Sara Dolan is a Global Scholar Alumni (2019) and is currently a junior in high school from Santa Rosa, California. She has noticed social media revolution is unfolding before our eyes. While scrolling through Instagram, we can see current protests, legislative decisions, and wars. The amount of awareness that teens have about global issues is astounding, and teens must be given the tools to effectively persuade adults to listen. News of a tragic school shooting or an inspiring climate strike is broadcasted on social media. Campaigns and protests are publicized, yet they fall to the ground. Many claim that teens are our future-but we are more than the future and have opinions that are critically important to discussions today. Now. When young people contribute their ideas and energy to addressing social issues, they begin to see themselves as change-minded leaders. Although political events are spread on social media, teens must overcome the issue of turning awareness into action. To help foster the idea that young adults have the creativity to initiate change, Sara co-founded a social action club at her school which seeks to educate and embolden students in high school to make their voices heard. Sara is also president of a community service youth group where she organizes service projects within her community. Additionally, she is a member of Youth and Government where she is active in collaborating with a group of peers to write a bill to ban toxic pesticides in and around school areas.

To Sara, Global Scholar has been a catalyst in her journey as a change-maker by presenting a rounded view of social issues and offering the tools needed to effectively persuade, communicate, and comprehend the extent of the issues the world is facing. In addition, being in NGOs, embassies, think-tanks, and more shows global scholars how diverse the field of international relations is and gives them first-hand insight into the challenges and triumphs of professionals in their field. Through meaningful discussions, global scholar helps students to comprehend what it means to be a global citizen and gives them the resources to make a lasting impact in the world.