October Student of the Month – Matthew C.

Our student of the month for October is Matthew Clayton, an Ursids alumni. After graduating from the field school in August, Matthew hit the ground running in his community, working on a variety of outreach projects, in order to fulfill his commitment as a Conservation Ambassador and to enhance understanding in his local area.

Matthew has largely been focusing on service work as he completes his outreach activities for the season. He takes pride in giving back to his community and future students at the Wildlife Leadership Academy. Matthew is participating in the Pay It Forward fundraising campaign, in which current class alumni raise funds to “pay it forward” to future students so that they are able to attend and enjoy the same Academy experience he had. You can visit Matthew’s Pay It Forward fundraising page by Clicking Here! He is working towards achieving his goal of raising $1,000.

Matthew has also been partnering with community organizations to improve local sites; he is a volunteer at the Fort Necessity National Battlefield, where he has been helping manage native plants. Matthew was recently on site planting Mountain Laurel and potting native plants.

When not out and about assisting the community, Matthew is working on his own goals of one day working for the Game Commission or the National Park Service. He has contributed his own personal nature photography for our Photo Fridays (see below) and is attending the Academy’s College Visit Days to explore opportunities and programs that best fit his goals! We are excited to see where Matthew’s path takes him in the future and are pleased to be along for the journey!