“It’s so frustrating, I’m done,” one of my closest friends told me, walking out of her classroom. 

She explained to me that she planned to switch out of her AP Environmental Science course. It shocked me. She had her own garden and even sold some of her vegetables to promote local agriculture; I didn’t know anyone as passionately environmentally-conscious as she was. It puzzled me when she told me she couldn’t stand the class any longer.

When I confronted her about her change of heart, she explained to me how the sheer scale of environmental degradation — from deforestation to arctic amplification — was extremely overwhelming to her.

It only added to my confusion. “Doesn’t it just motivate you to be more sustainable and eco-conscious?”

“Not at all, I only feel helpless.”

As my concern for her grew, it prompted me to reflect on the different ways people respond to the overwhelming nature of environmental issues.

I had always adopted a pragmatic outlook, believing that individual change would — hopefully and eventually — culminate in significant, broader change. However, it suddenly occurred to me that the magnitude of climate disruption may leave some individuals, such as my friend, paralyzed and questioning the efficacy of any of their individual actions.

“She made clear to me the necessity of a nuanced approach to environmental education; it should not only educate students of environmental issues but must also empower them to believe in their ability to make a difference.” I smiled as I concluded my testimony to the Minnesota Senate’s Policy Education Committee regarding the passing of a statewide Climate Justice Education Bill.

I knew that education was really the root cause of our generation’s doomsday mindset when it came to our environment, so I decided to join Climate Generation as a Youth Environmental Activist. I dedicated weeks to planning with representatives, campaigning for bills, and organizing the annual Youth Climate Justice Summit at the Capitol. I shared the story of my friend in my testimony to the Minnesota Senate’s Policy Education Committee regarding passing a statewide Climate Justice Education Bill. I knew that I had the ability to empower my friend and so many others to believe in their ability to make a difference.

I live for problem-solving, particularly solving the issues pertaining to my community. As I’ve grown, I’ve watched the prevalence of environmental degradation in my city and even in my ethnic country of Somalia through the times I spent there growing up. Thus, I’ve come to understand a critical quality of the environmental issues I’ve seen: they’re preventable. This is why I am dedicated to studying Environmental Sciences, Policy and Management. With these opportunities surrounding me, I know that I am capable of making a change in my community, educational environments, and even my political systems.

Being an environmentally conscious person means not only making change within yourself but also creating a space for change that can reverberate across a community. That is why I am dedicated to enriching myself and others with the experiences and knowledge to make that change a reality. I hope to not only work towards mitigating and addressing our immediate environmental concerns but to also foster a paradigm shift in how we approach environmental issues and education.

Rakiya is a Climate Generation Window Into COP delegate for COP29. To learn more, we encourage you to meet the full delegation, support our delegates, and subscribe to the Window Into COP digest.

Rakiya Sheikhosman is a freshman at the University of Minnesota majoring in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management. She loves engaging in work pertaining to environmental conservation and community involvement. As a Youth Environmental Activist for Climate Generation, she’s done work lobbying for a statewide Climate Justice Education Bill, along with co-hosting the annual Youth Climate Justice Summit. She’s also spent a summer working in a biosystems and bioengineering lab at the University of Minnesota to mitigate hydrogen sulfide in agricultural settings. She recently finished her term as a 4-H State Ambassador representing Hennepin County in which she co-facilitated statewide 4-H youth conferences as a part of the Service Committee and gave presentations guiding youth in starting sustainable initiatives to help their communities and enact change. Outside of her work, she enjoys crocheting and cooking. She also loves spending time with friends and family.

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A Paradigm Shift in Our Environmental Perspective