By Susan Dickson
Staff Writer
When Kristen Powers was little, her father encouraged her to turn off the lights when she left a room and to make sure the water was off while she brushed her teeth.
Those simple acts “kind of just became a habit,†Powers said. A habit, though, that brought the Chapel Hill High School junior – the founder of the CHHS GreenTiger Campaign – all the way to the White House.
One of 15 high-schoolers recognized by Vice President Joe Biden on June 23 as a member of Parade magazine’s All-American High School Service Team, Powers realized at a young age the impact that each person could have on the environment.
“All those tiny actions … were something that could actually change the world,†she said.
When she arrived at Chapel Hill High, Powers was eager to get involved in environmental clubs. She found, though, that, “There were two different environmental clubs, and they weren’t really achieving anything as far as membership.†She worked to merge the two clubs to create the GreenTiger Campaign.
The club’s biggest achievement thus far, Powers said, has been the creation of a community garden at Chapel Hill High. Students and faculty members who volunteered in the garden took home more than 50 bags of produce this year.
The club also has sold Reduced-price reusable water bottles to students, and lobbied the school to reduce its paper use. Another of its goals is the installation of motion sensors for lights throughout the school.
This is just the tip of the iceberg as to the many accolades Kristen has accumulated in her young life. I’m just so proud of my granddaughter.