Meet Our Youth Fellows and Externs!
The work we do is supported by a wide range of incredible teams and individuals. We want to introduce you to a few of the amazing people we have on our team – our Youth Fellows and Externs!
We started a pilot program of a 350 Bay Area Youth Climate Fellowship last fall, and have been working to bring more opportunities for our Mobilizing Team members to lead on important projects. This fall, we also have been lucky enough to partner with Rising Sun Center for Opportunity to bring on board four “externs” to work on our Clean Air and Energy Equity Campaigns!
Read on below to meet our wonderful team of Youth Leaders and learn about the work they are doing!
To get to know them better, we asked them these questions:
- Share who you are, your background!
- How did you get started in your interest in climate?
- What have you learned about the climate work that you’re in that you’d like to share?
- Share what projects that you’re working on and any learnings you may have
- How would you take your learnings and skills and apply it to your future climate work?
Avroh Shah
Youth Climate Fellow | 16 | Palo Alto
Meeting new faces and connecting people to this campaign gives me hope that this piece of common-sense legislation will inspire new advocates into a long-term journey of standing up and speaking up for what is right.
My name is Avroh, and I am just beginning my junior year of high school in Palo Alto. I love rock climbing, skiing and pretty much anything adventurous outdoors. I’ve lived in the Bay Area my entire life, and I really treasure the small pieces of wetlands that we have left. I have spent a lot of time in these areas, and have formed a strong connection with the environment.
When I was very little, I knew about climate change through listening to older people talking about it, and I became familiar with the basic science through my older sister who explained the greenhouse gas effect to me. I knew that addressing this issue was important, and when I was in third grade, my patience wore thin. (Even at a young age,) I was sick of world leaders talking endlessly to no avail. I wanted to see action, and I took that upon myself, enlisting the help of my closest friends, we worked locally on several environmental projects. Since then, I have gotten involved in projects and campaigns of all shapes and sizes, ranging from the United Nations to school boards. I have worked in solidarity with indigenous water protectors to protest pipeline expansions, and I have led coalitions to protect undeveloped outdoor spaces.
One thing that I like about the climate movement is that it is so incredibly diverse. I’ve worked alongside everyone from politicians to football players to hardcore socialists, and I find it incredibly heartwarming to see people unite around the common thread of protecting our climate and environment for posterity.
I’m currently working on coordinating the 350 Bay Area side of the California Make Polluters Pay campaign— centered around holding polluters accountable for their recent historical damages that they knowingly caused (SB 684 and AB 1243) —and a lot of the work I have been doing is in relation to connecting regular people to help pass resolutions in support of the bill. Meeting new faces and connecting people to this campaign gives me hope that this piece of common-sense legislation will inspire new advocates into a long-term journey of standing up and speaking up for what is right.
Working inside a larger organization that still maintains its community-centered, grassroots approach to organizing has taught me a lot about how to effectively communicate to large groups of people. I hope that this is a skill that I can continue to build and use in my future when working on campaigns and projects.
Megha Madgula
In the work I’ve done so far, I have learned that developing meaningful solutions to specific climate issues requires paying close attention to people's everyday circumstances.
Youth Climate Fellow | 15 | San Jose
I’m a high school student from San Jose with a strong passion for advocacy and service, particularly at the intersection of economic and energy equity. I’ve worked with organizations like the Land Trust of Santa Clara Valley and the Junior Philanthropists Foundation, and am actively involved in my school’s Mock Trial team. Outside of academics and service, I’m also a classical vocalist.
Growing up in the Bay Area, I’ve witnessed the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires, which was one of the first things that pushed me to think more seriously about the climate crisis when I was younger. I became more involved in climate work in high school, particularly through the Junior Philanthropists Foundation, an entirely youth-led climate advocacy organization. Here, I worked on the strategy for supporting CA Make Polluters Pay, and drove broader organizing and policy advocacy efforts. These experiences were fundamental in building my understanding of climate work, as they introduced me to the relational aspect of climate action, and deepened my understanding of advocacy as an intergenerational and cross-community effort.
Through my climate work, both at 350 Bay Area and other organizations, I’ve learned a lot about how energy equity is a key part of climate resilience. Providing access to efficient heating and cooling technologies directly reduces the health risks that climate change disproportionately imposes on vulnerable communities. I’ve also learned the importance of approaching climate advocacy through a socioeconomic lens, and I’ve gained a deeper appreciation for how challenges in my own communities are interconnected and require intersectional solutions.
Right now, for my fellowship project at 350BA, I’m working with a team on recommendations for scaling indoor air quality solutions, focusing on expanding access to these appliances to communities most affected. Through engaging with people across policy, product, and community perspectives, I have repeatedly heard how implementations of policies are often designed from a top-down perspective and tend to contain many gaps, overlooking what is truly feasible and practical for communities they aim to serve. I have also learned about how energy equity is tied to housing, health, financial constraints, community measures, and local infrastructure, all of which shape how people experience indoor air risks. Overall, in the work I’ve done so far, I have learned that developing meaningful solutions to specific climate issues requires paying close attention to people’s everyday circumstances.
I hope to carry the lessons and skills I’ve gained through climate work into both my academic studies and future career. Whether in research, policy, or on-the-ground organizing, I’ve found that listening deeply, collaborating across perspectives, and staying open to constant learning are crucial, as no one has all the answers and everyone has a perspective to contribute. As climate issues become increasingly urgent and more people begin to seek ways to take action against their impact, I hope to lead through action, building on the knowledge I’ve gained and applying this mindset to projects that center subsidiarity, community, and energy equity. I know climate work will always require being collaborative, empathetic, and grounded in community, and I hope to bring these into all my future activities.
