KYLIE RATNAYAKE

Kylie Ratnayake is a 16-year-old high school student living in Toronto, Canada. An ambitious, detail-oriented, and conscientious individual with diverse interests, Kylie has a passion for learning and natural curiosity. Always on the lookout for opportunities to reach her potential while also making an impact, Kylie is particularly passionate about sustainability and environmental stewardship in hopes of one day improving the well-being of our planet.

From a young age, Kylie has found inspiration in nature, and she very much values her time in the woods and lakes accessible to her in Canada. It is through nature that Kylie finds her creativity and peace of mind, and this inner peace manifests itself in outer peace. Kylie is convinced that this is a key ingredient towards building a more peaceful global community and wishes to see a world in which everyone can access green spaces in nature in order to realize its value, benefits, and why it is worth protecting. She believes that through engaging in her passions, she can fulfill her purpose.

For now, Kylie devotes her creativity and passion to civic causes around her. At school, she is the President of the Environmental Committee, a Varsity basketball player, a Graphic Designer and Editor for the school newsletter, and a backdrop designer and dancer for the School Production. Outside of school, she is a competitive dancer who also enjoys learning her favorite songs on the piano, making art and poetry, and playing tennis in the summer. She has also made sure to participate in community action initiatives by participating in the YCI Innovate My Future program, being a Sport Coach and Tutor, completing a Climate Crisis virtual internship with a conservational non-profit in Peru, and serving as an Outreach associate at Human Nature Projects Ontario. Her volunteer projects have dealt with climate action themes such as reforestation, active transportation, and building awareness in youth. 

An avid and self-motivated learner, Kylie is self-studying AP environmental science as well as taking a few Advanced Placement courses at school and has also completed various university-level courses, learning programs, and certifications on sustainability and environmentalism in her free time.