I’m 18, and originally from Poolesville, Maryland. I am a freshman at McDaniel College, where I plan to double major in Political Science and Environmental Science. In high school, I was a part of the Global Ecology magnet program that acted as a catalyst for my interest in environmental justice. I am also passionate about intersectionality, especially as it relates to human rights and the queer community. My pronouns are they/them, and I currently have fourteen plants in my dorm room!
I’ve become a lot more conscious, of my impact on the environment, of my impact on others, of my lasting impact on the planet. From the clothes I wear to the food I eat to the way my trash is taken care of, every choice I make supports a system in some way or another. Whether that system is sustainable, creating good in the world, or not, is the choice that falls to me. I’ve changed in that, while understanding my impact, or a bit more of it than before this challenge, I seek to support good systems. Fair trade, organic, local, sustainable – I’ve started to go out of my way to change the way I consume. beyond just the inherent dangers and lack of sustainability in consumerism, I’ve grown more curious and more impassioned about the necessary shift our country must make. We need restorative agriculture, renewable energy, sustainable development, and we need this now. I’ve learned that I actually quite like to teach. Maybe not traditionally, with a lecture and a projector to assist, but in leading discussions and showing resources and sharing a wealth of knowledge.
Most obviously, the knowledge I’ve acquired in the past 30 days easily translates to my environmental science and political science classes, offering a more in-depth and personal perspective than most textbooks. I want to educate people. One person can start a movement, but I don’t want to do this alone, to feel as if I am the sole bearer of knowledge in my community of peers. So I’ll share it. I plan to first pick an area of focus that I’m most passionate in to narrow my own additional research and information so I don’t drone on too long, design a presentation, then get the necessary permissions and campus-based knowledge to actually present, and inspire others in a subject the same way PGC has inspired me. Around this, I plan to vote, and I plan to continue writing letters to politicians, and working with/supporting relevant movements to make sure my voice is heard. I will not be erased, and as I grow into my shoes as a changemaker myself, I’ll ensure that the ones who seem to be really making decisions for the nature know what we want – an actually livable planet to thrive on.
