Student Activist: Autumn Routt

“Recognizing the faults in the world around you is important, but you have to take steps to lessen those faults if you want to make a difference. No one person can solve our problems, so everyone needs to do what they can to help their community improve,” says Autumn Routt, a senior at Lusher Charter School.

Routt is highly involved at Lusher and with her New Orleans community. Routt is involved with Angel’s Place, LASPCA, Common Ground Relief Wetlands, The National World War II Museum’s Victory Corps, YLC Recycles, Woodlands Conservancy and many more organizations.
Routt volunteered at the Halloween and Christmas parties for Angel’s Place, a charity that provides support for children with life threatening diseases.

“It was wonderful to work alongside these adults who chose to help these children and their families to have a happy day regardless of the challenges that they were facing themselves,” says Routt.

Routt and her family moved to New Orleans in June 2017, and quickly fell in love with the city and volunteer opportunities.

“I know that I would have loved living here in New Orleans regardless of my community service efforts, but I do truly believe that I have become more attached to this city as a result of the volunteering I have done within it,” she says. “There’s definitely a feeling of fulfillment that comes with knowing I’ve done something to better the world around me, even if it is something small.”

Melanie and Gavin Routt, Routt’s parents, inspired her to become a volunteer and a student activist.

“My parents taught me to value kindness from a young age and they continue to support me as I strive to channel kindness through community service,” says Routt. “I owe everything that I am to them and the amazing life they’ve given me.”

Engineering is a passion of Routt’s. She has been taking engineering classes since she started high school. For her senior engineering project, Routt is working with a group of peers to create a device to efficiently plan marsh grass to aid the restoration of the wetlands.

Routt wants to become a biomedical engineer after she graduates from college. Her goal is to design prosthetics and other medical devices that provide more freedoms to their users. Routt hopes to work with the Wounded Warrior project to provide veterans the devices they need.


 

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