Millennials and Gen Z are inheriting a world with limited resources and high financial burdens. Getting a job is substantially more difficult compared to 50 or even 20 years ago, with many requiring a Master's degrees for low pay. Fossil fuels are burning, with a current climate crisis impacting the most vulnerable populations. Homeownership is becoming a luxury, with many accepting that they may never be able to own a home. The truth is simply that we will not have many of the comforts that our previous generations had. Nevertheless, you will find Millennials-Gen Z marching in the streets, demanding change. We channel the Great Generation's courage to change the status quo and implement sweeping policies. The country saw this recently when over 70,000 people (mainly Millennials-Gen Z) marched in New York City for Climate Week, triggering the federal government to finally launch the American Climate Corps, a callback to the New Deal-Era Civilian Conservation Corps. We also recently had the first Gen Z Congressman, Representative Maxwell Frost, who is pushing forward the vision of equity, environmentalism, and fundamental human rights that many Millennials-Gen Z want. The new generations are at the forefront of societal change and getting rid of the systemic issues that have plagued our country.

When people ask me about growing up in Puerto Rico, one of the first things I talk about is El Yunque Rainforest. I try to describe it in a way so that people can envision themselves there, breathing in air from one of the most productive ecosystems in the world. I want them to hear birds chirping, raindrops tapping broad leaves, and coqui frogs singing. From a young age, I understood the rainforest's value, as well as the value of our beaches and diverse aquatic life. I did not realize until later, however, that they were in danger. Upon moving to Florida, I saw development at an unprecedented scale. What was previously essential Everglades and swamp became shopping centers and residences. It dawned on me that the same thing is happening back home in Puerto Rico. From that moment of realization, I promised that I would dedicate my life to conservation and climate change activism. In my current community, I am President of Sunrise Movement Gainesville, an organization dedicated to combatting climate change and promoting smart policies. Our focus is primarily on energy accessibility, ensuring that our most vulnerable communities have clean and efficient energy sources. We work with local organizations to implement solar panels and consistently speak with our local officials about the issues we see. Most importantly, we ensure that the voices of those being most heavily impacted by the lack of clean energy are amplified and that they are at the center of conversations. I also try to make a positive impact abroad by being president of UF Global Water Brigades, an organization that travels to underprivileged communities in Latin America to help implement sustainable water infrastructure. Our main goal is not to impose on the communities we go to, but to help them achieve water independence. To accomplish that, Global Brigades is headed by community leaders and individuals who are actually from the towns. This coming December, we have our first brigade planned to go to Honduras. My experience with these organizations has catalyzed another realization within me: I want to pursue environmental law and create smart, sustainable policy. This scholarship will help me fulfill that dream by aiding in the costs of attending a semester-long internship in Washington D.C. or Tallahassee. That opportunity would allow me to gain experience from a governmental perspective and solidify my desire to work in policy. Additionally, this scholarship can offset the costs for the brigade to Honduras (because Global Brigades functions on a volunteer basis, we must pay for our airfare). Having the opportunity to visit these communities and gain first-hand experience in constructing sustainable water infrastructure will open expand my skillset beyond just policy development. It can also help me learn the hard physical labor that goes into sustainable solutions, so I can have better insight during my career as a policymaker. In essence, this scholarship could help a young girl in a rainforest accomplish the promise she made to herself all those years ago.

There are a variety of ways we can live sustainably. From utilizing public transportation to buying local produce, we can directly decrease our carbon footprint through everyday activities. However, an often overlooked way to live sustainably is community participation. That is, becoming an active member of local climate change or sustainability-ralted organizations is one of the most impactful ways to catalyze long-term, consistent change. Upon entering college, I decided that I would do just that. I became active in my city's Sunrise Movement, a national organization dedicated to minimizing climate change's impacts and ensuring that all voices are heard in conversations about sustainability. Through Sunrise, I have not only learned ways to live more sustainably, but I have been able to teach others, subsequently expanding my impact. The ability to educate and showcase others ways they can become more eco-friendly is instrumental to the environmentalist movement. Since I have joined, I have become president of my local Sunrise Hub and maintain focus community outreach and impact, with special focus on those of lower incomes who are hit hardest by climate change's impacts. For example, in March 2023, we hosted a Climate Action March, followed by an open-mic discussion with politicians from our city. We even had the mayor attend! Such events not only allow people to express their concerns about climate change and sustainability issues, it also allows them to learn from others and how they can change or help others. Thus, the intentional choice to become active in my community has not only helped me become more sustainable, but others as well. Reducing our carbon footprint is essential to minimizing climate change's impacts. As I have heard others say, 8 billion people do one sustainable act, then 8 billion sustainable acts have been committed. This brings me back to my previous point about outreach and educating others. If we reduce our carbon footprints as individuals, then we are limiting ourselves. However, it is also really important that we work more so on ensuring that others know what it means to live sustainably, so that we are expacting our impact. Therefore, we must work in groups, communities, and even nations in order to catalyze immense change. Of course, we each must do our part, and educating others is not a requirement to live sustainably, but it is often an overlooked aspect of reducing carbon footprints that I believe deserves more recognition. Yes, it is important to individually reduce our carbon footprint, but if we reduce it through collaborative efforts, we can maximize the amount of change we can cause.

The most inspiring book I have ever read was No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai. It follows a man’s descent as he becomes a suicidal drug addict and his inner darkness consumes him. Although the novel deals with serious, morbid themes, I read this novel at the perfect time. Depression and anxiety had overcome me back then, not unlike the main character Oba Yozo. No Longer Human showcases what can become of those who do not get receive adequate help or support for mental health issues. In order to cope with his negative feelings, Oba becomes addicted to painkillers, drinks alcohol in abundance, and sleeps with a plethora of sex workers. Oba does not reach out for help and allows his inner demons to overcome him, leading to several unsuccessful suicide attempts. While the reader may not relate to his addictions, they can relate to his first-person account of feeling like an outsider. I realized that Oba was like any other person, simply doing what he needed to do in order not to drown in sadness. After reading the novel, I feared that my own unhealthy coping mechanisms could fester to the degree of Oba’s if not dealt with. The novel inspired me to seek professional help for my issues, which I am eternally grateful for. In a way, No Longer Human saved my life.