Pronouns: she/her
Year: 2025
Major/Minor: Political Science and Economics major, International Business and Sustainability minor
What is your project about? The project I hope to pursue as a SVP fellow will address the intersection between natural systems and vulnerable communities that are direct actors in conservation efforts. My idea is to study climate resilience, land use, and development to research how indigenous communities are necessary to bring to the conversation when it comes to the practices we should be using in land management. Indigenous communities have decades of more knowledge about environmental issues that involve invasive species, fire practices, and their connection to the land. I also hope to bring into the climate conversation migrant communities who work in the agricultural industry. Carbon farming is a way to address the greenhouse gases emitted from animal farming, and it does so by managing agriculture in a way that maximizes the amount of carbon stored and minimizing methane emitted. When it comes to policy, however, this group is one of the most underrepresented and overlooked. They are underpaid, overworked, and a large amount are undocumented which leads to all kinds of abusive labor practices. I hope to advocate for both communities in the Santa Clara Climate Action Plan as they are often overlooked and underappreciated. Bringing their voices to public policy is necessary in moving in the right direction when it comes to combating climate change.
How will this fellowship support you in your future scholarship/career goals? In the future I hope to support policy making either directly as a congressional representative or through other avenues. This fellowship enables me to combine my skills in policy writing that have been developed as a political science major and combine them with the issues I find most pressing in the United States. I hope this fellowship will teach me about how to combine advocacy and policy making at the local level to enable change for communities that are directly affected by climate change and justice.
Other passions, hobbies, fun facts, or anything else you want to share: I have a huge passion for service and I try to integrate it in every endeavor. This summer I will be at Princeton University's Junior Summer Institute Fellowship for public policy and international affairs, to undergo graduate school preparation coursework. I have worked as a Congressional Intern with the Office of Congressman Ro Khanna, helping constituents with federal casework. I have also held an internship with Fontenelle Forest, a nature preserve in my hometown that allowed me to work with indigenous tribes on land conservation practices. I hope to use these experiences to prepare myself to run for office in the future on behalf of the communities I am tied to.