Abigail Oakes, New College of Florida

Abigail Oakes, a third-year Natural Sciences student at New College of Florida, is the embodiment of a student leader who demonstrates strategies beyond direct service to seek long term solutions to social issues, who inspires and engages others, and who demonstrates the motivation and potential for effective and long term civic engagement. During her first year at New College, Abigail founded a community service club, Circle K International. Through Circle K, Abigail inspired many students to get involved with the community through tutoring at Booker High School and the Robert L. Taylor Community Center, coordinating food and book drives, volunteering with Miracle League Baseball, Brush Up Sarasota and the Senior Friendship Center. Abigail is also a co-founder of “SailFuture,” a non-profit organization that provides sailing lessons to educate and mentor at-risk and underprivileged youth and teach them about issues related to conservation of the coastal environment. Her senior thesis is related to the physics of sailing; it will deal with how sailing can be used as a means to further science education. Abigail plans to continue her studies in environmental education.