What was your first brush with environmental organizing?

When I was 12, I organized a project at my school in conjunction with the Paris Climate Change Conference. People wrote on ribbons the things they didn't want to lose to climate change. For the first time, I saw people talking about climate change in personal terms, not as something distant and scientific.

How did you get involved with the Sierra Student Coalition?

In fall 2017, I participated in SSC's Climate Justice League Fellowship program. It's a 10-week webinar series that trains young people to work for climate justice. In 2018, I revamped some of the curriculum and presented the first webinar, which was about the importance of community-building.

This year you helped organize a youth climate strike. How did it go?

When I first saw images of Greta Thunberg—alone outside the Swedish parliament with her "school strike for climate change" sign—I was so inspired. It was incredible to see that one teenage girl turn into hundreds and thousands of youths striking across Europe. 

But I thought it would never happen here. And even if it did, I thought my parents would never let me miss school. Then I started hearing from a lot of youth activists that they were going to march. I figured if Greta could do it there, I could do it here. So I helped put together a strike in Morristown, where I go to school. About 100 people rallied outside the town hall. It was great to have people pay attention to what we were saying.

What do you say now that you have people's attention?

When I read scientific reports saying we need to change in the next 11 years or there will be climate chaos, I'm scared. We're already going to have impacts in 2030, when I'll be just 27. Adults need to understand how frustrated we are. They've known about climate change longer than I've been alive, but they have failed to act.

So #listentothekids?

Yes, and support us. Don't put the whole problem onto the youth. It's about more than us giving you hope. If you're inspired by us, listen to our policy suggestions and help get them enacted.

What do you do for fun?

I'm really involved in theater. It's a powerful outlet for expressing myself. This year, I was stage manager for our school production of Tuck Everlasting. For me, stage managing is similar to activism—working behind the scenes to create something bigger than me as an individual, bigger than all of us.

This article appeared in the September/October 2019 edition with the headline "Heading Off Climate Chaos"