Juliette Bostrom Bethesda Magazine Extraordinary Teen

NEWS FROM CAMPUS JULIETTE BOSTROM ’21, BETHESDA MAGAZINE EXTRAORDINARY TEEN

For the second year in a row, a Holy Cross student has been selected as a Bethesda Magazine Extraordinary Teen, featured in their March/April issue. This year Juliette Bostrom ’21 is among the 13 recipients. The spotlight describes how Juliette was deeply affected by the documentary The True Cost and how it has inspired her to boycott clothing created through “fast fashion.” She now actively works to inspire her peers and others to consider the impact of their actions on the local, national and global scale.

After watching the documentary, The True Cost, and taking to heart the effect of “fast fashion” on low-wage workers in developing countries and on the environment, Juliette began researching popular brands to determine which supported human rights and sustainable practices. She now supports only sustainable brands, carefully evaluating each industry’s plan. Additionally, Juliette has been an influencer among her peers, challenging them to make informed purchases of sustainable and environmentally safe products. Juliette was accepted into the Brown Environmental Leadership Lab (BELL), that was unfortunately cancelled due to the pandemic.

Juliette came to Holy Cross as a junior, and quickly become a valued and involved part of the community and has been was recognized for her leadership qualities. She was an officer in the Young Progressives club where members discuss current economic, political, and social issues. She was selected to attend the 2020 West Point Leadership and Ethics Conference before the pandemic closings. During the conference Juliette learned strategies to deal with leadership and ethical challenges using West Point’s ethical decision-making model taught to cadets at the United States Military Academy.

Academically, Juliette excelled beyond the minimum requirements. This past year she studied with a tutor for the German University language proficiency exam. Additionally, she took several courses at honors and AP level and took two Dual Credit college level courses to earn high school and college credit through Marymount University. Last summer Juliette attended a three-week online course at Brown University on planetary habitability/ exoplanets. Juliette is interested in pursuing a political science/international/environmental path in college.

Outside of class, Juliette has been an athlete on the field hockey and ice hockey teams. She is also dedicated to service including devoting hours every weekend until the pandemic to assisting at the Little Sisters of the Poor Jeanne Jugan Residence and at Bethesda Cares. Throughout the pandemic, she has continued to serve by writing letters to troops, baking treats for first responders and assisting at her church.

Faculty member Anna Dettbarn is quoted in the Bethesda Magazine spotlight, “Juliette has been exposed to a variety of different cultures and lived in many places. I think all of this has contributed to a very mature understanding of issues in my class—government, religion and social-economic factors that influence geography around the world. She is keenly aware of societal problems.”