BEAM Circular, a leading regional nonprofit organization driving the growth of California’s circular bioeconomy, announced this month the launch of the Stanislaus County cohort of its Youth Ambassador Program, welcoming a talented group of 15 high school students who will serve as emerging leaders championing the circular bioeconomy across the Central Valley. The Youth Ambassadors were selected from a competitive pool of applicants representing high schools from across Stanislaus County.
Building on last year’s successful pilot with students from San Joaquin County, BEAM has brought the program to Stanislaus County and plans to extend it to Merced County later this fall. The program is designed to educate, immerse, and inspire the next generation of bioeconomy leaders in one of the most productive agricultural regions in the country.
The Youth Ambassador Program is a paid, multi-week experience exploring how agricultural byproducts, such as nut shells, tomato and grape pomace, and other organic wastestreams can be transformed into new bio-based products, clean energy, construction materials, food ingredients, clothing, and more. Through hands-on STEM activities, guest lectures from industry experts, and immersive site visits, students witness the circular bioeconomy in action and are exposed to different career paths offered by this emerging sector.
The cohort brings together a diverse mix of backgrounds—including agriculture, environmental science, STEM, community leadership, public policy, and the arts—with participants representing communities across Stanislaus County such as Modesto, Turlock, Patterson, Riverbank, Ceres, and Keyes.
“These fifteen young leaders embody the future of sustainable innovation in the Central Valley,” said Gloriamar Gamez, Chief Program Officer of BEAM Circular. “They’ll discover how our region’s agricultural byproducts can power a circular economy—and then take that knowledge back to their own communities. This isn’t just education. It’s empowerment.”
The program runs from April to June, culminating in a capstone presentation where students will present solutions to environmental challenges affecting their community or the broader region, and will highlight how the circular bioeconomy can address these issues. Students who complete the program will then receive paid opportunities to represent BEAM at community outreach events.
The program launched with a fireside chat featuring BEAM team members, who shared their diverse academic and career journeys, offering guidance and inspiration to Youth Ambassadors as they begin their own paths. In the second session, students collaborated with biotechnology startups from the BEAM Circular Accelerator in a unique “Layman’s Terms Pitch Session.” This exercise challenged founders to communicate their research, products, and mission in accessible language. Students then provided feedback to help refine these pitches, while gaining exposure to cutting-edge technologies, entrepreneurship, and developing skills in leadership, critical thinking, and public speaking. It was a powerful exchange—bringing together emerging innovators and the next generation of leaders.
The Youth Ambassadors will continue their learning journey through a dynamic lineup of experiences, including a tour of a plasma lab and gasifier at UC Merced, hands-on exposure to regenerative agriculture at LangeTwins Winery, a session with Mango Materials’ CEO on compostable and biodegradable plastics, and a presentation from Sustainable Conservation on practical sustainability solutions.
“This program gave me a new perspective on the Central Valley and agriculture. It allowed me to explore careers in the bioeconomy and how impactful they can be on our region. The program has deepened my interest in agriculture, even more than I already am,” said Dulse Duque Sandoval, senior at Turlock High School.
2026 Stanislaus County Youth Ambassador Program Cohort:
- Ruby Ruiz, Patterson High School
- Adrian Vizcaino, Ceres High School
- Aynura Murid, Joseph A. Gregori High School
- Emma Price, Turlock High School
- Adam Pham, James C. Enochs High School
- Deetya Thogarucheeti, Joseph A. Gregori High School
- Julianna Galvez, Patterson High School
- Alan Barba, Modesto High School
- Valentine Nguyen, James C. Enochs High School
- Dulse Duque Sandoval, Turlock High School
- Neha Prabhakar, James C. Enochs High School
- Christian Ascencio, Riverbank High School
- Valentina Carmel Zeff, Modesto High School
- Melaina Farrens, James C. Enochs High School
- Angel Garcia, John H. Pitman High School
