By Melissa Reyes, Community Outreach Program Assistant
Biography
Melissa is passionate about environmental justice, equity and intersectionality; and has highlighted her passions throughout her nonprofit work across San Diego County. She graduated from Cal State San Marcos with a degree in Environmental Studies and has worked as an environmental educator since 2018. Growing up in an marginalized community herself, she believes that with the power of community, anything is possible. As a Community Outreach Program Assistant, she hopes to bring affordable and equitable resources to many homes in San Diego, while also building meaningful connections with diverse and resilient communities.
Role at SanDiego350:
I’m the Community Outreach Program Assistant. My main roles will involve working with the Equitable Building Decarbonization (EBD) program as well as support education and outreach efforts for SD 350.
What makes you passionate about climate activism?
Growing up in the Imperial Valley, our communities faced several environmental injustices, most of which we didn’t talk about or know about because they were our so-called “norm” and we had minimal resources to find solutions. It wasn’t until college where I learned about environmental justice and climate activism that I was able to recognize the issues my hometown was facing and realized I wanted to do something to help. I became more involved in environmental education and activism and got the opportunity to work alongside different nonprofits in San Diego who advocated for marginalized communities facing similar issues my hometown did. I began to see myself reflected in these communities, which led me to grow my passion towards climate activism and justice.
What do you look forward to most in this role?
I really look forward to connecting with more communities in San Diego! There is so much power in the community, and I want to be able to be a resource for people and advocate for justice in their communities. Working in the EBD program, I also look forward to bringing no-cost energy efficient appliances to people’s homes and improving the quality of the air they breathe at home.
Background:
I grew up in Mexico and moved to the United States when I was 7. I graduated from Cal State San Marcos with a degree in Environmental Studies and even helped found an organization on campus for environmental justice and climate activism. In my free time, I enjoy spending time at the beach looking at seashells with friends or practicing my tarot card reading by the ocean.