Who are you? What’s your educational background?
I’m Alyssa Fleming, and I’m CCAN’s Northern Virginia Climate Justice Fellow! I’m currently pursuing Environmental and Sustainability Studies with a concentration in Climate Change and Society and a minor in African and African American Studies at George Mason University.
What led you to apply for a summer fellowship with CCAN?
One of the main things that I want to do with my career is to help communities mitigate and adapt to climate change. I think it is incredibly important to focus on a local level rather than just federally, and CCAN is intentional about building a broad coalition with a lot of voices!
What’s something you’ve learned through the summer fellowship?
I feel like my communication skills have improved a lot, especially the storytelling aspect. I didn’t realize how much other people’s stories motivated me to want to take action and create change, and it helped me learn how to use my story to connect with others, which helps build partnerships and teamwork.
What’s your favorite project that you’ve worked on during your fellowship?
Probably my research project about flooding. I love to do research, and as I focus on specific areas in NoVa, I also get more context around local and state governments. When I talk to people for my outreach, that added context allows me to connect with other Virginia residents more.
What’s your favorite thing about the fellowship so far?
My favorite thing about the fellowship so far is that we do so many community events; and even if people don’t come up and participate, constantly showing up makes you a part of the community.
What’s a moment that inspired you to join the climate movement?
Seeing the impact that extreme weather events, like heatwaves and flooding, affected people! I’ve had relatives stay with me during hurricanes, and I wanted to do something to prevent more temperature rises and help people adapt to the new world we live in.
What impact are you hoping to have through your career?
I hope to help communities mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change.
What is something that inspired you during your summer with CCAN?
Definitely the amount of people who spend time volunteering, signing petitions, and helping out in any way they can. I am glad so many people care about climate change locally.