Jesse Torres 1 post during our D.C. Trip!

Jesse Torres, Sophomore, Houston East End Greenbelt GreenSchools! Green Ambassador and STEAM Lab Proctor - The Green Institute- Furr High School; Renewable Energy Pathway

I am very thankful for the opportunity that I have received. The fact that I could come all the way to Washington D.C. is just mind boggling to me. I honestly would never have thought I would be able to come to D.C. and get this far. This trip is a great experience, I am able grow as an individual and learn many different key skills for being a leader. All the knowledge I have received, heard and learned, makes me excited! I remember when we were planning out the trip and at first I was like, “No I shouldn't go, I will probably mess up terribly.” I was putting myself down, but thanks to my teachers I got the courage to do it. I was thinking the other day, "Wow, imagine if i never forced myself to do this, if I were to just give up when it got hard.” Then I wouldn’t have learned anything and would be still clueless about certain things. I wouldn't be able to grow and learn the importance of responsibility and many other key skills needed to move this movement forward. I am thankful for the chance to attend the three day 2015 National Environmental Justice Conference. It was an honor to be around people who had such powerful words, words that spoke to my soul and encouraged me that what I’m doing matters, and that what I'm doing does help. I met people who were just incredible. Also, I started to grow because I would have never imagined myself in front of a large group of people presenting. I was always a shy person and this is helping me get out of my shell. I had the amazing opportunity to go camping and it was fantastic. Around the bound fire, I learned more from the people around me and saw so much good and honesty in them. I saw what kept them going, it was overwhelming. I also got the chance to see some wildlife up close, I had the chance to see deer and flocks of geese. I had a wonderful time and I still continue. I'm glad I joined this program, it changed my life for the better. It made me stronger and wiser, and the knowledge I gain here, I will pass it down.

A few Houston East End Greenbelt Green Ambassadors in front of the U.S. Forest Service Building March 2015.