Name: Muna Khalif
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Contribution: Organized panel discussions on climate change in the Horn of Africa

How did you first hear about the Sierra Club?

My parents are Somali immigrants, and we've always been active with the American Relief Agency for the Horn of Africa, which focuses on famine relief but also other issues, like education for girls. I began handing out pamphlets when I was a kid; then I started to help organize fundraising dinners. I do whatever they ask me to. Last August, Mohamed Idris, the executive director of ARAHA, emailed me about an internship opportunity with the North Star Chapter of the Sierra Club.

What did you do as a Sierra Club intern?

Another Somali intern and I organized a panel discussion to raise awareness about climate change in East Africa. I absolutely fell in love with the Sierra Club while planning this project. For them to just give me the opportunity to throw an event on my own was amazing. Right from the beginning, it was "This is your cause; go for it." After that, we held similar events in other cities. 

Your internship ended in January, but you've continued on as a volunteer. Why?

Obviously, I feel strongly about the effects of climate change in East Africa, but the advocacy the Sierra Club does to promote the EPA's Clean Power Plan—which will reduce carbon emissions and other pollutants from the nation's power plants—is what's really made me stay, because my younger sister has asthma. She has to wear an oxygen mask every night. It's heart wrenching. 

Last March, you participated in one of the Sierra Club's citizen lobby days in Washington, D.C. What was that like?

It was one of the most exhilarating moments of my life. We met with several senators, including Al Franken, to talk about the Clean Power Plan. I've gone up to the capitol several times, and I've seen him around, but to actually sit down and have a conversation with him like that was awe inspiring. He actually listens to you. To be heard—that's just so invaluable.

Do you ever run up against the stereotype of a "typical Sierra Club volunteer"?

When people find out I'm involved with the Sierra Club, they're like, "But why? You're not white. I mean...do you go hiking?" Yeah, I do. Both Somalis and other Americans have this reaction. It's that disconnect of not knowing that you can be from a different culture, or a different religion, or a different society, and still be passionate about the environment.