My name is Madeleine, and I am proud to be an intern with Defend Our Future Arizona. Working with Defend means that I get to be a part of an organization that partners with elected officials, Arizona State University professors, and other environmental groups to tackle issues affecting us here in Arizona and throughout the country. Since my internship began in Fall 2017, I have dedicated my time to supporting this organization in its efforts to help protect the environment and our public health.

Our focus has been to protect the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the important work it does safeguarding our environment. We accomplish this through talking one-to-one with fellow students on ASU’s Tempe campus about proposed budget cuts and the disastrous tenure of EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. We participate meetings with our elected officials and staff, and bring students into these discussions in which students are not often included. In November 2017, I had the awesome opportunity to join the team for a meeting with the staff of Congressman Andy Biggs who represents Mesa, Arizona, to discuss the importance of supporting a fully funded EPA.

Since joining Defend, I have learned so much about what it takes to enact change. One of my favorite quotes embodies the work of this organization: “You can’t shift the conversation about the environment unless you change who is having it.” Millennials are now the largest generation in the country, and we need to stand up for what we believe in in order to make meaningful progress on this issue. I look forward to continuing my work with Defend, and I hope you’ll join me in this important fight!

Madeleine is a freshman at Arizona State University.