Samantha Gazda is a rising junior in the International Baccalaureate program. When she is not juggling a busy school schedule, she is one of the head organizers for Miami’s Fridays For Future (FFF) branch. This began as an international movement in which students from all over the world decided to go on strike to promote awareness of environmental issues. As larger strikes are being planned, there are still smaller protests taking place. Those who participate in these protests and gatherings demand action to be taken by their politicians before these issues become inherently worse than what they currently are.

Gazda has always been aware and concerned about the Earth’s climate, but she did not truly realize the urgency of the problem until she began to research information on the tipping point of the Earth’s temperature. What began her journey was an Instagram post which advertised a climate strike in front of Miami City Hall. It happened to fall on a school day, so she was signed out early and attended the strike. Just from that one experience, Gazda met a lot of students who shared similar interests and shared with her information on how she could get involved.

She began contacting the Climate Leadership Engagement Opportunities Institute (CLEO), an organization made to educate and inform the public about the importance of climate fluctuations. This led to Gazda’s first interaction with Miami’s Fridays For Future branch, which presented her with many opportunities to get involved. She became passionate about wanting to better our future and began to attend every protest each Friday. By constantly bringing in newcomers and informing them on the matter at hand, she earned the title “Head Organizer” for these events. Gazda’s main goal is to educate and inspire more people to become involved with the world around them.

“We have more power than we think we do, and we should not feel powerless when it comes to changing the way the world is,” junior Samantha Gazda said.

Despite the increase of her academic rigor, the sight of how many other people began to show interest in being involved motivated her to stay. It empowered her to continue this journey.

“Our planet and political atmosphere are at a tipping point, we should start getting involved now before it is too late,” junior Samantha Gazda said.

There are many ways to get involved, including: protests, becoming educated, voting or registering people to vote. Her advice to everyone is to not be afraid to voice your opinions, take advantage of the power we have to communicate with others and put it to good use. She believes it is crucial we spread accurate information, and always remember that our voice matters. Gazda has shown us how critical it is to become involved in the issues currently presiding in our society and just how easy it can be to become involved in something someone is passionate about.