I was born and raised in Colorado Springs, Colorado to two immigrant parents. Growing up in Colorado, I’ve always deeply appreciated the natural world. But even in elementary school, I started learning—and worrying—about the impact of climate change.

In the years to come, I realized that many of the challenges we face are affected by government policy. My parents didn’t always encourage participation in politics. They believed that politics begins and ends in the voting booth. I never saw it that way. I believe that if we want to see our conditions improve, we need to have a seat at the table. This led me to study economics at Boston University. I learned from some of the brightest minds about how to use smart policy to uplift others. But my experiences outside of the classroom were equally impactful. Organizing on campaigns for US President, US Senate, US House, and Boston Mayor, as well as serving in a US Senate office, I learned from people of all backgrounds across the Commonwealth. People worried about their bills, worried about their healthcare, worried about their futures. Community organizing and politics, I recognized, were a chance for all of us to turn our collective fears into collective action.

Today, this fight is more urgent than ever. Not only do we face an existential crisis of climate change, but also compounding crises of a Boston that is unaffordable and inaccessible for too many. Climate action is an opportunity for us to simultaneously address all of these issues. Ultimately, Boston is all of our homes. It’s always been a place where people come from all over the world to live, learn, and work. It’s where people start careers, start families, start companies, and start relationships. Our work at BCAN is to make sure these ideals are within reach for everyone for generations to come.