Every professional has a "why" in life.My "why" comes from my dedication to making meaningful change in climate justice after living in the poorest slums in Africa. 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗸 '𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲' 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝘆 👉🏼In the summer between high school and college, I decided to live and work with impoverished communities in Kampala, Uganda and Nairobi, Kenya. Seeing the daily hunger, child malnutrition, lack of access to clean water, shelter, and health care, and little or no opportunity to go to school or learn a trade had an incredible effect on me. Living and sharing every meal with incredibly happy families whose households had no running water, sewer systems, or electricity forced me to reevaluate my purpose in life.I began to ask myself: 𝗛𝗼𝘄 could this happen? 𝗪𝗵𝘆 hasn't this changed, and what could cause this to get 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲?After returning to the U.S. to begin my college education, my search for a purpose-driven career began.In the early 2000s, I realized climate change was the most misunderstood and complex problem facing our species. We had all heard of climate change, but we as world citizens had not heard enough of it. Because of this widespread confusion about 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 was causing climate change, and the misunderstanding of the near-term benefits of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, I felt an immense obligation to be an expert in the field and use my time on this earth to share what I've learned. Since then, I have built a strong passion and specialization in reviewing and addressing complex equity, environmental justice, and climate change issues. I have worked to build my reputation as a hard worker who uses a positive attitude and tireless energy to encourage others to work hard and succeed. Still, I remain highly committed to employing my strong understanding of policy-making processes to improve the health and well-being of those most marginalized.