I learned about creation care through my mentor when I was in college. As I decided to turn my faith into action, YECA was the perfect community for me to grow. As a Christian, my main motivation for stewarding the environment is my faith. Many secular conservation nonprofits don’t operate from a place of faith, and miss the most important foundation for environmentalism. I got connected to YECA and immediately found a home for me. At YECA I was able to interact with, learn from, and be mentored by other like-minded young Christians. YECA is a truly special place to fully be an evangelical and an environmentalist, without compromising my authentic voice. In my sophomore year I served as a grassroots climate activist by working with local Boston churches. The following year, I returned to YECA through the College Fellows program where I was among 28 other Christian college students, who were on fire for both the Lord and climate activism. Even though we were all on different campuses we developed a strong bond that came from our shared love for the Gospel as well as laboring together.
After college, I still wanted to be involved in the intersection of faith and the environment, and I couldn’t think of a better place than YECA. I was thrilled when I was asked to join the Steering Committee a year after graduating. I was constantly inspired by the members of the leadership team who worked tirelessly to bring glory to God’s name by empowering young Christians. I looked forward to the evenings volunteering for subcommittees or mentoring fellows. When my career came to a crossroad, I knew that I wanted to work full time in creation care. Not only was the Lord nudging me to work in ministry, but I felt truly energized by our work! I joined the EEN/YECA staff in July which was a sweet full-circle moment. Back in college I prayed that God would use my job to further serve Him and others through creation care. My current position is a testimony to God’s steadfast faithfulness and His love through the many faces at YECA.
