Outside of her work, she serves as a LAST student ambassador and mentor for other youth-leaders leading service-projects focused on environmental conservation, community service, and youth-leadership. Her other commitments include Event Captain of her school's Science Olympiad Team and President of Peoples of Americas, a club dedicated to celebrating cultural and religious diversity.
While serving as a camp-counselor at Love A Sea Turtle (LAST) annual summer-camp, Abigail recognized the rising prevalence of diabetes, obesity, and food-insecurity among the underserved-youth she served.
This knowledge compelled her to seek real, viable solutions to food-insecurity and thus sparked a wholesale dedication to combating hunger through the Sustainable Hunger Initiative.
In 2019, she conducted research on the Low-Carb, Ketogenic Diet and its role as a potential diabetes-management method with faculty and a research partner at Appalachian State University. Through a partial meta-analysis of several studies, she discovered that the dietary plan can improve diabetic-conditions. Her research further confirmed the critical role nutrition played in the health-issues affecting countless underserved youth.
Founded by the Sustainable Hunger Initiative's partnering non-profit organization EarthEcho International, the STEMExplore Program connects minority-womxn STEM professionals with underrepresented students through live teleconferences nationwide.
In 2018, SHI founder Abby Yoon launched STEMExplore throughout North Carolina-- collaborating with local science educators, non-profit organizations, and youth-led clubs including ENC SCUBA. Through her work, she has exposed and engaged 300+ students in NC to a variety of dynamic STEM careers and helped bridge socioeconomic barriers between underrepresented youth and opportunities to pursue and engage in STEM.
Additional Media Highlights:
https://www.facebook.com/earthecho/posts/2409917379041776
https://www.facebook.com/loveaseaturtle/posts/2396005673775439
STEMExplore featured on The Times Leader Newspaper (Nov 7, 2018 Edition)
In addition to leading recruitment, outreach and helping to raise $65,000 in charitable grants and donations, Abigail serves as a mentor for youth members leading global movements and campaigns. Initiatives include the Floating Island Project that has repurposed 10,000+ plastic bottles and other recycled materials to construct islands serving as natural filtration systems and habitats for local species, along with a Keep Your Bottom Clean Program that has removed 520+ pounds of trash from ocean clean-ups. Her mentorship also encompasses a student-led water monitoring program spearheading EarthEcho International's Water Challenge to promote clean water preservation, a WE STAND initiative highlighting historical and celebrating historical minority community leaders and changemakers, and a youth-led program reducing single-use plastic consumption and promoting sustainable practices through sticker and social-media campaigns.
Recognizing the adverse effects of substance abuse among underserved youth, the founder has helped organize:
filming and scriptwriting of a Public Service Announcement (PSA) on the NC Good Samaritan Law, which grants legal protection to a drug-overdose victim and anyone who attempted to help him/her
a public forum addressing youth substance-abuse & engaging local police officers and community members
a leadership-training workshop for PCCSA youth members
a healthy-literacy workshop educating youth about identifying credible online information
tabling at local community events, public presentations about urgent issues including Alcopops abuse, and other campaigning methods
fundraising efforts
News Media Highlights:
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