Environmentalist. Organic agriculturalist. Photographer. Snowboarder. TEDx speaker. Sister. These are some titles that Kayla Stoll—a 19-year-old Bedford resident of 19 years—is proud to call herself. But it’s the people around her who lifted her to soar.

From a young age, Kayla has been an integral part of the town. Volunteering at a farm under Master Gardeners—Michelle Moore and Virgie Beacom—she became a steward of the land, learning organic gardening and management. She was also privileged to teach inner-city children, special needs, and the elderly, eager to pass on her knowledge. All while working with community gardeners, two passions grew into one: a passion for Mother Nature and a passion for education.

After leaving the farm in 2022, she focused on her many other passions, including writing, rock climbing, hiking, herbalism, spending time with family, and anything related to nature. Today, she is working toward a dual degree in Environmental Engineering and Environmental Science. She was also hired as an Ecohydrologist at UNH, aiding graduate work and learning professional tree climbing.

Nonetheless, she found time to advocate environmentally: writing to political figures, running a YouTube channel, and teaching in schools.

After being invited to out-of-town schools to teach about plastic pollution, Kayla was honored to speak at Ross A. Lurgio in May 2024, introduced by her former teacher, Mr. Lane. Centering on plastics, she worked to open students’ eyes to how making small changes can lessen their environmental footprints.

She believes teaching future generations to respect our planet is one of the best ways to safeguard it, and feels that everything happens for a reason. Being chosen from the highly competitive pool of potential speakers for TEDx, she soon became one of ten individuals who spread her ideas to the world under the theme “Breaking Barriers.” With about 60 live audience members and thousands more watching the February 2025 broadcast, she found it the perfect opportunity to further her message for a cause she always believed in: To get environmental science mandated as a core class in schools.

As the youngest speaker in the group, she appreciated every bit of the journey, working with professionals and meeting speakers from all over the country. Her Talk stood out as the only environmental speech of the night, exposing the wild facts and truths about pollution and our daily choices. In the midst, she used personal stories and this information to encourage educational change. It was truly the experience of a lifetime in front of an engaging audience.

Through her TEDx experience, Kayla is now fortunate enough to be featured in SNHU media productions and begin working with the Global Citizen Circle as an Emerging Leader. She hopes to perform further environmental work in this global community, making education more accessible and increasing awareness of various topics. She is very excited to see where this opportunity will lead and the people she will connect with along the way.

She also recently became a Young Voices of Science Alumn, participating in the 10-week training to become an effective communicator of science in policy, academic, and societal settings.

In the future, Kayla plans to continue fighting for our natural world, educating society, and influencing younger generations to explore their passion for the environment. She hopes to continue her media productions, writing, public speaking, and venture into new forms of communication, such as podcasts and policy endeavors. In doing so, she aspires to be the most engaged advocate for our planet she can be.

In closing, Kayla would like to extend a huge thank you to everyone in the Bedford community and beyond who has supported her on her journey thus far, shaping her into the person she is today. It is the people around her who lifted her to soar, without whom this all would not have been possible.