Meet the New England Action Fellows

ACE Staff

|

February 14, 2015

ACE will be introducing the 2014-2015 Action Fellows from our regions across the country. Check out some our brief interviews with New England’s new Action Fellows below. Make sure to check back later to follow their great work this year.

Emily

Name: Emily MacDonald

Where are you from?
Brockton

Where do you go to school?
Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High school

What grade are you in?
12th

What’s one thing you’ve done or are currently doing to fight climate change?
My vocational program’s BioBus is my favorite climate based project. It is a renovated school bus, turned into a mobile classroom. Inside the bus are multiple green technologies designed to teach children about sustainability and climate change. The bus is an on going project that I decided to take on as my senior project. Many of the materials on bus are recycled including the floors, carpeting,table tops and seats. The bus includes a science lab, solar panels weather station, LED light strips, computer and monitor.

What are your top interests and hobbies? What are some things outside of climate action that you love to do?
Volleyball is my favorite sport I play it all year round and I am planing to play in college. I also participate in the schools Envirothon team and we have placed at the states competition the past two years. I also work at Langwater Farm an organic farm in Easton, there I work in the farm stand and do farmers markets that we participate in. My number one time waster is Pintrest but I can’t live without it, I think at times it’s better than Google.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
I can’t really pick one because I want to see most of the countries in central and south america, Europe, Asia and south Pacific. I want to travel the entire world after college I am going work my way around the world farming for a year or two.

If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be any why?
Ice cream because well there is unlimited flavors.

Grace

Name: Grace Chin

Where are you from?
Sudbury, MA

Where do you go to school?
Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School

What grade are you in?
12th

What’s one thing you’ve done or are currently doing to fight climate change?
As part of my work with the Sustainable Energy Education Drive, I encourage local homeowners to sign up for energy efficiency audits, a great first step towards lowering carbon emissions and utility bills.

What are your top interests and hobbies? What are some things outside of climate action that you love to do?
I enjoy learning foreign languages and playing piano.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
The northernmost parts of Scandinavia – I would love to see the midnight sun during the summer and the northern lights during the winter.

Grace

Name: Grace Caltabiano

Where are you from?
Sudbury, MA

Where do you go to school?
Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School

What grade are you in?
12th

What’s one thing you’ve done or are currently doing to fight climate change?
This past summer, I co-founded an organization called Student-Organized Climate Action Network (SOCAN) with my friend Kerry Brock. SOCAN is currently focused on divesting the pension funds of public high school teachers. Kerry and I created SOCAN in an effort to bring the notion of climate justice to high schools, since we noticed a shortage of students our age taking part in climate activism.

Halimo

Name: Halimo Mohamed

Where are you from?
Boston

Where do you go to school?
Josiah Quincy Upper School

What grade are you in?
12th

What’s one thing you’ve done or are currently doing to fight climate change?
Debating at the Boston Debate League to talk about climate change and help others be aware.

What are your top interests and hobbies? What are some things outside of climate action that you love to do?
I love to read historical books and I love to write short stories.

If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?
I would want to be able to know what is going on in people’s minds.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
I would love to travel to France. France is so rich and beautiful. I always had a sense of appreciation about its buildings and cities.

Jacob

Name: Jacob Hartman

Where are you from?
I live in Boston and Watertown, Massachusetts

Where do you go to school?
Newton South High School

What grade are you in?
11th

What’s one thing you’ve done or are currently doing to fight climate change?
As a member of my school’s Environmental Club we work to make our school a greener place like promoting and creating our recycling program, while simultaneously educating the rest of the students and faculty about the program and how to reduce our school’s carbon emissions and waste. One particularly cool small project that I am currently working on right now by myself is to implement a system for compostable paper towel collection and use in my school’s weight room.

What are your top interests and hobbies? What are some things outside of climate action that you love to do?
I am a huge fan of weightlifting, particularly powerlifting. I also skateboard, longboard, and I love woodworking.

If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?
I would want to be a tiny little tardigrade. They are microscopic little creatures that look like bears. They can survive nearly anywhere on earth, and they can actually survive in space! I just think that the ability of tardigrade (or waterbear as they are sometimes called) to live nearly anywhere imaginable is super rad.

