Thrill-Seeking for Nerds (who want to change the world)

Over winter break, I read a book called The First 1,000 Days by Roger Thurow. It’s a powerful story of mothers with young children in four different countries, and the international movement to support their health in the first 1,000 days of a child’s life. This was an eye-opening read for me. Image credit: Barnes & Noble In The First 1,000 Days , Thurow presents the stories of moms in India, Guatemala, Uganda, and the United States from pregnancy to the second birthdays of their kids in 2015. They all do their best to provide for their children, but it’s not just a straightforward “food shortage” holding them back. There is inequality based on class and gender, poor sanitation and disease, social pressures, and government promises that fall short. This is why today, 22% of the world’s children under five years old are stunted or chronically malnourished. This limits individuals, families, and entire countries. Proper nutrition in the first 1,000 days can cha...

There are so many ways to live our values and leave this world better than we found it. Marching in protests, community service, and even just being true to yourself in daily life, are great examples of standing up for what we believe in. Members of the Sunrise movement using one method of activism Everyone is different, so maybe the other models of taking action don’t fit your personality/circumstances. Or maybe you’re already involved, and looking for yet another way to fit action into your daily life. If so, I invite you— I urge you— to give political advocacy a shot. So, what do I mean by “advocacy”? Obviously, there are many ways to “advocate” on issues, but in this case I use the word as building relationships with others to change policy together .  My mom and I with an aide for Rep. Long Who should we build relationships with? Often, these partners are members of Congress and their staff. Congress has a responsibility to listen to their constituents. Not all lawma...

Entering 2020, a presidential election year and the start of a new decade, there's so much uncertainty on so many issues. Personally, I'm most terrified of climate change. This year comes with significant opportunity, though. Here's a video from António Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, addressed to young people around the world. We have a lot on our to-do list, yet we are also, as Guterres states, "the greatest source of that hope". Also, if you've got some time, check out this piece by Nicholas Kristof at the New York Times, making the case that "This Has Been the Best Year Ever" for humanity overall, since extreme poverty is going down worldwide. Happy new year!

Finals are over, snow is on the ground. You know what that means... time to write letters to Congress! I’ve fallen out of the habit of regularly contacting my two senators and U.S. representative because studying for exams took over my life for a while, but I’m excited to get back into it. If you've outgrown letters to Santa (or never had that tradition), write to Congress instead! Writing letters is an easy way to get your voice heard. Congressional staff keeps track of how many people speak up about each issue, and what side they are on. For controversial issues that are big in the news, you probably already know which way your elected officials will vote (for example… impeachment). But for lesser-known or bipartisan issues like global health, it doesn’t take many letters to sway a member of Congress, or at least get their attention. Writing a letter shows that you care enough to put in the time and effort, rather than signing an online petition in a matter of sec...

What does it mean for me to be a “sixteen-year-old advocate”? In between school, choir rehearsals, and homework, I contact my members of Congress and raise awareness for issues like global health, protecting the environment, and human rights. Lobbying in D.C. with two of my favorite teen advocates (I'm on the right) I can’t really tell you how long I’ve been an advocate, because there isn’t a single moment of empowerment when this became part of my identity. I’m sharing my story here, though, so that other teens getting involved in advocacy can have this page as a resource and get ideas for what they want to do. This story starts with my mom. She became a stay-at-home parent when I was born, but never stopped making a difference in issues she cared about, and she soon joined an organization called RESULTS . My mom has a blog called Anti-Poverty Mom where she talks about her experience advocating for the end of global poverty while also raising kids to take action. Eve...