As I finish up the last week of my final undergraduate semester, I have been reminiscing over the greatest memories that I have made. Upon graduation I will be attending law school, in hopes, to pursue a career as a JAG (Judge Advocate General) with the U.S Navy, in the Environmental Law division. Without a doubt, I can say that my final semester at USF has by far been my favorite and most academically successful. I have had some lessons learned and made some amazing memories. One of my biggest blessings of senior year has been finding my passion for Environmental lobbying.
PIRG (Public Interest Research Group)
On February 27th, 2023, I traveled to Washington D.C to participate in Student PIRGs annual lobby day. I lobbied, with 40 additional students from 11 states, for 3 key federal bills. These 3 bills included the: Right to Repair Act, Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act, and the Textbook Affordability Act. Altogether, PIRG members came together to hold over 80 lobby meeting with the White House, Department of Education, and the House Committee on Energy & Commerce, U.S Senators, and House Representatives. I had the opportunity to speak, in favor, of the BFPPA with Florida House Representatives and Senators.
This experience has allowed me to further find my passion for the environment, politics, and law. With the divisive political environment that we are currently living in, many younger voters feel ignored by our elected officials. Standing in front of my state Representatives allowed me to feel the power that I have as a voter and citizen. The legislation and bills that I lobbied for all have the ability to improve the lives of every citizen in America. Due to younger generations historically having lower turnout, legislation to improve and make education more affordable is often neglected. As a strong advocate for equal access to education, I have always seen the overpriced cost of textbooks for higher education as a major barrier. Advocating for the Textbook Affordability Act, allowed me to finally feel like I was making change to help shape the future of my generation. As someone that worked as an Orientation Mentor, I would be extremely disappointed hearing incoming freshman talk about how they could not afford their textbooks. Lobbying to make college more affordable allowed me to use my platform to make college more affordable and accessible. I was extremely proud to see that many of the Capitol Hill legislative interns in DC were younger generation voters that wanted to use their platform to get politically involved.
Capitol Hill
I was initially very overwhelmed walking into the Capitol and seeing influential names of Congress Member’s plastered down the Longworth, Rayburn, and Russell Building. Two Florida representatives provided my lobby Group with Senate and House gallery passes. The moment we entered the gallery, we sat in complete silence and took in our emotions. Seeing prominent elected officials walk across the congress floor felt surreal. Walking into a Congress session felt like the Superbowl for Political Science students. My favorite moment from lobbying was passing AOC’s office and seeing sticky-notes with kind remarks from college students across the country. Looking at these appreciative notes was a gentle reminder that college students were increasingly entering the legislative profession. Walking the steps of Capitol made me feel like I was taking my civic engagement to a new level. I would highly recommend every Gen Z advocate to get more involved in understanding the legislative process. I had the privileged to pass by the Congress office of Maxwell Frost. Seeing young legislators helped motivate us to pursue the legal and political field.
The CLEO Institute
On Match 22nd, I also had the privilege to participate in the Cleo Institute’s lobby day. I joined more than a hundred students, educators, and environmental leaders to advocate for clean energy at the Florida state Capitol. We advocated for bipartisan legislation that would help combat the climate crisis. We lobbied for SB 178 & HB 195 (Upgrades to Education Facilitates as Emergency Shelter). This bill provides accessibility for renewable energy operations, like solar panels, to be distribute in public schools. I also lobbied for the creation of the Energy Transition Task force. I loved being surrounded by ambitious and environmental advocates that strived to protect our planet. My lobby experience with Gen CLEO exposed me to some of the greatest people that I have ever met.