If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?
I would probably eat just plain Cabot greek yogurt with blueberries. It is probably the best tasting breakfast I have ever had, and it has 22 grams of protein for every 180 calories (which is amazing) in every cup!

James

Name: James Coakley

Where are you from?
Roslindale (Boston, MA)

Where do you go to school?
Boston Latin School

What grade are you in?
Sophomore

What’s one thing you’ve done or are currently doing to fight climate change?
I am part of my school’s environmental group YouthCAN where I help lead and participate in things like getting kids to sign up for home energy audits, raising money for nonprofits that are working to fight climate change, and talking to local politicians about changes my local, state, and national government can make.

What are your top interests and hobbies? What are some things outside of climate action that you love to do?
I enjoy reading, playing football and playing with my dog.

If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?
I would have the power to always have exact change when I’m paying for something.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
I would go to the Netherlands because it’s a beautiful place and the culture seems really, really interesting.

Jasmyn

Name: Jasmyn Mitchell

Where are you from?
Boston, MA

Where do you go to school?
Wellesley High school

What grade are you in?
11th

What’s one thing you’ve done or are currently doing to fight climate change?
I am currently petitioning my school to set aside land for a future agricultural club.

What are your top interests and hobbies? What are some things outside of climate action that you love to do?
Outside of climate change, I love to read contemporary novels and hang out with my friends.

If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?
My super power would be to use 100% of my brain capacity because as of right now humans use less than 10% and we can do AMAZING things, so just imagine if we could use 100%, we could probably cure cancer, or teleport. Who knows!

If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be any why?
One food I could eat for the rest of my life is burritos because you could constantly change what’s in the burrito and get all of your food groups.

Jhonatan

Name: Jhonatan Perea

Where are you from?
Chelsea, MA

Where do you go to school?
Chelsea High School

What grade are you in?
12th

What’s one thing you’ve done or are currently doing to fight climate change?
I have been a part of the Chelsea collaborative working for E.C.O (Environmental Chelsea Organizers). The name states it all. We work to create a healthy environment in our community with the hopes of influencing others. Last year we got a grant to plant over 2,500 trees that we have planted and will continue to pant this year. Trees take up a lot of the greenhouse gas carbon in the air, so planting so many in a 2 mile city will not only make our city prettier! But also clean our air and help counter the amount of greenhouse gasses in the world.

What are your top interests and hobbies? What are some things outside of climate action that you love to do?
I love to sing and dance in the comfort of my room’s four walls as well as hanging out with my friends. What interests me is learning about useful and novelty things by surfing the web or reading books. Sometimes I write. Oh, and I love science!

If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?
Flying. With wings! I envy birds because they can look down at as from up at the sky and soar to a whole nother place not limited by oceans or lands and be free. I would like that too.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
If I could go anywhere I would definitely go to Australia. I feel like it’s a place for exploration. it’s one of the places I know the least about so my curiosity tingles. Also they have kangaroos.

Julia

Name: Julia Wyatt

Where are you from?
Sudbury, MA

Where do you go to school?
Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School

What grade are you in?
10th

What’s one thing you’ve done or are currently doing to fight climate change?
Last year, I worked with my school’s environmental club to raise money for a water bottle refilling station, and plans are underway to install another one. It has been pretty successful, and has saved several thousand water bottles from being thrown away.

What are your top interests and hobbies? What are some things outside of climate action that you love to do?
I love marine biology, and I am on my school’s National Ocean Science Bowl team. I also ski competitively, and I enjoy hiking, biking, art, and cooking.

If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?
I think shapeshifting would be a great super power, because you could do anything – you could fly, or be able to breathe underwater, or do anything else.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
I would really love to go to Indonesia, to go scuba diving.

Katie

Name: Katie Yao

Where are you from?
Boston, MA

Where do you go to school?
Boston Latin School

What grade are you in?
10th

What’s one thing you’ve done or are currently doing to fight climate change?
I am part of my school’s gardening club where we practice sustainable farming.

What are your top interests and hobbies? What are some things outside of climate action that you love to do?
I like to read and draw.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
I would love to go to Scandinavia so I can see the Aurora Borealis.

