2023 CCPI Cohort
CCPI gathers young climate leaders from around the country and provide them the skills they need to push government and policymakers to make changes necessary to help slow the rise and mitigate climate change.
Meet the 2023 CCPI Cohort
Alexa Quinones
Alexa Quinones is a bilingual and ambitious young student with studies in the degree of Mechatronics Engineering and currently studying her bachelor’s degree in Chemistry. Alexa is very passionate about the space industry and climate advocacy. She is currently doing a lot of research in this area, and she is part of NASA L’SPACE Academy…
Belle Li
Hello, my name is Belle Li, and I am from Southern California. I am majoring in Sustainability and minoring in Hispanic Studies and Rhetoric & Leadership at Pepperdine University as a Posse Scholar. After graduating, I plan to attend law school with an interest in environmental law….
Breille Irahoza
I am Breille Irahoza. I am an international student from Burundi, in East Africa. I’m a junior at Vassar College, majoring in environmental studies. I am curious about the intersection of chemistry and the environment….
Finja Mlynek
Finja Mlynek is a senior high school who has been a organizing climate justice protests since she was 15 years old. She is a member of multiple youth led organizations and loves working with fellow young activists to create chance. Born in Germany, she now lives in New Mexico where she is…
Haya Thamer
Hi! I’m Haya Thamer, a first-year global studies major at the University of north Carolina at Chapel Hill! Going into the global studies field at my school, I hoped to focus on public health and the environmental issues and inequities that we face nationally and internationally…
Isabella Rizzo
Hello! My name is Isabella. I am a graduate student at the University of Texas San Antonio working towards my MSc in environmental science. My thesis relates to how abiotic stressors affect green leaf volatile expression in plants. I graduated from Trinity University in ’21 with my BS in biology with a concentration…
Jayda Jeffery
Jayda Jeffery has lived in both St. James and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She is a 21 year-old senior at Louisiana State University majoring in International Relations and Political Science. Jayda currently serves as the Vice President of the Louisiana NAACP Youth & College Division. During her studies…
Jessie Cohen
Jessie Cohen is a 2021 graduate from the James Madison College at Michigan State University with degrees in Comparative Cultures and Politics and Journalism. After graduation, Jessie spent eight months traveling the US and working with…
Oluchi Njoku
Oluchi is passionate about environmental justice and climate policy. She believes in ensuring the preservation and protection of a healthy accessible environment for all living beings is crucial for our future. Oluchi’s hobbies are going to the beach…
Kenza Idrissi
My name is Kenza Idrissi and I am a sophomore studying Political Science and Global Interdisciplinary Studies at Villanova University. On campus, I am actively involved in the Student Government Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Department and the Center for Access, Success, and Achievement, fueling my commitment…
Ofelia Noemi Garcia Prado
Ofelia Garcia Prado is a senior at UCLA double majoring in Environmental Science and Climate Science and minoring in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences. Her love for the environment came from her home country of Mexico and her community of Inglewood, CA. She hopes to…
Sarahi Perez
Sarahi Perez is a second-year student at Miami Dade College’s Honors Dual Language Program. On campus, she co-founded Queer Collective, the first LGBTQ+ club on the MDC Padron Campus in 2021. Through her role as Vice President of the student organization, she ensured a welcoming space for the LGBTQ+ presence on campus. Afterwards…
John Rukeyser
Raised in Rockport, MA, John (Jack) Rukeyser now resides in Silver Spring, MD – calling the DMV home since attending American University in Washington, DC. The outdoors of Maryland and throughout the Mid-Atlantic have been a major part of both his free time and passion for environmental legislation. Jack enjoys…
Nicholas Sablan
My name is Nick Sablan. I’m 23 years old, I grew up in San Bernardino, California, and I’m so excited to be a part of The Climate Initiative’s second annual CCPI. When I was 11, I joined my local YMCA’s Model United Nations program. It was through this experience that I was first exposed to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, further discovering what I wanted to do with my life; to improve…
Tristan Quintanilla
Tristan is an aspiring public policy analyst from the American territory of Guam. He earned BAs in Political Science and CHamoru Studies from the University of Guam, where he was recognized as a both a Dean’s List scholar and President’s List scholar. Tristan has three years of experience as a public policy analyst, having worked for two Guam senators. He also…
Jeremy Tyler Lee
Jeremy Lee from North Carolina is excited to take part with the Collegiate Climate Policy Institute. Lee has been engaged with the political process since he was 13, becoming interested during the 2016 election. Lee has participated in the National History Day competition, making it to compete in the state competition in Kentucky. In 2020 Lee…
Andrea Terrero
I was born in Havana, Cuba, but moved to Miami when I was six years old. As I grew up in Miami, I noticed our summers getting hotter, our hurricanes getting worse, and our flooding levels increasing, which led me to pursue climate advocacy. Currently, I am working…
Jason Paz
My name is Jason Paz and I was born in Carol City, Florida. I come from a Colombian background. Both of my parents are from Cali and most of my family still resides there. I have a close relationship with where I’m from; I spent most of my childhood playing outside on the streets and listening to my parents talk about their culture…
Christine Wenzel
Christine Wenzel graduated in 2021 from the University of California, San Diego with a B.A. in Global Health and a minor in Climate Change Studies. Her experiences and studies in university have driven her to build her career focused on…
Nathalie Saladrigas
Nathalie is a Miami native of Colombian and Cuban descent. She is passionate about climate action, LGBTQ rights, reproductive justice, racial equity, and workers’ rights. Her passion began in high school when she began understanding the impacts of political and societal…
Julia Nicholson
Julia Nicholson is a climate activist, social justice advocate, and environmental conservationist studying environmental science at Texas A&M University- Corpus Christi. They are president of the Islander Green Team, a student-run, environmental organization on the campus, striving…
Maggie Peacock
Maggie Peacock(she/they) is a climate activist, ocean conservationist, and a student at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi studying environmental & political science. Maggie is passionate about advocating for young people to have a seat at the table where decisions are being made & showcasing…
Sean Schrader
Sean Schrader is a first year MBA student at the University of South Florida, where he graduated with his bachelor’s degree in business management in May of 2022. Sean is very passionate about civic engagement, and community involvement and has been involved with multiple organizations such…
Morgan Mitchell
I was born and raised in Columbus, Georgia. I graduated from Kennesaw State University in the Spring of 2021 with a Bachelors in Political Science and minor in African American Diaspora Studies. Following that, I decided to take a two year gap year before pursuing law school to serve with Teach for America. I am currently a second year…