This weekend, I had the incredible opportunity to attend and present at the US Laidlaw Scholars Research Conference at Brown University. Over two full days of meeting inspiring scholars and learning about their work across many disciplines, Madison Mikayelyan, Nathaniel George, and I shared our research on how green spaces in Berlin support child empowerment and agency toward pro-environmental decision-making in adulthood. We also reflected on how these insights might shape American policies that strengthen environmental initiatives. In addition, we spoke about our six weeks in Germany and the lessons we carried home about bravery, perseverance, and fully immersing ourselves in European culture.

Presenting how we designed and produced research through photographic media, both to promote awareness and to highlight the real impact of policy in non-American contexts, felt especially meaningful. Sharing this work with the Laidlaw network was a genuine honor.

I am deeply grateful to the Duke Hart Leadership Program for bringing Laidlaw to Duke and allowing me to be part of such a beautiful inaugural cohort. This program has opened doors to opportunities like my time in Berlin and my upcoming Leadership in Action summer. I am also thankful to Director Christopher Sims for his ongoing mentorship and support in developing our photobook, which presents our research through a photojournalistic lens, and for his guidance as I help lead and pilot our joint project documenting cultural diversity and political polarization across North Carolina cities, which will be released next year.