Nima Sherpa
Clean Air Extern | 23 | Sonoma
My journey into the world of climate advocacy began with a passion for climate justice and a deep desire to mitigate the worst impacts of climate change on vulnerable populations who contributed the least to the problem.
Hi everyone, my name is Nima Sherpa, and I’m a recent graduate from UC Berkeley, where I earned my B.S. in Environmental Economics and Policy. My journey into the world of climate advocacy began with a passion for climate justice and a deep desire to mitigate the worst impacts of climate change on vulnerable populations who contributed the least to the problem.
I started working with Rising Sun, where I served as a Leader in Field Training (LIFT). This role was incredibly rewarding, as I had the opportunity to work alongside youth and summer program managers to conduct green house calls in Solano County. It was inspiring to see firsthand how practical, community-based solutions can make a real difference.
More recently, I started this remote externship with 350 Bay Area in August. I’ve been actively involved in their clean air project, which focuses on researching low-income communities most impacted by pollution and identifying areas where we can distribute heat pumps. This work has reinforced my belief in the importance of equitable access to clean energy.
One of the highlights of my externship has been learning how to write letters to the editor for local newspapers. I’m proud to say that one of my letters was actually published!
As I look ahead, I’m eager to find well-paying, full-time employment in the climate sector. My goal is to continue contributing positively to the community while making a living doing what I love. In my free time, you can usually find me curled up with a good book, enjoying some music, or watching a movie.
Liam Hroziencik
In my time here, I have gained a much more complete understanding of why utility bills are rising and how large polluters often ignore their responsibilities at the public's expense.
Energy Equity Extern | 20 | Burlingame
My name is Liam Hroziencik (Rose-Zen-Check). I am 20 years old. I was born and raised right here in the Bay Area, Burlingame to be specific. I am currently enrolled at the College of San Mateo, studying philosophy and psychology. I am pursuing two associate’s degrees because I love both topics, and I plan to earn my bachelor’s in whichever one I enjoy more by the end of my two years at CSM.
In my short time here with 350 Bay Area I have worked on SB 332 (the Investor-Owned Utility Accountability Bill) and have been participating actively with the Youth-Led Mobilizing Team, including a volunteer day doing habitat restoration. Right now I am working on making a one-pager with my intern partner, Mistura, that exposes PG&E’s misinformation on the grid, specifically how solar panels contribute to the grid. I have also been learning about how to organize student walkouts and have been working on introducing and passing a resolution in my city of Burlingame in support of the Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act.
I am interested in working for clean and renewable energy because, through my schooling, it is apparent to me that climate change is one of, if not the most significant, unanswered problems of our lifetimes. I have always loved nature, so to imagine a world where humans were the catalyst for destroying all the beautiful nature around the world, not only makes me upset because of the repercussions it will have on the human race, but it is simply unacceptable to allow humans to cause mass extinction because of our greed.
To name all the things I have learned in my short time at 350 Bay Area, I would need much more space to write. I began with relatively simple ideas about climate change, particularly its connection to IOUs and electricity. In my time here, I have gained a much more complete understanding of why utility bills are rising and how large polluters often ignore their responsibilities at the public’s expense. I am eager to learn more about the relevant issues surrounding climate change, so I can take all possible actions to combat it.
My current ambitions around climate change are somewhat undefined. I don’t believe I have enough knowledge to really pinpoint what I want to happen and how I am gonna make that happen, but if I ruled the world, the first thing I would do today is abolish PG&E, along with any other IOUs, in favor of non-profit utility organizations, and while I’m at it make the CEOs of those same companies pay massive amounts of money to kickstart the aformentioned non-profit utility organizations so little to no money comes out of tax payers pockets for their new and improved utilities.
My current hobbies are Taekwondo, playing Pokémon Go, listening to random albums I hear are good, trying any new restaurant friends tell me about, taking my dog on walks, and reading. I also love spicy things!
Mistura Bankole
Energy Equity Extern | 19 | American Canyon / Merced
I have always been interested in how much California, as a state, has done to model how sustainability and economic growth can be achieved together. The growth we experience as a state is not reflected in the lives of the most vulnerable residents of our state.
I am a second-year student at the University of California, Merced. Currently studying Economics and Political Science. I am originally from the Bay Area, and I have had the privilege of working for 350 Bay Area since early August.
I am currently working on the Energy Equity team, researching how PG&E and other Investor-Owned Utilities (IOUs) have been spreading misinformation on California’s grid capacity. This research will culminate in a comprehensive research report and a concise one-pager that will enable (help individuals to understand what it means to utilize our full grid capacity, identify the barriers to electrification, and explore how PG&E and other IOUs have hindered access to renewable energy for those in low-income communities.
I have always been interested in how much California, as a state, has done to model how sustainability and economic growth can be achieved together. Yet, this narrative does not reflect the experiences of those in low-income communities. Individuals of color do not have access to the same resources that those in wealthier communities do. The growth we experience as a state is not reflected in the lives of the most vulnerable residents of our state.
During this research on utilizing our full grid potential, I have learned a great deal about investor-owned utilities and how prioritizing profit over people is a significant reason we cannot provide renewable energy (which we have access to) on a broader scale, thus improving equality and granting more people access.
Upon graduating, I plan to attend law school, and Climate Justice work is an interest of mine that I would love to delve into further to determine better what kind of law I want to practice in the future.
This summer, I picked up crocheting, and whenever I have time, it has been a fun pastime.
