Duncan Roth

What are you involved in at school?

“I have recently become very involved in the peer tutoring program at Vistamar. I have tutored friends, classmates and underclassmen every single day for four years, so it was amazing to see a more formal, organized way of tutoring set up recently by Ms. Wong, a math teacher at my school. During the pandemic, I tutored kids from different schools. The ability to continue my love for teaching at my high school is something I really value. In the next couple of months, I will help prepare Vistamar students for their AP tests—especially for AP chemistry.”

What’s the best thing about your school?

“The relationships students create with teachers at Vistamar are truly unparalleled. I frequently converse with my teachers even outside school hours. We call Vistamar home—not just because we spend so much time there, but because Vistamar’s safe-haven environment allows students to express their true selves and not feel the need to cover up aspects of their identities.”

What are you doing to make a difference?

“Living a plant-based lifestyle doesn’t only heal your body; it heals the planet. The power of plants is something I yearn to showcase in the next chapters of my life, just as I have done throughout high school. I was one of the youngest people ever to receive a certificate in plant-based nutrition from the Center for Nutrition Studies at Cornell University. I also took a yearlong chef course at the Food Future Institute, learning professional culinary skills in addition to plant-based facts and information. Eliminating meat from one’s diet has a profound impact on the environment—and of course animals’ well-being.”