"I never felt so helpful in my community until last summer when we raised $30,000 to fund Durham Public Schools kids' lunches."
Madison Parker
echo teen Madison Parker is a senior attending JD Clements Early College Over the past four years, her involvement with echo has transformed her into a passionate and driven community member. She participated in the climate change, mental health, and zero hunger sprints. Her experiences with echo have fueled her interest in public health and inspired her to pursue a career as a surgeon. She is passionate about ensuring equitable access to healthcare and tackling healthcare disparities.
Madison's exposure to a variety of roles and responsibilities at echo has helped her develop her leadership skills. She shares, "echo has just made me become a better leader… it's taught me a lot about how I lead and the impact I can have." Additionally, she gained knowledge about entrepreneurship and developed a deeper understanding of community issues.
Madison credits echo's Teens Tackle Hunger campaign for helping her become a better version of herself. During the summer of 2024, Madison worked alongside 17 other Echo Teen interns to organize food truck and farmers' market events, providing meals for food-insecure students in the Durham Public School system and raising over $30,000. During the outreach phase of the campaign, Madison faced countless rejections from vendors. Despite the consistent rejection, Madison and her team did not give up and remained committed, ultimately making the campaign a success. She expresses, "It was a lot of resilience on my part… you have to keep trying, keep reminding people, and eventually, some yeses will come through."
With echo's support, Madison gained confidence in pitching business ideas and developed key skills in advocacy, communication, and public speaking. Madison shares, "I think building up connections with random people in networking was something I really gained through Teens Tackle Hunger." The community and programs that echo creates for teens empower them to improve their professional skills and explore their passions. Madison expresses, "echo was a great catalyst in finding my passion… it helped me venture out and find what I like to do."
In the future, Madison aspires to become a surgeon with a mission to address healthcare disparities and close equity gaps. She shares, "I want to ensure equitable access to healthcare and health information for all individuals, regardless of income, background, or race."
Madison’s bright future underscores the importance of programs that support teen growth and development. Madison wants to convey a heartfelt message to the teens, “My message to the youth is to visit echo, experience the community, and discover your potential. We're here to create, do good things, and have fun."
This is why echo is committed to supporting 'entrepreneurs building entrepreneurs' (ebe).
By supporting echo, you're investing in the future of teens like Madison, who are changing industries and transforming communities. Through echo's programs, we equip teens with the tools, resources, and networks they need to succeed. Your contribution will help us continue providing vital support to local entrepreneurs and drive meaningful change in our community and beyond.
Donate to echo today and help us empower the next generation of entrepreneurs who are building solutions for a better tomorrow.
All quotations in this article are pulled from a Zoom interview between Madison Parker and the author on November 15th, 2024.
Author’s Note:
Ihsan Mohammed is a passionate storyteller and a valued member of echo's marketing team. Currently a junior at Meredith College, she is majoring in interior design with a minor in marketing. Ihsan's professional writing journey began in her senior year of high school when she participated in echo’s teen program, Shiboka 1st Edition. This experience led her to write the articles "They Stole Our Jobs" and "Success in Business," as well as the poem "When the Sun Rises." When she's not designing or working, Ihsan enjoys spending time with her family, sculpting, and exploring nature.