2026 High School Winners

Mary Laborde is in the 11th grade at Mount Vernon School in Atlanta, Georgia. She learned about the contest in her AP Environmental Science class. She chose wetlands as her focus because they are vital to wildlife and ecosystems, support biodiversity, and provide many ecosystem services. While researching, she was surprised to learn that wetlands are under threat worldwide, and that tiny microplastics released from our laundry, beauty products, or even shipping packaging could harm the environment. She shared that, “a lot of people are unaware of how much microplastics are used in the products they use. They are an invisible thing that creates such a big impact in ecosystems.” Through her video, she wanted to raise awareness of bioretention cells as a potentially helpful, cost-effective solution to this problem as populations rise in cities.

Mary has created videos before and really enjoyed the editing process and conveying what she wanted to say with LEGOs. She aimed to make the video fun instead of just educational. Using Canva, she created a stop-motion video and appreciated the many features available in the free version. Her advice to other contest participants is to “explore a bunch of different media – integrate your strengths and creativity into your video,” which will help you create a more memorable film. Mary mentioned that finding a solution was the most difficult part of the process, as many solutions she was introduced to were costly or impractical.

Mary and a team of friends were recently finalists in the National History Day competition for their video “Women’s Roles, Rights, Responsibilities and Resilience in WW2.” They were invited to Washington, D.C., to share in the finals. When she isn’t creating videos, she plays tennis, plays the guitar for fun, and enjoys baking and crafting. She has been a part of the National Charity League’s Mother-Daughter Service Program for over six years. When Mary graduates from high school, she is thinking about a career in nutritional sciences or psychology. She is passionate about health through nutrition and exercise and wants to help others, possibly by becoming a therapist or dietitian.