How Early Environmental Lessons Shaped One Ipswich Student’s Path

In Ipswich, sustainability isn’t something students learn once and move on from. For Ipswich graduate Kayden Flather, it was a lesson that spanned from exploring vernal pools in third grade at Doyon Elementary School to leading a salt marsh research project for the trustees in high school.

Her early experiences taught her that even the smallest ecosystems play an important role. Exploring vernal pools helped her understand how interconnected the natural world is at an early age.

That understanding deepened in high school, where Kayden served as co-president of the Environmental Club. There, she led a research project focused on the health of the local salt marshes. What made the work especially meaningful was its history: data for this project has been collected for over 40 years.

Kayden is now a junior at Colby College, majoring in economics with a concentration in financial markets and a minor in statistics. She recently worked on a project analyzing a satellite imaging company that observes changes in forestry, agriculture, and coastlines over time, using data to identify trends.

Through several internships in the financial services industry and her commitment to sustainability, Kayden hopes to join a firm where she can invest in companies with strong sustainability goals and a focus on ESG investing.

Kayden is a recipient of an Ipswich Education Foundation Sustainability Scholarship, made possible by donors who believe in the importance of sustainability education. Your support helps ensure more Ipswich students have opportunities to explore, study, and carry these values forward. DONATE TODAY

Your gift helps Ipswich students learn not just how to care for the environment, but how to protect it for the long term.