The Best and The Brightest of 2023
Abigail
Pearson
Age 16 | Junior
Xavier College Preparatory
Phoenix
Xavier College Preparatory
Phoenix
Abby Pearson has always been passionate about the environment and limiting her family’s carbon footprint. At the beginning of COVID-19 she convinced her family to start compositing by eliminating almost all organic waste in their trash can. She learned about carefully balancing the amount of green and brown materials, cutting the moldy, smelly vegetables and maintaining a garden where the compost is used.
From there she started asking neighborhoods for their organic waste and as the project grew, she looked for a composting project in Phoenix that she could partner with. She found the Pierson Street Garden and much to her delight they needed greens for their compositing.
Today, Abby has approximately 25 neighbors participating. Each week, she delivers a bucket to them for their organic waste, and they deposit their old fruits and vegetables, flower trimmings and coffee grounds. She takes the full buckets to Pierson Street Garden. Her efforts have resulted in redirecting over 1000 gallons of organic material from a landfill to the Pierson Street Garden compost pile.
“As the project grew, I tutored a student in biology to earn money to buy the buckets for my neighbors,” said Pearson. “I have learned so much about persevering when you face a challenge and the composting process in general. It feels good to be doing something to help my neighbors, community, and the planet.”
Abby’s love for the environment started in middle school. Her science teacher created a “green team” and it made her think about what her family and beyond could do to help. She was involved in the campus garden, reducing waste throughout the entire school and helping others become more aware of environmental issues.
She’s always been a leader in her community and school. Abby is President of the Arizona Science Center Teen Advisory Board, a group of 26 teens selected by the center to boost teen engagement and interest in science. She is a mentor and coach at her boxing gym’s nonprofit, Chavez Youth and Community, a place that provides free boxing classes and leadership skills to disadvantaged youth. Abby is also captain of her soccer team and is a Student Ambassador.
Abby wants to study Physics or Nuclear Science in college and hopes to pursue a career in sustainability or clean energy.
From there she started asking neighborhoods for their organic waste and as the project grew, she looked for a composting project in Phoenix that she could partner with. She found the Pierson Street Garden and much to her delight they needed greens for their compositing.
Today, Abby has approximately 25 neighbors participating. Each week, she delivers a bucket to them for their organic waste, and they deposit their old fruits and vegetables, flower trimmings and coffee grounds. She takes the full buckets to Pierson Street Garden. Her efforts have resulted in redirecting over 1000 gallons of organic material from a landfill to the Pierson Street Garden compost pile.
“As the project grew, I tutored a student in biology to earn money to buy the buckets for my neighbors,” said Pearson. “I have learned so much about persevering when you face a challenge and the composting process in general. It feels good to be doing something to help my neighbors, community, and the planet.”
Abby’s love for the environment started in middle school. Her science teacher created a “green team” and it made her think about what her family and beyond could do to help. She was involved in the campus garden, reducing waste throughout the entire school and helping others become more aware of environmental issues.
She’s always been a leader in her community and school. Abby is President of the Arizona Science Center Teen Advisory Board, a group of 26 teens selected by the center to boost teen engagement and interest in science. She is a mentor and coach at her boxing gym’s nonprofit, Chavez Youth and Community, a place that provides free boxing classes and leadership skills to disadvantaged youth. Abby is also captain of her soccer team and is a Student Ambassador.
Abby wants to study Physics or Nuclear Science in college and hopes to pursue a career in sustainability or clean energy.
