First off, I want to share my warmest gratitude for the Women’s Leadership Program and the generous Kim and Rob Humphries Award. While the conference that I planned to lead was cancelled due to the pandemic, I am grateful to have been selected as a recipient for the 2020 award cycle.
For some background, this past year I have served as the Vice President of Delegate Experience for an event known as the Youth Speak Forum (YSF). The Youth Speak Forum is an annual conference that focuses on youth dialogue and developing action plans towards various global issues. Every year, a specific United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) is chosen to be the focus subject of discussion at the conference. YSF is hosted by AIESEC, a youth-run, international nonprofit I am a part of in the DC chapter, known for its professional and leadership development in youth.
Logistically, the conference was to be held in Los Angeles, California over this spring break. The selected SDG this year was one that I am very passionate about: SDG 13, Climate Action. The YSF conference for Spring 2020 would have served as a platform for youth to discuss and learn more about the state of climate action in our nation and world. With my role as VP of Delegate Experience, I was on the executive planning committee and would have led the programming and outreach initiatives at the conference.
Leading up to the conference, I worked extensively in designing the sessions and programming that were to be delivered at YSF. We planned to have panels with professionals in the sustainability sector, discussion spaces for attendees, and workshops in environmental activism. I also worked hard to do outreach to various environmental organizations and universities in the Los Angeles area, in order to secure local partnerships and attendees.
While not following through with the conference was certainly disheartening, it was the smartest and safest decision with the circumstances at hand. The pandemic may have cancelled the Youth Speak Forum, but my passion for environmental activism still persists. Luckily, I have found avenues for activism while staying at home, working for various environmental nonprofits and groups (including GW’s own Sustainability Department) that have been putting on digital programming and initiatives since quarantine.
Thank you again to the Women’s Leadership Program and the Humphries Award for continuously supporting me during these unprecedented times. I am truly grateful!