Ellen Nguyen is CCL’s California Climate Advocacy Fellow this year! She is a sophomore at University of California, Riverside.

In one word: enthusiastic!

Ellen lives in the second most air-polluted area in the United States, and knows firsthand that climate change and air pollution disproportionately affect people of color and low income communities. Her deep passion for environmentalism, sustainability, and justice drew her to study environmental science at UC-Riverside, where she is the vice chair of the Green Campus Action Plan. This group plans sustainability-related events to show students that environmentalism is accessible and for everyone. Even as a high schooler, Ellen was a youth advocate with CARE Org, a non-profit organization which uplifts women and girls in third world countries.

Currently, she is serving as the California Climate Advocacy Fellow, working alongside the higher education team and California regional coordinator to engage students and youth in her region in climate advocacy. She meets with campus leaders to maintain and create on-campus CCL chapters throughout California. Through her work and engagement in lobbying in her own community, she hopes to gain a deep understanding of how to craft and pass effective climate legislation. She also is excited to build connections with people who are making an impact in the climate space and help California become an even stronger climate lobbying force in CCL.

In her free time, Ellen enjoys thrifting and experimenting with her own personal style, trying new food, and spending time in nature. Her favorite movie is Crazy Rich Asians and she loves listening to BTS with her pet mini poodle, Tofu!

Ellen believes that “climate advocacy has the power to make a real difference” and she chose CCL because she wanted to be a part of that. We are lucky to have her!