$5000 Abner and Mildred Levine Family Foundation – Represented by Ellen and Rick Miller
2024 Yarmouth High School
“For years, I only thought of my race as a fun fact, but recently, I’ve embraced my identity and incorporated it into all my pursuits.”
Natalie Waloven looks at the world through the lens of “who or what is left out or being marginalized in this conversation?” Empathetic, thoughtful, and quietly forceful, she has taken on native, civic, and school issues in her efforts to better her community and understand her identity; when she speaks, people listen.
At her school, she served as a facilitator for the Can We project, providing space for young people to discuss civic issues and share their voices. Her strong interest spurred her to take an accelerated version of the training so she could lead discussions at a statewide summit – despite her innate shyness and anxiety.
As a junior, she was a school representative to the Maine Women’s Lobby, working with legislators and the Governor to examine current events and legislation. As a four-year member of the school’s Student Senate, which advises the administration about student issues, she helped revise the school laptop policy. Fiercely curious, she and two classmates revived the defunct school newspaper, ensuring that it will continue by training underclassmen.
A member of the indigenous sector of the Yarmouth Community Alliance on Racial Equity (YCARE), deeply involved in a Royal River Conservation Trust (RRCT) project, and an intern at the Yarmouth Historical Society whose work shaped what the organization is looking for in its next intern, she helped draft a land acknowledgement for the Wabanaki Youth Group. These are continued efforts toward what she calls reconcili-action.
Natalie will attend Dartmouth College.