YixinMy name is Yixin, and I’m a rising senior from The Woodlands, Texas. This is my third year with Project Green Schools; last year, I had the opportunity to serve as the Communications Officer of the National Youth Council, and am beyond excited and honored to serve as co-president this year. I believe that now is the time to act on sustainability in order to ensure the future of our planet, and mobilizing passionate youth voices is one of the most powerful ways to do so. Beyond Project Green Schools, I work with the Houston Youth Climate Strike to organize campaigns and political actions for better climate policy and student outreach. I also lead several environmental projects in my community, including an effort to engage local restaurants to transition away from styrofoam use and holding climate education fairs and events to teach elementary students about living more sustainably. This summer, I was able to intern at the sustainability office of a bank, and got the opportunity to learn more about ESG investing and the impact of that investors can have on the progress of sustainability, a different side to environmentalism that I had never explored before. I was also able to represent Project Green Schools at the EPA’s Annual Presidential Environmental Youth Awards Ceremony in Washington D.C., and spoke with EPA officials and other incredible students taking climate action in their own communities. In the upcoming year, I hope to work closely with Maanit and the rest of the leadership team to give every youth council member a platform to voice their passions, enhance our community, and push collectively for greater changes in our nation.