WHO ARE WE?

MEET THE TEAM

ASHLEY LEAMAN

Senior Event Director

Ashley Leaman is a junior at Del Oro High school.

BRENDAN CURTIS

Junior Event Director

Brendan Curtis is a junior at Del Oro High School. He enjoys being involved in leadership and lacrosse. At a young age, he found an appreciation for nature having spent a lot of his time at his cabin located near Yosemite. There he spent much of his time hiking around the area and seeing what nature really had to offer. In high school he decided to take the next step by becoming part of the environmental club and later YCAC to learn more about the environment. By joining something he believes in, he hopes to set an example to many who believe in environmental issues worldwide and help keep our environment just the way he remembers it as a kid, truly majestic. 

EDWARD SAHYOUN

Senior Event Director and Public Advocate 

Edward Sahyoun is a junior at Del Oro High School. He has a huge passion for running and the outdoors. One time when he and his family were on a camping trip on the coast they nearly encountered the Campfire. Edward saw all of the disastrous effects of the fire and wanted to prevent it. This left him to join the Environmental Club in his highschool and eventually YCAC, because he wanted to make real change. He is now an active participant in the organization and makes strong efforts to keep the nature that he runs in, beautiful.

RYAN VERDULT

Senior Event Director  I  VP of Social Media

Ryan Verdult is a junior at Del Oro High School. He enjoys playing baseball, waterpolo, and being in the outdoors. He also loves business, and is looking to help YCAC grow as an organization worldwide. The environmental classes he has taken in school have helped fuel his passion for educating others about climate change and environmental conservation. As a Senior Event Director, Ryan helps hold different events in our area. He is also the VP of Social Media, and he maintains the organization's presence on social media. He also reaches out to other networks and organizations to make new connections and build our brand.

JAKE MCCULLOUGH

Co-Founder  I  Executive Vice President

Jake is a Junior at Del Oro High school. He loves surfing, mountain biking, and enjoying the outdoors. His passion for environmental conservation grew as he saw the California wildfires threaten his home and the things he loves. As the smoke thickened in his area, he began to focus on environmental conservation. By being a leader in this organization, Jake hopes that he can make a difference both locally and globally. He hopes to make more people aware of environmental issues through this organization and provide opportunities for people to help the environment. As the organization’s Executive Vice President, Jake manages communication within the organization as well as media production. He leads teams in the design and production of media, whether it be flyers, videos, pictures and more.

JACK GALLOWAY

Co-Founder  I  Executive Director

Jack Galloway is a junior at Del Oro High School. He has always had a love for the outdoors, especially since his dad is an environmental science teacher. He loves to travel and fish during his spare time and has visited all 50 states and many National Parks. Having spent a considerable amount of his childhood outdoors, he understands the value and concern associated with maintaining sustainable practices. As Executive Director, he helps come up with new project ideas and campaigns and manages our team. He hopes to educate others about climate change and help communities across the nation to adopt sustainable practices.

KEVIN MALAEKEH

Co-Founder  I  President

 Kevin Malaekeh is a junior at Del Oro High School. Growing up, Kevin always loved being outdoors, and he had an appreciation for nature. Living in California, Kevin experienced the effects of climate change first-hand. He was saddened by the disastrous effects that multiyear droughts and wildfires had on the environment around him. Starting in high school, he decided to take action on climate change by creating an environmental club and making his school and community more environmentally friendly. By creating this organization, he hopes to spread his message to schools and communities across America and help mitigate the consequences caused by climate change. 

ANNA MILLER

Senior Event Director

Anna Miller is a junior at Del Oro High School. Her passions include skiing, hiking, and traveling. Growing up near the Santa Cruz Mountains, Anna often spent her weekends exploring the Redwoods and truly gained an appreciation for what nature has to offer. Inspired by role models and her peers, Anna decided to take action on the causes she is most passionate about. Through YCAC, she has been organizing and directing different events to help spread awareness of climate change. She also helps with managing the organization’s social media presence.

SEAN DALY

Co-Founder  I

Sean Daly is a junior at Del Oro High School. Ever since he was was a kid, he has always been curious about how the environment around him works. On weekends, you can find him hiking the trails of the Sierra Foothills with his friends. After continuously hearing and seeing how people are threatening the stability of the world and all of its plants and animals, he has become very active in conservation efforts. he helped establish a compost program at his high school, saving around 20 pounds of food a week and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. As project director, Sean helps run the organization's activities and campaigns.