Jiana De Leon, a senior at Greenwood High School, has been named Greenwood County’s 2026 PalmettoPride Youth Ambassador. She has been an active volunteer with Keep Greenwood County Beautiful for more than four years.
Keep Greenwood County Beautiful proudly celebrates Jiana De Leon, a Greenwood High School senior, for being selected as one of South Carolina’s 2026 PalmettoPride Youth Ambassadors.
Jiana has been an active member of Keep Greenwood County Beautiful (KGCB) for over four years, participating in community cleanups, educational outreach, and beautification projects across the county. Her passion for preserving our local environment and inspiring others to take pride in their community has made her a shining example of youth leadership in Greenwood.
“Congratulations to Jiana De Leon from Greenwood High! She is our very own PalmettoPride Youth Ambassador from Greenwood County,” shared KGCB leadership. “Jiana has been active in many KGCB activities the past four years and more. We’re thrilled to see her efforts recognized statewide.”
PalmettoPride Announces 2026 Youth Ambassadors
Columbia, SC (November 5, 2025) – PalmettoPride has announced its newest class of Youth Ambassadors, a group of motivated students ages 14–18 who are passionate about preserving the beauty of South Carolina.
Now in its fourth year, the program offers participants a $1,000 scholarship, community service hours, and valuable professional development opportunities.
Launched in 2022, the PalmettoPride Youth Ambassador program has continued to grow each year. This year, twelve exceptional students were selected from the largest and most competitive applicant pool to date—representing 21 schools across 12 counties. These young leaders stand out for their academic success (average GPA 3.9), civic engagement, and dedication to sustainability.
“Our Youth Ambassadors remind us that the future of South Carolina is in good hands,” said Sarah Lyles, Executive Director of PalmettoPride. “Their energy, creativity, and commitment to making a difference are exactly what we need to continue building a litter-free South Carolina.”
Winners of the 2026 PalmettoPride Youth Ambassadors
- Ethan Budden — Sumter High School (Sumter County)
- Sophia Brown — Beaufort High School (Beaufort County)
- Grace Brusky — Cyber Academy of South Carolina (Greenville County)
- Isabella Corretjer — Indian Land High School (Lancaster County)
- Joshua Croffie — A.C. Flora High School (Richland County)
- William Cutshall — SC Governor’s School for Agriculture (McCormick County)
- Jiana De Leon — Greenwood High School (Greenwood County)
- Hannah Dean — Catawba Ridge High School (York County)
- Rawan Khalifa — Academy for the Arts, Science & Technology (Horry County)
- Samuel Kitchen — Spartanburg Day School (Spartanburg County)
- Nelsire Segovia-Mieles — Berkeley High School (Berkeley County)
- Garland Wilson — SC Governor’s School for Agriculture (McCormick County)
Returning ambassadors Garland Wilson and Isabella Corretjer will serve as cohort leaders this year, mentoring new participants and helping expand the program’s reach statewide.
Over the coming months, ambassadors will attend leadership trainings, represent PalmettoPride at events, organize local cleanups, and promote civic pride and environmental stewardship throughout South Carolina.Keep Greenwood County Beautiful is proud to support Jiana’s continued efforts and looks forward to seeing all she will accomplish as part of the 2026 Youth Ambassador team.For more information on the Youth Ambassador program, visit palmettopride.org.
