Sumter's Next Generation, presented by SumterEDGE: PalmettoPride Youth Ambassador Ethan Budden finds purpose in being observant

Ethan Budden isn't the loudest voice in the room, and, truthfully, he doesn't try to be.

The 18-year-old Sumter High School senior prefers to observe, listen and lead quietly. For him, it's more about your presence than what you say to persuade others that you're up to the task.

It's that kind of easygoing yet assured demeanor that will be useful, as Ethan was selected as the Youth Ambassador for PalmettoPride.

The state nonprofit leads statewide efforts to inspire and empower community action, build public awareness and support local solutions to reduce litter and care for South Carolina's environment. Youth Ambassadors will represent the nonprofit at PalmettoPride-sponsored events in the community as well as get hands-on experience as an advocate for a cleaner community by attending functions at the South Carolina Statehouse on behalf of PalmettoPride, promoting litter prevention messages and actions in communities and presenting to local government councils the importance of litter prevention among other activities.

The opportunity for Ethan came through a web search for college scholarships. Encouraged by his mom to scout for scholarships, he came across PalmettoPride and its list of requirements - all of which he met. He decided to submit an application because, alongside the $1,000 college scholarship, the experience and exposure as an ambassador aligned with his vision for his high school experience.

"Since ninth-grade orientation, I've always wanted to be involved. I don't want to be a person that went to school and then went home and then just repeated that same cycle," Ethan explained. "I always want to be involved and try to make the most of high school."

And he's accomplished that. Ethan has spent his four years as a Gamecock being involved both academically and athletically, splitting his time between basketball, golf, Key Club, Student Government Association and National Honor Society.

In being this involved, Ethan has seen parts of town that have left him inspired, for good and bad reasons.

The drive behind his applying to PalmettoPride was the litter scattered along highways and bypasses, the bottles that rattle down the cobblestoned lanes of neighborhoods or the bags that sag from the bare limbs of trees. It's a sight that unsettles Ethan.

"I'll just be driving around, and it does something to me because like I don't like seeing that," he expressed. "I felt if I was to join this program, I could make a difference with a small gesture and be a leader and show others it's OK to pick up trash."

It isn't lost on Ethan that the responsibility to care for the community lies within the hands of the next generation, and through this program, he hopes to gather young people who can also take pride in where they live and take the initiative to care for their community.

But it won't be through loud gestures or extravagant speeches. Ethan is rather "reserved," as he described. It would be seen as a setback for those who struggle to navigate a quiet demeanor. But for Ethan, his upbringing - the wise words of his more talkative parents and sister - taught him that when you talk less, you see more. That allows you to know where real change is needed, where a real impact can be felt.

"Being in these clubs taught me a lot about myself and that you don't always have to be the loudest," he explained. "They [his parents] always tell me like it's OK to be quiet, to be [observant] because there's different ways you can lead. Just be yourself."

His observant tendencies allowed for new perspectives on the world around him, from litter to realizing the goodness that comes with caring for others, specifically the food donation during Thanksgiving with Harvest Hope.

"I went there and helped package food during Thanksgiving time. It made me realize how many families need food, so being able to do that and support them was something that really touched me."

Ethan's ability to observe the world around him and assess its needs have brought him this far and will continue to be an asset even after he crosses the stage at graduation this May. With plans to attend University of South Carolina and major in sports management, the end goal for Ethan is to attend law school to one day be a sports agent. His love for and first-person experience in the sports world translates more so into a desire to protect those at that professional level rather than play sports himself. It keeps him close to what he's always known while also giving back with more than just his agility and endurance.

As Ethan prepares for his next chapter, that instinct to notice first and act second remains at the center of who he is. Be it recognizing the litter lining Sumter's roads, the families in need of a meal or the quiet students longing for their place, Ethan understands that meaningful change only comes from diligent awareness. It's because of how that mindset shaped his high school years that he passed on that knowledge to others, reminding them that leadership doesn't require volume, only intention.

"Be yourself, and don't let nobody else's opinion deter you from what you want to do," he shared. "It's your only life; you only live once, so live it how you want to live it."