Waukegan High School student earns Young Environmental Leadership Award
Victor Hinojosa, a Waukegan High School graduate and current freshman at the University of Chicago, has been honored with the Brushwood Center’s Youth Environmental Leadership Award for his outstanding passion, creativity, and service to the environment and his community.
Victor’s achievement was celebrated across Lake County after being nominated for the award by Lake Forest Open Lands. Rising to the top among a highly competitive pool of applicants, Victor stood out for his strong commitment to environmental advocacy and youth leadership.
Victor is no stranger to excellence. A Bill and Melinda Gates Scholar and QuestBridge Scholar, he previously served on the Waukegan School Board as a high school sophomore and was recently appointed to the Waukegan Public Library’s Board of Trustees. His achievements continue to inspire peers and community members alike.
Ashley Cullen-Williams, senior program director at Brushwood Center, praised Victor’s contributions, noting his active role in the Center for Conservation Leadership Eco-Ambassador Internship through Lake Forest Open Lands this past summer.
The eight-week paid internship, funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration through the Illinois Coastal Management Program and the Prairie Research Institute, immersed Victor and three other Waukegan students at Illinois Beach State Park, where they worked alongside researchers and scientists from the Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois.
“I absolutely enjoyed my time being a part of the inaugural Eco-Ambassador internship,” Victor said, reflecting on his experience. “I was able to develop not only my own sense of environmental awareness, but also what it means to be an advocate for my community. The countless hours of exposure to the natural world let me breathe and heal.”
Coastal Community Program Coordinator for CCL Hannah Granger led the group of interns.
“The Eco-Ambassador Internship strives to connect young people to the importance of our local landscapes and ecosystems, and to help them see the critical role that conservation plays,” Granger said. “Victor became invested in the more-than-human world as well as the systems at play creating healthy spaces for all community members. His capstone project, an environmental education policy for Waukegan schools, truly bridged his passions of community, nature and policy and the work of the internship. It was incredible to see his curiosity and investment in the natural world grow.”
The Center for Conservation Leadership works to break down barriers to increase access to nature for community members of all ages throughout Lake County. To learn more about CCL and its programs, contact Julia Lunn at Jlunn@lfola.org.
The Brushwood Center Youth Environmental Leadership Award recognizes two outstanding youth leaders each year who demonstrate a deep commitment to environmental stewardship and community service.
Since its establishment in 1967, Lake Forest Open Lands Association, the first accredited land trust in Illinois, has preserved and stewarded the finest natural habitats in the region including prairies, savannas, ravines and wetlands. With over 20 miles of walking trails and 10 nature preserves open to the public year-round, Lake Forest Open Lands invites all to enjoy the special places of Northeast Illinois. Their mission includes ensuring that all generations are welcome and able to fully experience nature and offers robust engagement programming to connect with local habitats. As an independent conservation land trust, LFOLA is primarily supported by voluntary contributions, including membership dues and donations, and receives no local tax funding to support its day-to-day operations. For more information about Lake Forest Open Lands, visit LFOLA.org.