Sally Smith

I'm Sally Marie Smith, a senior at Ridgeline High School. I've lived in Utah my entire life, spending countless hours wandering through its pristine wilds. I obtained an internship in ecology with the Bridgerland Audubon Society, the Beaver Ecology and Relocation Collaborative, and the Utah Open Lands Conservation Association. During a birding outing with the Bridgerland Audubon, I noticed a man-made nesting box and, after asking one of my mentors about it, was introduced to the captivating story of a wood duck's life. Upon returning home I dove into research on this phenomenal waterfowl. As the hours passed, I realized I wasn’t just learning about wood ducks—I was learning about myself. I felt an unexpected kinship with the tiny chick I watched on my laptop screen as it leapt from the comfort of its nest and careened toward the forest floor. Weeks later, I still couldn’t shake the image; there was something so profoundly compelling, so majestic, about that minuscule creature robed in feathers and courage. It wasn’t just the chick itself, but the fall that intrigued me. So, as is my custom, I poured my thoughts onto paper—and discovered a lesson I could not ignore.