Shulynn Ragland

Shulynn Ragland is an ambitious student at John Burroughs School, excelling both as a professional violinist and a nationally ranked synchronized skater. With a passion for business and biology, she is particularly interested in implementing high-end technology to traditional environmental and agricultural practices.

Shulynn grew up spending every weekend at her family’s farm in rural Missouri, where she developed an early appreciation of nature. One night, they heard the cry of a helpless kitten, stranded in the woods. After spending the night coaxing it out, she discovered eye and ear infections and a gaping wound from an attack on the back of her neck. It was on the brink of death. They brought her to the only local veterinarian, where she received the necessary treatment. Slowly but surely she was nurtured back to health. Had no one stopped and rescued her, she undoubtedly would have perished. Likewise, the Earth is gradually deteriorating, and without intervention and change, it too will face the same inevitable fate.

 

Realizing that it requires an interdisciplinary and multifaceted approach to make impact in the real world, Shulynn undertook a broad spectrum of activities to build up her experience and character. Such activities include professional Violinist in Metropolitan Orchestra of St Louis, assistant Concertmaster of Young People’s Symphony Orchestra 2023-2024, concertmaster of Young People’s Concert Orchestra 2022-2023, member of St Louis Synergy, synchronized skating team, and club leader of school’s KIVA club. In particular, she is most proud of her Borlaug Scholar Recognition from World Food Prize’s Missouri Youth Institute, which is centered on a research paper on the impact of International Trade on Food Insecurity in the Philippines. The main solution involved implementing more high tech into agriculture.

 

Looking ahead, she wishes to study business or biology, maybe marine biology, but open to everything at the moment. Shulynn cherishes time spent in exploring her interests, opening up more possibilities, applying knowledge into the real world and improving  the current status quo, especially diving deeper into unknown territories in science.