Kayla Stoll is a sophomore at Southern New Hampshire University pursuing a dual degree in environmental science and environmental engineering with an ardent passion for environmental passion.
As Kayla writes: “Growing up, there were always three principles cemented in my mind—A passion for the environment; A passion to teach; And an utmost understanding of the fragility of time. Due to these three factors, I decided at a very young age to spend every second I have on this planet ensuring younger generations grew up on a better one. I was raised with the notion that all time is a gift, which is why I waste no time working to achieve my goals and pass up no opportunity to further the message of environmental protection.”
Stemming from this passion, Kayla decided to write an op-ed about the dangers of plastic pollution for her outreach project. This piece not only describes the dangers of microplastics for human and wildlife health alike, but also takes a creative approach from the perspective of the plastic itself, following its journey after it is thrown away as it makes its way into the environment.
“Loaded on conveyors, loosely sorted, while the accumulation of products’ chemicals permeates my surface,” Kayla writes. “Even the sanitization does not remove their foreign presence. The air fills with microparticles as my worn surface is shredded, melted, and remade. Tainted, manipulated, thousands of polymers intertwined, just waiting for their breaking point.” You can read Kayla’s article HERE.
