A   B   O   U   T       U   S

Lick-Wilmerding High School '22

Amelia Fortgang

Amelia Fortgang is the founder and former chair of the Bay Area Youth Climate Summit (2020-2022). She absolutely loved her time with BAYCS, whether planning workshops, speaking at climate strikes, or meeting like-minded friends from other schools. She graduated from Lick-Wilmerding High School in San Francisco and now attends Yale University, double majoring in environmental studies and political science. Amelia continues to work with EarthEcho International, serving on their Youth Leadership Council and formerly working with their water challenge. In her free time, she loves to create climate advocacy-related prints and go on hikes around the Bay Area or New Haven. She still works with BAYCS as an advisor, and she can’t wait to see where the new leadership will take the organization! (last updated June 2023)

Marin Academy '24

Finn Does

Finn is a former co-chair and lead of the Newsletter, Grants, and Workshops teams. Now, he offers support as an advisor to BAYCS. Finn is an incoming freshman at UC Berkeley majoring in Society and Environment. BAYCS has been the best part of Finn's life for the past 3 years. As a closeted 14 year old who didn’t know his inherent self-worth, our Sunday meetings gave Finn the space to learn how to love himself  while fighting alongside his friends for the future we all deserve. Surrounded by teammates who refused to give up on both a burning planet and each other, BAYCS has done more than “given” Finn hope, it's allowed him to create hope and share it. He's leaving as a fierce, strong, and proud organizer that he never would’ve dreamed of becoming.

(last updated July 2024)

Lick-Wilmerding High School '24

Sophie Merickel

Sophie was a co-chair of BAYCS and lead of the Workshops team. She will soon attend Williams College and study Biochemistry and plans to attend medical school in the future. Leading BAYCS has been one of the most important parts of her high school experience. As a quiet and nervous 14-year-old, BAYCS created a space for Sophie to find her voice and explore her passions. As she moves towards college, Sophie is excited to continue to grow this voice. (last updated July 2024)

Heritage High School '24

Sophie Eilersen

Sophie was a co-chair of BAYCS leading the Social Media and Newsletter teams. She is an incoming freshman at UCLA studying Biology. Leading BAYCS has been the single most meaningful and passionate part of Sophie's time in high school. Working with her fellow co-chairs to put on the summit and Earth Day Festival taught her so many skills in organizing and leading, as well as gave her an outlet for climate activism. Having the opportunity to work with like-minded youth and inspire others to fight for a more just and equitable world has been a privilege, and Sophie can’t wait to see what else BAYCS accomplishes. She looks forward to continuing to push for a greener and healthier planet when she starts at UCLA in the fall.

(last updated July 2024)

Lick-Wilmerding High School '23

Natalie Heller

Natalie Heller is the former co-chair of BAYCS (2022-2023). While at BAYCS, she loved learning, growing, and meeting other passionate youth, making lifelong friends. She began her time at BAYCS on the original youth council for the virtual summit in 2020 and then soon found herself loving the team and Sunday meetings. She became co-chair in 2022 as she led BAYCS to become a fiscal nonprofit and was featured in 2 US Department of State films for international countries on climate change and resilience. Natalie is graduating Lick-Wilmerding High School in San Francisco and is headed to George Washington University in D.C. She plans to double major in Environmental Studies and International Affairs and minor in sustainability with a concentration in food sustainability. Natalie continues to be outdoors: hiking, snorkeling, diving, camping, and backpacking. She is excited to see where BAYCS is headed in the future! (last updated June 2023)

Berkeley High School '23

Emily Lao

Emily joined BAYCS at its start in 2020, and was involved until she graduated. From being a newbie to becoming a co-chair in her last year, BAYCS has been one of her favorite experiences in high school and she’s made some of her closest friends through the team. Alongside BAYCS, she also helped lead her school’s robotics team and environmental club. Emily will be attending UC Santa Barbara next year to study computer science. She hopes to apply a future computer science degree to the field of environmental action and continue her activism in climate change through the lens of engineering.

