights were set on being an environmental scientist, and I was going to take every opportunity to explore what the field had to offer. It was extremely important that I took many advanced placement science courses in high school. I have also been a starter on the varsity wrestling team all four of my years in high school. I currently have 126 wins, and I am not finished yet. Wrestling has been one of my greatest passions since I was five years old. My dedication to wrestling has made me a better person than I ever could have imagined. Wrestling has taught me discipline, toughness, teamwork, and sacrifice. Because of the training that I put into wrestling, I am a more productive and motivated person outside of the practice room. I credit wrestling with building the person that looks back at me in the mirror every day.

Education

Central Dauphin High School

High School
2020 - 2024

Miscellaneous

  • Desired degree level:

    Doctoral degree program (PhD, MD, JD, etc.)

  • Majors of interest:

    • Environmental Geosciences
    • Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy
  • Not planning to go to medical school
  • Career

    • Dream career field:

      Environmental Services

    • Dream career goals:

      Sports

      Wrestling

      Varsity
      2011 – Present13 years

      Awards

      • 2x State Qualifier

      Public services

      • Volunteering

        Four Diamonds — Fundraiser
        2018 – Present
      • Volunteering

        District Three Training Center — Assistant Coach
        2021 – Present
      • Volunteering

        Church World Service — Distribute Meals
        2022 – 2023

      Future Interests

      Advocacy

      Volunteering

      Philanthropy

      Entrepreneurship

      Environmental Stewardship Award
      Winner
      As time progresses, the detrimental effects of climate change are continuing to affect humanity at an alarming rate. Sea levels are rising, air pollution is increasing, species are going extinct, and the fossil fuels that humans burn for energy are eventually going to be expended. This is not a time to reject the idea of climate change and continue down a path of inaction. In most instances, the reason for global inaction is a resistance against lifestyle changes. People do not want to make the changes necessary to combat climate change, and many people believe that their individual actions will not make a difference. Recycling takes too much time and effort, converting to renewable energy is too difficult and expensive, and tuning the lights off when leaving a room is pointless. This way of thinking is extremely flawed and is the reason why environmental trends are continuing on their current trajectory. The truth is that each individual action is meaningful, and a combined effort across the globe will lead to reduced emissions and a decrease in pollution. However, individual action has a limit to the impact it can make on climate change. In order to make great advancements towards a better future, there will need to be international cooperation. This requires the government and international committees to pass legislation that puts restrictions on the fossil fuel industry. While this seems like a simple solution, the reason why these restrictions have not been implemented in the past is because of money. The world as a whole needs to prioritize the health of the planet and its inhabitants over financial incentives. Until this is achieved, conditions are only going to worsen, and future generations may never get to experience the beauty of our planet.