State: Utah
Years on RSYC: 2021–2025
Sierra is an advocate for seismic safety and STEM education, balancing her passions for research and community outreach.
Sierra’s ongoing project, the Utah School Seismic Safety campaign, continues to raise awareness about earthquake preparedness in schools.
Despite legislative setbacks, Sierra published an op-ed in a major local newspaper to highlight the urgency of her cause. She also secured a grant to launch STEM education initiatives for underprivileged communities, focusing on making science accessible and inspiring.
A senior in high school, Sierra is a captain of her school’s ethics bowl team and a member of the One Voice Children’s Choir, which recently toured China. She enjoys hiking, art, and climbing, and has received multiple awards for her behavioral science research.
One highlight of the past year? “Meeting Jane Goodall on her 90th birthday tour was incredible—she’s been my hero since I was a kid and continues to inspire so much of the work I do.”
