As the 2023-24 school year comes to an end, Tremont’s Environmental and Community Leaders Fellowship (ECLF) program is wrapping up another year of discovery and exploration with Knoxville’s youth. ECLF is a two-year program that gives a select group of Fulton High School students the opportunity to explore careers in outdoor and environmental industries, build confidence and practice leadership skills, and develop a long-lasting passion for the natural world. Students meet with Tremont staff bi-weekly to explore potential pathways and grow their relationship with the outdoors.
In March 2024, these students participated in a five-day immersive experience in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This annual trip to the Smokies is a culmination of the conversations, lessons, and experiences they shared throughout the year in their Fulton classrooms and schoolyard. On their final hike, they shared insights and memories from their trip:
For senior students, this was their final ECLF trip to the Smokies. We want to extend our heartfelt congratulations, thanks, and well-wishes to our Environmental and Community Leaders Fellowship graduates:
- Alyssa Bates
- Gaby Sanchez Benitez
- Jose Lucas Francisco
- Azlan Gaertner
- Henry Lubke
- Katie Morales Perez
- Adrian Quintana
- Jocy Santiago
While we have enjoyed learning and growing with each of these individuals, we recently had the chance to honor two exceptional seniors who have distinguished themselves as leaders within the fellowship. Henry Lubke and Azlan Gaertner are the deserving recipients of the 2024 Tremont Trailblazer Award, recognizing their exemplary leadership and curiosity in ECLF. Along with a bag of hiking and nature-exploration gear to support their outdoor exploration, they were awarded a $500 scholarship from Tremont to further their pursuits beyond high school.
While we look forward to continuing our work with returning members of the group (our now-juniors, soon-to-be-seniors) and a host of new Fulton students, we will miss these eight incredible individuals. We wish them all the best in their future endeavors.
Pictured above: ECLF program participants at Spruce Flats Falls during their trip to the Smokies.
Pictured right: ECLF coordinator and Tremont’s Manager of the Teacher Network Annie Roth, Trailblazer Award recipients Henry Lubke and Azlan Gaertner, and Fulton High School teacher and ECLF coordinator Kimberly Kennard.