Kerry

Name: Kerry Brock

Where are you from?
I live right outside of Boston.

Where do you go to school?
Newton North High School

What grade are you in?
12th

What’s one thing you’ve done or are currently doing to fight climate change?
Working to help high school students in my area run divestment campaigns.

What are your top interests and hobbies? What are some things outside of climate action that you love to do?
I love reading and anything outside.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
New York City. I went there once for the Peoples Climate March, and want to see more of it.

Lea

Name: Lea Concannon

Where are you from?
Hingham

Where do you go to school?
Hingham High School

What grade are you in?
11th

What’s one thing you’ve done or are currently doing to fight climate change?
We are working with our middle school right now to try to get their recycling efforts going over there so when they come to the high school they know what to do and why it is important. We have visited multiple times during their lunches to monitor their progress to ensure that they are doing the right thing.

What are your top interests and hobbies? What are some things outside of climate action that you love to do?
Some of my other hobbies include gardening, playing golf, and running. I love to be with my friends and watch movies. I am also interested in our high schools Global Citizenship program.

If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?
I would want to be able to fly because then you would not need to rely on anything to get you anywhere but yourself. You have the power to go anywhere in the world whenever you want. No more waiting or limitations to where you can go and what you can do.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
If I could travel anywhere in the world it would be to South America so i can see the Galapagos Islands, Patagonia National Park, and Machu Picchu. I want to go to these places because they all have a special uniqueness that is not anywhere else in the world. I would love to experience all that South America has to offer from its food, culture, and people.

Liza

Name: Liza Sockwell

Where are you from?
Newton, MA.

Where do you go to school?
Newton South High School

What grade are you in?
11th

What’s one thing you’ve done or are currently doing to fight climate change?
I am a vegetarian and I deeply care about animal rights and animal suffering. Everytime I eat, I consciously chose to avoid meat to lessen the amount of animal suffering I am responsible for, while simultaneously reducing my carbon footprint.

What are your top interests and hobbies? What are some things outside of climate action that you love to do?
I love reading/writing poetry, dancing, singing and acting.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
If I could travel anywhere in the world, I would go to Ireland beause it has a special charm that comes alive through the poets and writers that have grown up there. Also, my ancenstors are from Ireland, and every so often, my mom tells me about a certain magic and mystic the Irish land beholds. I would love to visit Ireland to explore the green landscape and witness this magic myself.

If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?
I would be a pet dog because If I were a dog, I would be doted upon and adored by everyone and my only job would be to make others happy and sleep all day.

Maya

Name: Maya Greally

Where are you from?
Boston, MA

Where do you go to school?
Boston Latin School

What grade are you in?
10th

What’s one thing you’ve done or are currently doing to fight climate change?
I’ve worked with the non-profit The Food Project to provide healthy, affordable, local, organic food for residents of Boston and surrounding suburbs, build raised bed gardens for members of my community, and lead workshops on sustainable, farming, and social justice.

Through farming I help to create a sustainable food system while simultaneously helping to create a stronger connection to my community and the problems surrounding climate change that we face and how we can address those through food justice.

What are your top interests and hobbies? What are some things outside of climate action that you love to do?
I really enjoy writing, spoken word poetry, swimming, and watching bad television. I love to farm and go to concerts

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
I would go to Alaska because it is an incredibly spectacularly beautiful place with fantastic natural landscapes, fascinating wildlife, a resilient peoples, and I’m kind of obsessed with one day living there.

If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be any why?
I would eat plain white rice (maybe with some salt) because I love it and could never grow sick of it. My chinese nickname is “fan tong” which literally translates to rice bucket. I really love rice.

Milo

Name: Milo Sherwood

Where are you from?
Chelsea, MA

Where do you go to school?
Chelsea High School

What grade are you in?
12th grade

What’s one thing you’ve done or are currently doing to fight climate change?
One way I’m currently fighting climate change is by telling people about it almost everyday! I always tell people to watch Severn Suzuki’s speech at 1992 Rio Summit, as it really emphasizes the power people have on affecting the environment. This speech was one of the first ways I’ve heard about the Climate Change and why I decided to get involved!

