Sarah Dillard
When I met McKenna when she was in high school, she was learning Chinese, building a robotic hand, and working as a mortician’s assistant. Her final Kaleidoscope project examined death rituals across cultures.
She was fascinating then, and she’s fascinating now. I hope you enjoy this profile as much as I enjoyed coffee with McKenna.
Where McKenna is now: Majoring in international business & environmental studies at the University of Richmond, Dunbar is a 2020 Gilman Scholar; 2021 Udall Scholar; 2022 Truman Scholar Finalist; and was sponsored by The North Face through a national grant award with Greening Youth Foundation; amongst other cool accolades. She was also recognized as a Top Voice in Social Impact by LinkedIn in June of this year.
Kaleidoscope affiliations: Alum of Social Sciences for Social Problems (‘18)
A risk she’s currently taking: “I’m currently working full-time at the Sierra Club as their Building Electrification Lead based in Virginia while attending school full-time. I represent the organization with key policy and strategy recommendations in the electrification, energy efficiency, and equity side of the clean energy transition and lead their work in the Commonwealth in getting schools to adopt on site solar pv arrays to promote healthier environments. I’ve had to learn how to be very effective with my time.”
What she’s doing this summer: “In addition to working full-time with the Sierra Club, I have a full-time climate and clean energy policy fellowship with the Virginia Conservation Network and a once-per-week evening fellowship with a democracy group to support my development as a leader and organizer. I’m also enjoying riding my e-bike everywhere, spending more time with my cats (Hallo and Klaus), and throwing tea parties!”
How Kaleidoscope influenced her path: “Being around a group of passionate, driven people makes you want to have an even bigger impact. And it was an amazing opportunity to work on a project I was interested in with coaching.”
Her advice to high school students: “Dream big and take initiative to follow what you are passionate about. You have to be your own biggest advocate in this chaotic world so please learn how to effectively communicate. I would also recommend developing your confidence alongside a community that you trust.”
Who should get involved with Kaleidoscope: “Anyone who loves to learn and develop both their hard and soft skills for high school, college life, or even your future career! Kaleidoscope is a program geared towards students who find joy in discovering innovative solutions through their passions.”
Her reading recommendation: “Man’s Search for Meaning is a book that has changed my life and helped me recalibrate the concept of suffering in my own life. Viktor Frankl writes about his experiences being a prisoner in a Nazi concentration camp, and theorizes that individuals who find meaning in their suffering can better cope with the adverse conditions they face in the present moment. I believe that life has meaning no matter what circumstances one faces, and this account has helped me become a more empathetic person and guided me through challenging times in my formative years.”
Connect with McKenna if: You share an interest in climate or clean energy; you have questions about how to work full-time as a full-time student; or want to talk about art, cats, and culture.