Meet Cypress Cohen: The Girl Behind The Drop Project

Cypress Cohen, 16

At first glance, Cypress Cohen might seem like your typical 16 year old. She’s often seen hanging out with her friends, babysitting, playing soccer, cheerleading at Friday night games, or laughing with friends backstage during school play rehearsals. She’s deeply committed to her faith, and she’ll never turn down an iced coffee or a good thrift store find.

But there’s something different about Cypress, and it becomes clear the moment she starts talking about water.

That’s right, water. Not just drinking water, but global water equity, sanitation access, and the millions of kids around the world who don’t have the luxury of clean water flowing from a tap.

While most teens are playing video games or watching Netflix, Cypress is leading The Drop Project, a nonprofit she started to raise awareness and funds for clean water initiatives, especially in places like Mozambique. Her journey started with a research project and a simple question: Why doesn’t everyone have access to water? The answers shocked her, and lit a fire inside her to do something about it.

“I couldn’t stop thinking about how something so basic, something I’ve always taken for granted, could be a daily struggle for billions of people,” Cypress says. “I knew I had to do more than just care. I had to act.”

So she did.

Through The Drop Project, Cypress creates educational kits for schools, hosts community events like Water Week, and partners with organizations like Water4Life Mozambique to fund real solutions. She’s also working on making her nonprofit a legal 501(c)(3), all while maintaining a 4.5 GPA, ranking number 1 in her class, completing her Associates Degree at the local college and serving in leadership roles in NHS, SGA, Interact Club, Model UN and her church youth group.

But ask her what matters most, and she won’t mention her résumé. Instead, she’ll talk about her little sisters, Meadow and Ember, or the joy she finds in serving others. She lights up when she talks about what new adventure she can tackle to make a difference in her community. Her ultimate goal in life is to attend the University of Florida, and eventually gain admittance to their medical program.

Cypress isn’t trying to be impressive, she’s just trying to be impactful.

“I’ve always believed that one person can make a difference,” she says. “Even if I’m just one drop in the bucket, I want to be a drop that starts a ripple.”

She’s proof that leadership doesn’t have to be loud to be powerful. Cypress leads with quiet strength, deep compassion, and an unwavering belief that change starts with someone choosing to care, and then choosing to act.

So who is Cypress Cohen?

She’s a student, sister, athlete, artist, and advocate.

She’s a dreamer and a doer. She’s the drop that’s making waves.