Global Leadership Academy

Serve To LEAD’s Global Leadership Academy invites students to partner with our global leadership team to address social challenges that impact the communities we serve. This summer, we welcome Kendall Grogan, a Junior studying at UNC Wilmington, majoring in Environmental Science and Spanish. Kendall cares deeply about environmental stewardship and helping people learn and take action to care for their communities and the environment. After learning that the villages we serve in the Dominican Republic are struggling to develop sustainable ways to dispose of trash properly, she applied to GLA. She was accepted as a summer intern to focus on addressing this challenge.

"Three years ago, as a Serve To LEAD Club member in High School, I traveled with Serve to LEAD to the Dominican Republic and was introduced to the beautiful villages of Caraballo, Saman, and Pancho Mateo. This helped unlock a passion for community collaboration and leadership. While there, working in the summer camp and helping with the bathroom projects, I learned that one of the most persistent challenges the villages face is trash buildup and pollution. This challenge has been difficult to control due to a lack of environmental awareness and effective waste management. The Haitian bateyes where Serve To LEAD works are overlooked by the local municipality, and trash collection is inconsistent. The youth offer a strong foundation for change, but only if they fully understand what is at stake.

This summer, I will lead a project to address environmental concerns in the communities, alongside Serve To LEAD DR leaders, as part of a summer program for children and youth. This three-week program will allow the team to implement hands-on learning experiences that connect children to environmental stewardship, encouraging them to take greater care of their community. After completing the program, the team will appoint community youth leaders to support long-term maintenance of the villages, ensuring sustainability beyond the program. This way, we can create a lasting cycle of environmental responsibility and develop stronger leaders for the future.”

We thank Kendall for her service and look forward to the development of this vital project.