Kylie Denton 

Since graduating from Soquel High in 2023, Kylie has continued pursuing her passion for environmental research and quantitative science! She is completing degrees in Mathematics, Economics, and Geography at Cabrillo College and has been accepted as a transfer student to UC Santa Cruz for fall 2026. Outside of school, she enjoys hiking, swimming, going to the gym, spending time at the beach, and hopes to explore more natural parks. 

Kylie is currently presenting research at the Bay Area Honors Research Symposium hosted by Stanford University on disaster modeling and climate resilience in Santa Cruz County. She is also researching the impacts of the 2025 Palisades Fire on carbon sequestration and ecosystem services.

During YEA, Kylie helped organize the Climate Action Summit and worked on a countywide student survey about climate change education. She says YEA expanded her perspective by showing that environmental challenges are also humanitarian issues requiring equitable, community centered solutions.

Kylie credits YEA with strengthening her public speaking, leadership, and collaboration skills, which have opened doors to research and academic opportunities. Her advice to current students is simple: say yes to new opportunities, step outside your comfort zone, and never stop exploring what inspires you.