As the environment continues to be impacted by human actions, high schoolers around the world educate themselves on global environmental issues. But for high school senior Ava, merely learning about these issues just isn’t enough. Passionate not only about environmentalism but also for fighting against the many issues that endanger our environment, Ava decided not only to educate herself about these issues but to also educate others.
Ever since she was little, Ava always cared for the environment and was aware of the many environmental issues that have not been resolved yet. However, it wasn’t until sophomore year that she truly developed a strong passion for it. Before tenth grade, Ava held the misconception that in order to do something to help the environment, she had to engage in STEM fields or become a scientist, none of which were subjects that particularly interested her. It wasn’t until she read The Uninhabitable Earth, a powerful novel written by David Wallace-Wells regarding a world wrecked by climate change, that she realized she could make a change for the environment without necessarily having to get involved with the science behind it.
Through this novel, Ava realized that politics and environmental issues were interconnected, and after reading it, she made a decision: she would devote her life to achieve systemic change in combating the climate change crisis. Not only did she continue to educate herself based on environmental issues such as global warming, but she wanted to inspire change amongst other people around her. She wanted to give people the same “aha” moment she received after reading The Uninhabitable Earth: the environment is interrelated to so many subjects, very much beyond the scope of science -- it is related to so many people’s academic interests.
This is when Ava founded the F(earth)er Magazine, an interdisciplinary environmental magazine, which releases an issue with environmental articles on a wide scope of subjects, including business, psychology, and STEM, and many more. As editor-in-chief of the magazine, Ava compiles articles written by many other interested environmentalists. Her latest issue arranges eight pieces, ranging from interviews with ardent climate change activists to educational articles regarding serious environmental issues.
For Ava, F(earth)er Magazine was a way to not only inspire readers but also help writers develop a deep understanding about how their individual passions are interconnected with environmental issues. To further impact writers, Ava takes time to work one-on-one with her 27 writers to craft their own insightful articles, which she notes helps them improve both their writing and critical thinking skills in an unconventional manner that no regular schooling can.
Ava is a rare example of someone extremely passionate to solve an issue, something that is severely needed in today’s society, which is full of problems left unsolved. Her passion extends beyond environmentalism -- she uses her platform to spread awareness among her generation in the hopes of making change in a time and place that needs it the most.