Ava Bower is a senior at Kent County High School. She chose to become a student leader because she has attended the Summit in the past and had an amazing time and wants to be a part of planning something so amazing. Ava is passionate about friends and family, tennis, the environment and turtles. In her free time Ava enjoys reading, playing tennis and spending time with friends and family. Ava’s most recent accomplishment is getting into her top college and also earning a scholarship. She is so excited to be a part of the summit leadership team this year.

Emma Hansley is a Sophomore attending North Caroline High School. She became a student leader because she was inspired by her teachers to further help the environment and encourage others to do the same. She is very passionate about her education, helping protect plants and animals habitats, and reducing the amount of pollution and carbon in the air. In her free time, she loves to play soccer and softball, read and spend time with family and friends. She was recently elected as Secretary of the Choptank River 4-H Club and competed at State Level for National History Day.

Lila Criss is a junior at Queen Anne’s County High School. She became a Student Leader to help people her age gain awareness and knowledge about the environment and find out that it can be very fun and engaging to learn about. Some things she is passionate about include her education, nature, and having fun wherever she is. In her free time, Lila likes to go on walks, watch television, and go out with friends and family.

Patty Dongarra is a senior at Easton High School. She chose to be a student leader this year after her experience at the summit last spring, where she was inspired by seeing the active role that student leaders get to play in planning the event and wanted to be a part of it herself. She is passionate about second-hand clothing, language acquisition, NYT Cooking, and being a part of her school’s tennis team. In her free time Patty loves to play tennis, go out to eat with her friends, and bake cookies while listening to news podcasts. She has been co-leading the EHS Ecology Club this school year and has big plans for her freshman year of college in the fall!

Carissa Shue is a senior at Kent Island High School. She chose to become a student leader because of her passion for the outdoors. As a scout she spends a lot of time outside hiking and camping. Carissa is very passionate about science and the pursuit of knowledge. She loves the idea of making new discoveries that help to decode the universe. In her free time she enjoys having existential crises, nerding out over sci-fi, and napping in the sun with her mom dogs.

Finn Merrick is a senior at Easton High School who is very excited to be a student leader again and be a part of the great community that ShoreRivers cultivates. Knowledge of the environment around him and the sarong of that knowledge are topics that are very important to him. He loves to read, row, and go on runs (even if he has to force himself to sometimes). Other leadership positions he holds are the Parliamentarian of the Maryland Junior Classical League, Rowing Captain, and is a part of the Easton High School’s Production of Sister Act that will be happening.

Lucy Pearce is a senior at Colonel Richardson High School who plans to go to college for acting. An avid hiker, Lucy’s interest in nature began well before ShoreRivers. In 2022, she hiked around 30 miles of the Appalachian Trail to Harpers Ferry, WV with Nature Camps, Inc. She is passionate about playing music, colorful pens, and character analysis. Lucy participates in many other activities, including cheerleading, drama club, student equity club, and playing guitar & double bass. You can typically find her listening to Mac Miller, ROLE MODEL, or Lizzy McAlpine, and she’s currently re-watching New Girl! Through being a Summit Leader, Lucy hopes to learn more about caring for the environment in her everyday life and do her part in sharing the love of Mother Nature!

Sofia Stecher-Roberts is a senior at Easton High School. She chose to become a student leader because she was inspired by the student leaders from summits in the past and wanted to be able to maybe have the same impact on young hopeful environmentalists like she once was. She is passionate about art, volleyball, travel, and all things One Direction. In her free time, she enjoys reading  (specifically fantasy novels), listening to music, or driving around with her friends. Some recent achievements she is proud of include: getting into her dream university (University of Miami), making All-Bayside honorable mention for volleyball, and being elected as treasurer for Easton’s senior class.