This article is part of our Youth Voices series. At Ten Strands we believe that young people have valuable perspectives and a critical role in shaping our society and our world. We recognize their power to drive dialogue and create positive change and are committed to providing a platform which amplifies their contributions.
What does it mean to be a youth climate leader, and why is youth leadership for the environment important to you?
To me, a youth climate leader is anyone who cares about the environment and is making a conscious effort to help the environment. This can range from small actions like recycling and composting or carpooling to school to larger actions like leading climate actions in your community. Whatever it is, as long as you are trying to take better care of the environment, you are a youth climate leader. Youth leadership for the environment is important to me because I want to take care of the environment and the animals that live in it so we can preserve the beauty of nature. I often take for granted the beauty and services the environment provides, but I am trying to be better about appreciating and caring for the environment, and I want others to do the same as well.
Why did you want to pursue an internship with Ten Strands, and what was your experience during your internship with Ten Strands? Additionally, in what ways do you hope your internship made an impact?
I pursued an internship with Ten Strands because it combined two of the things I love: data research/analysis, and the environment. I wanted to find a way to contribute to climate action, and it made sense to do that through something that interests me, which is data research and analysis. I really enjoyed my internship with Ten Strands. I especially enjoyed analyzing data and creating graphs, especially when I learned how to create a map graph. I hope that in some way my research and data analysis can be helpful to Ten Strands, and it can provide insight into schools and counties that are and are not taking environmental action.
Do you plan on pursuing environmentalism as a career?
I’m still not exactly sure if I want to pursue environmentalism as a career, but I definitely am interested in studying environmental science in college, either as a major or minor, and I’ll see where I end up.
What advice would you give to young and aspiring climate leaders?
Don’t underestimate the small actions. It can often feel like you have to create a whole new environmental plan for your community, which if you can do is great. But taking small actions around your house like using less energy, recycling and composting, or using less single-use plastic is equally as important.
