Being on the Youth Advisory Board (YAB) for Plan International USA has been one of the best parts of my life as a young adult.
I joined the YAB during my junior year of high school because I wanted to have greater involvement with Plan—and I remained on the board until my senior year of college. The past six years have flown by, and I have now decided to resign from the YAB as I graduate and enter the professional workplace.
The YAB is a group of young people who have consistently inspired me to ask questions, push for change, and work tirelessly to uphold the mission of Plan International as a youth-focused organization that improves the lives of young people around the world. As a YAB member, I’ve had the opportunity to work on a plethora of projects and truly have had the ability to shape and develop Plan into what it is today.
Looking back on my time, some of my favorite experiences have been improving the connection between the YAB and Plan staff; developing social media for World Water Day; traveling to Germany to meet young people working with Plan around the world; and implementing environmentally-friendly initiatives in Plan’s offices. Plan holds a special place in my heart and although I will no longer be a part of the Youth Advisory Board, I will never forget my experiences. Although my professional career path is veterinary medicine, Plan has inspired me to develop an interest in the intersection between zoonotic diseases, public health, and international development. In my future, I hope to be a research veterinarian who can develop methods to prevent zoonotic parasitic diseases like malaria, or possibly work on technologies to improve both animal and human health through vaccines.
Although my future is yet to be decided, I am thankful for each person and experience I have had with Plan—especially through the YAB. Plan is an amazing organization that works to instill sustainable and impactful change in communities around the world. I am ever so grateful to have had the chance be a part of it as a Youth Advisory Board member.
