I am humbled and honored to be included in Refinery29's Under-30 list, which features incredible millennial change makers! Read on as I share what power means to me and how I plan to use it to create a brighter future for ALL of us...
by Rachel Selvin
Name: Erin Schrode
Age: 25
Claim To Fame: Candidate for United States Congress and cofounder of Turning Green, a non-profit focused on sustainability
Hometown: Marin County, California
How are you using your power to change the world for the better?
"We each have the power to be agents of change, but too few act upon that. For 11-plus years, since cofounding Turning Green, I’ve worked to inspire, educate, and mobilize young leaders around conscious living — focusing on environmental education and advocacy. Every single one of us has the capacity to affect change in our daily lives, schools, communities; individual and local choices have massive ripple effects on a global level... I announced my run for U.S. Congress earlier this year to redefine civic engagement, to reinvigorate a culture of public service, and to expand the definition of who can be a politician, while adding value to society. Environmental and public health, learning, and the future of work, human rights, tech innovation — these are the issues of our time, these are the issues that I am bringing to the table, these are the issues for which we can and must hold elected officials accountable."
Where or when do you feel the most powerful?
"I feel most powerful when I am working boots-on-the-ground, when I am interacting with people in ways that add value to their lives and our world, when I am speaking face-to-face to, sharing with, and learning from students (young brilliant minds!) and the public at large. I have never felt like I was doing anything more relevant than being on the campaign trail with my recent Congressional bid —because I was able to connect directly with community — to tell my story, speak to the issues that matter, outline a path for progress —and address how to best deliver solutions to the most pressing challenges. That is real-world, lasting, positive impact."
Fill in the blank: Power is... "Power is being the change you wish to see in the world. I’m on a mission to inspire others to discover, activate, and own that inner strength for positive outward impact."
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