Alameda High School '23

Alyssa Goldfield

At BAYCS, Alyssa Goldfield was a co-chair as well as a lead of the newsletter team. After joining in 2020, she continued to work with the team, meeting some of her best friends, and learning to navigate challenges with them. While at BAYCS, she helped create over 30 newsletters, organize 4 major BAYCS events, and several workshops, and spoke at 3 climate strikes. After high school, she is attending UC Davis to study Environmental Policy Analysis and Planning with a minor or double major in economics. She hopes to move to Washington DC and work with Congress to craft environmental legislation that may propel our country toward a healthier and brighter future. (last updated June 2023)

Lick-Wilmerding High School '23

Bruno Kai Ong

Bruno Kai Ong was a co-chair of BAYCS and led the workshops and partnerships team. He loved the team community and enjoyed organizing and hosting a variety of action-oriented events. In addition to BAYCS, Bruno served as his school’s first Environmental Chair, where he led initiatives to reduce energy usage, reduce food waste, and divest. Next fall, he’ll be attending Yale University. (last updated June 2023)

Lick-Wilmerding High School '22

Erika Tam

Erika is a former co-chair for BAYCS. will be a first-year at UC Berkeley studying Molecular Environmental Biology, hopefully with a focus in Food Studies or Environmental Economics! She plans to continue playing tennis, going on nature walks, and discovering good food in Berkeley. Recently, she has been really interested in researching sustainable capitalism and community gardens! In the fall she will be working for Forest and Flour’s farmers market bakery, so come visit, and if you have questions about Berkeley or college at all feel free to reach out! (last updated June 2022)

St. Ignatius College Preparatory School '24

Elise Priesman

Elise was a co-lead of the Workshops team on BAYCS. Elise will be a freshman at UC Berkeley majoring in Society and Environment. Her high school experience would not have been the same without BAYCS. By forming a community with like-minded peers, creating tangible change within her community, and acquiring leadership and organizational skills, Elise became more inspired and prepared to integrate environmental activism and justice into her future endeavors. Elise is continuously impressed by the diligence, innovation, and creativity of her fellow team members, and she is excited to see them continue to drive change and empower other youth within the Bay Area and beyond. (last updated July 2024)

The Nueva  School '24

Naomie Chien

Naomie was a co-lead of the Workshops team and a member of the Newsletter and Grants teams. She is an incoming freshman at Stanford studying Earth Systems and Computer Science. Just last year, over 250 high schoolers gathered at the California Academy of Sciences, all with different interests and niches, and all could see themselves in relation to the ongoing climate crisis. However, the excitement Naomie felt during the summit was far from new. Every Sunday and Tuesday, she felt excitement and a sense of purpose and drive from her team members. Every monthly workshop, Naomie felt completed by the hope-driven workshops they offered. It has been an honor for Naomie to find herself through the work she does at BAYCS with all of them. This is only our beginning. (last updated July 2024)

George Washington High School '24

Vivian Deng

Vivian spent her time on BAYCS as a member of the Workshops team. She is an incoming Fiat Lux Scholar at UC Berkeley studying Society and Environment & Political Science. BAYCS has been instrumental to Vivian's growth as a student, leader, and person. From forging genuine camaraderie among the team to translating passion into action through their initiatives, her appreciation for the people there knows no bounds. Vivian leaves in awe of the friends with whom she created change and aspires to pursue similar opportunities in college in hopes of becoming a human rights attorney. (last updated July 2024

Alameda High School '24

Cassidy Chan

Cassidy was a member of the Workshops team. She will take a gap year in Taiwan as part of the National Security Language Initiative for Youth before studying Politics & Government at Sciences Po in France and Global Studies at UC Berkeley. BAYCS has really helped cultivate Cassidy's passion for climate activism, shaping her ability to lead through event organization and outreach. Being able to reach youth at the root by instilling education on the severity of climate issues and equipping them with resources to take action through the BAYCS platform has empowered Cassidy to continue her advocacy work for the environment. She is so grateful to have been part of such a zealous yet hard-working and creative team. (last updated June 2024)

Lick-Wilmerding High School '24

Ariel Fu-Chen

Ariel was a member of the Newsletter and Workshops teams. She will study Chinese in a gap year at National Taiwan University before attending Stanford.  She feels so lucky to have gotten to spend her high school years as part of BAYCS. Ariel has learned so much since being a sophomore with a vague understanding of climate change, especially about just how complex the climate crisis is — and equally importantly, how many inspiring people are out there working towards solutions. From team meetings to climate summits and conferences, BAYCS has allowed Ariel to pursue her interest in environmental issues and work together with similarly passionate people. Though she is undecided on a specific major, Ariel hopes to dive deeper into these topics in college.

(last updated June 2024)

El Camino High School '24

Jasmine Ho

Jasmine served as a co-lead of the Social Media team and a member of the Grants team. She will study Chemistry & Neuroscience at UCLA. BAYCS has been such an integral part of Jasmine's high school experience. Connecting with peers her own age about similar ambitions has introduced her to a wonderful network of both partners and friends, and Jasmine is eternally grateful for all of the opportunities BAYCS has presented her. Jasmine is excited to see what the future has in store for the BAYCS team. (last updated July 2024)

St. Ignatius College Preparatory School '24

Cece Hammond

As a part of BAYCS, Cece was on the Newsletter and Social Media teams. Cece is an incoming freshman at UC Berkeley studying Neuroscience & Cognitive Science. She's very interested in the impact of the climate crisis on adolescent mental health and the importance of climate education. As a member of the workshops and social media teams, Cece learned valuable organizational and communication skills with BAYCS. She especially appreciates the inspiring connections she formed with fellow youth advocates.

