Growing Up Roots & Shoots

Inspiration can be sparked in many ways—reading books, lessons in school, or programs we see on television; but what about meeting your childhood hero?

For Jesse Abelson and Shane West this dream became a reality on a fateful day in 2010 when Dr. Jane Goodall visited their community in St Louis Park, Minnesota.

Her visit to Beth El Synagogue inspired many of the visitors and students at the event, but none more so than Jesse and Shane. While she was there, Dr. Jane took the time to discuss Roots & Shoots with the two young men. This started Step 1: Get Inspired of the Roots & Shoots 4 Step model to create a project, and sparked a remarkable story of determination, passion, and action that led to the creation of a Roots & Shoots group at their high school.

After gathering a small group of their fellow students, they Step 2: Observed their community, and decided to focus their efforts on environmental justice, climate change, and educational opportunities. Though they were a small group, Jesse and Shane had big plans to identify issues that were facing their community and take action.

They Step 3: took Action and started with sorting recycling from trash cans which quickly evolved into social and environmental activism, creating a conversation for St. Louis Park to adopt and practice a Climate Action Plan. This incredible opportunity opened up a new fascination and passion for environmental work and justice, creating a new career and educational path for many students involved in the Roots & Shoots group.

At the same time, however, these efforts uncovered a new issue that was facing their community: access to higher education. “There are a lot of people who stop putting much effort towards helping the environment and its inhabitants once they graduate high school due to having to find a job and the other stresses of life,” Shane shared. This mindset is what inspired Shane and Jesse to continue to take action, allowing their Roots & Shoots project to evolve.

The two leaders and their group created a scholarship opportunity for their fellow students who wished to pursue a career in climate justice and environmental studies. The St. Louis Park High School Roots & Shoots scholarship was set up to support passionate, environmentally-minded students through their school’s Dollars for Scholars program, which has awarded over $1,000,000 to more than 1,500 St. Louis Park High School graduates. In 2021, the Roots & Shoots scholarship gifted its first $500 award!

“The St. Louis Park High School was incredibly welcoming and excited about this scholarship. Getting funding was the most difficult part. Thankfully there were several community members and Roots & Shoots alum members who donated to the cause, allowing us to give out the first scholarship last year. As we continue to develop this scholarship fund, we hope that we can expand it and give out scholarships to more inspirational students,” Jesse Abelson shared.

Today, both Jesse and Shane are students at the University of Minnesota; Jesse is in his third year of medical school and Shane is working with animals as an Animal Health Supervisor. “Anything with animals will be what my aim in life will be towards. Whether that be moving somewhere with awesome wildlife in my backyard, or working for a great zoo, or shelter or protecting animals in the wild,” Shane shared, “Roots & Shoots has encouraged me to continue to do things with a bigger picture in mind.”

Jesse, who is a co-founder of Vetiver Solutions, an organization that works within rural Haiti working to benefit the community, the environment, and other animals, shared similar sentiments: “Roots & Shoots has had a massive impact on my life, especially when it came to starting my own organization. Starting a Roots & Shoots group really empowered me to not be afraid to start something new and to take a stand on things that I truly believe in.”  Jesse and Shane hope that this effort will continue to expand, giving scholarships to more inspirational students in their community.

When asked the advice they would give young change makers, Shane West responded; “The truth is a lot of the time we don’t notice the difference we are making on others. So, I would encourage all to pursue what they believe in, you are already unique and different and so as long as you pursue what you believe in, I believe you will make a difference.” Jesse added “Anyone can make a difference! I have three pieces of advice: First is to surround yourself with people you trust… Second is don’t be afraid to fail…. Finally, my biggest piece of advice is to choose something you are passionate about and just start it, even if you don’t feel like you’re ready”.

With strong roots and innovative ideas, these two incredible Roots & Shoots members have created a legacy of change in their community. Their story embodies the message Dr. Jane spreads all over the world; “Every individual has a role to play, and every individual can make a difference. We all have a choice, what sort of difference do you want to make?”

This story was written by former program coordinator for Roots & Shoots USA, Amanda Ketterer.