What are your top interests and hobbies? What are some things outside of climate action that you love to do?
I love science, sushi, reading, hanging out with friends, dancing, and activism. Two of my biggest goals at the moment (outside of climate justice) is to visit a dolphin in its natural habitat and kiss it, and finish the college application process!

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
I’ve always wanted to (and definitely plan on) visiting Japan! I feel like it would be such a fun experience because I love Asian culture and I bet I could try a different type of sushi in Japan!

If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be any why?
It would have to be hands down sushi. Sushi is a very complex and varied dish, as it has many different types and flavors, ranging from exoctic to spicy. I’m never bored while eating sushi because I always have a new type to try!

Nadia

Name: Nadia Issa

Where are you from?
I am from Boston, MA

Where do you go to school?
Boston Arts Academy

What grade are you in?
12th

What’s one thing you’ve done or are currently doing to fight climate change?
One thing that I’ve done to fight climate change that I am super proud of is, when I got to work with Councilmen Felix Arroyo to pass the Single-stream Recycling initiative throughout all of BPS. The initiative was successfully passed! The collaboration of Felix and I happened after I publicly spoke at the Statehouse for the Generation Citizens event in the 9th grade. I hope to do more public speaking and collaboration in action with official leaders.

What are your top interests and hobbies? What are some things outside of climate action that you love to do?
Poetry, playing my ukulele, visual arts, singing, reading, radicalize/activism on race/gender issues, organize protests/marches/demonstrations to tackle social-justice issues, attend/perform at open mics, workshops, summits, conferences, and dance

If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?
Teleportation: It is soooo convenient! You could travel, get out of sticky situations, and be on time to things

If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?
I believe that I would be a bird. They are beautiful, they embody creativity and freedom, and I could fly! How cool?!

Peter

Name: Peter Diamond

Where are you from?
Newton, Massachusetts.

Where do you go to school?
Newton North High School.

What grade are you in?
Twelfth grade.

What’s one thing you’ve done or are currently doing to fight climate change?
I have co-founded divestNEWTON with another ACE Senior Action Fellow, Kerry Brock; we are one of the first high school-led organizations in the country dedicated to fossil fuel divestment. Currently, our mission is to convince municipal government to endorse Massachusetts divestment from fossil fuels.

What are your top interests and hobbies? What are some things outside of climate action that you love to do?
I am a poet-activist; I try to use spoken word poetry to find the intersectionality of queerness and prison abolition and climate and anarcha feminism… so I guess I like to write and perform. I am also a playwright, director, and actor. Besides that, I like to color and make birdhouses.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
I hope to soon have the privilege to visit my queer brothers and sisters in Palestine with a solidarity campaign.

Vanessa

Name: Vanessa Archangelo

Where are you from?
Ashburnham, MA

Where do you go to school?
Oakmont Regional High School

What grade are you in?
11th

What’s one thing you’ve done or are currently doing to fight climate change?
We started a school wide recycling and terracycling program. Which went extremely well and we educated students on how to properly dispose of things. Whether it be terracycling, recycling, returning, or to the landfill!

What are your top interests and hobbies? What are some things outside of climate action that you love to do?
I love student council and planning events within my school and community! I also play tennis in the spring!

If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?
I would love to have the super power of telepathy, not only reading other peoples minds but also talk to then through their brain! That would be amazing!

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
I would love to go to Alaska! I went a few years ago and I just want to stand on a glacier and just be up with the wildlife there for a while!

ACE Staff

Join our Youth Action Network

More Blog Posts

LNG_Tanks

Our Climate Wins Were on Display at the State of the Union

Today, the Biden Administration temporarily halted all pending decisions on 17 Liquefied “Natural” Gas (LNG) projects across the Gulf South.

Read More
Anthem-S3-NL-Header-Gold

ACE Honored As An Anthem Awards Finalist

Action for the Climate Emergency (ACE) announced today that it won Bronze in Best Use of AI at the 3rd …

Read More
LNG_Tanks

BREAKING: Biden Halts LNG Export Expansion

Today, the Biden Administration temporarily halted all pending decisions on 17 Liquefied “Natural” Gas (LNG) projects across the Gulf South.

Read More
View More