(last updated June 2024)

Piedmont High School '24

Edwin Tang

Edwin was the Website team lead and a member of the Newsletter team. Edwin will be a freshman at UC Berkeley planning to pursue Geology. BAYCS has been an impactful part of Edwin's high school experience, shaping his views on collaborative work and the climate revolution as a whole. He found it engaging to connect with peers who share an interest in helping the community thrive and educating future generations about climate education. Edwin is excited to see where BAYCS will go in the future and how it will continue to positively change communities. He is grateful to have been part of this amazing, hard-working group and looks forward to watching BAYCS grow and evolve. (last updated June 2024)

Urban School '23

Amelia Hayward

Amelia Hayward was a member of BAYCS and worked with the team to plan workshops focused on sustainable urban gardening and composting practices. She was a former senior at the Urban School of San Francisco and was part of Urban’s Green Team. Some of her favorite pastimes are backpacking, climbing, and beach walks with her dog. Through BAYCS, she learned a lot about outreach, activism, and how to use her voice in the climate crisis. Next year she will be attending Middlebury College where she plans to major in Environmental Studies and potentially minor in Geology. (last updated June 2023)

San Domenico High School '22

Oona Clark

Oona will be starting their bachelor's degree in Climate Science at the Oregon State University Honors College starting in September of 2022. They plan on getting involved with different environmental organizations up in Oregon, and getting outdoors to enjoy the gorgeous landscape. At BAYCS, Oona was one of the original team members who worked on the logistics and workshops team to plan the very first climate summit in September 2020. They also enjoy political activism and were the President of San Domenico's JSA club their senior year. In their free time, Oona is a classical musician and loves to read. (last updated June 2022)

Jesse Bethel High School '23

Aliyah Miller

While involved with BAYCS, Aliyah was part of the workshop team, which demonstrated her dedication and leadership. Next year, she will be attending UC Santa Barbra where she will major in Computer Science.

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Galileo High School '23

Lena Huang

Lena has been a member of the workshop and partnerships teams since 2020. During her time with BAYCS, she led numerous projects with partnering organizations. Next year, she will be attending UC Berkeley where she will major in Molecular Environmental Biology and minor in Environmental Science and Policy.

Alameda High School '23

Dhalia Kishnan

With BAYCS, Dhalia was a co-lead of the Social Media team. They enjoyed being part of BAYCS as they were able to discover their passion for climate justice. Next year, they will be attending UC Santa Cruz and plan to major in Environmental Studies with a minor in Music.

St. Ignatius '22

Dory Miller

Dory is an incoming freshman at UC Berkeley, where she plans to pursue Legal Studies and Society in the Environment. In addition to her wonderful experience as the Social Media Co-Lead for BAYCS, she was the president of her school’s Green Team (@sigreenteam) and the Ecological Justice chair for her school’s social justice council. She is the co-founder and co-host of a podcast called “She’s Up Next” (@shesupnextpodcast) that amplifies the voices of other activists and plans to continue recording into college in the hopes of expanding their pool of listeners. Dory is ecstatic to be attending Berkeley and gaining an even wider network of activists, but she also cannot wait to continue helping out with BAYCS when she can! (last updated June 2022)

Lowell High School '21

Christy Vong

Christy is currently a student at UC Davis pursuing a bachelor's degree in Community and Regional Development. One area of sustainability that Christy likes to work on is waste recovery and they are currently volunteering with the Food Recovery Network at UC Davis and the Davis Night Market to recover and distribute extra food to people in the community. Christy has also been engaged in a research project learning more about AAPI farmers with the Asian American Studies department and is passionate about supporting equitable food systems. (last updated June 2022)

George Washington High School '21

Mary Mangubat

After graduating high school, Mary decided to study environmental science at Humboldt State University (now California Polytechnic State University, Humboldt) with a concentration in planning and policy. She also has recently declared her minor in sustainable food systems! She spent her first year at college exploring her interests and curiosities that the field of environmental science had to offer, specifically spending her time volunteering at community farms and learning about food sovereignty. As she enters her second year of college, she's looking forward to all the exciting events she will soon be hosting as an environmental educator at Humboldt’s social justice and equity center.

(last updated June 2022)