Arcadia High School Student Awarded Women in Green Youth Trailblazer Award

LOS ANGELES - Aug. 29, 2013 - PRLog -- Aarushi Walia, a senior at Arcadia High School, was awarded the Youth Trailblazer Award at the 4th Annual Women in Green Forum on Wednesday, August 28, 2013. The award is given each year to a young woman who has made an extraordinary impact through environmental leadership within her community.

As a leader in sustainability on her school's campus, Walia has demonstrated passion and commitment for achieving success in her local community. She has led her school's participation in the Alliance to Save Energy’s PowerSave Schools Program (http://www.ase.org/programs/powersave-campus) , conducted energy audits, and trained students and staff in simple, effective energy-saving practices. To date, the program has saved Arcadia High School nearly $40,000 in energy costs.

"I cannot even explain how great it is to be here," said Walia upon receiving the award for her service. "Imagine the impact we could have if our county, state, nation and even the world took on these same methods because we know that the threat of climate change is staring us in the face.”

Recently, Walia was featured in the Center for Next Generation's Prop 39 campaign (http://thenextgeneration.org/blog/post/ace-video-2), as a representative of the countless number of Southern California youth who would benefit from the proposition’s allocation of government bond monies for energy retrofits in public schools. Additionally, she is currently serving as a Climate Action Fellow with the Southern California chapter of the Alliance for Climate Education (http://www.acespace.org), and will spend her senior year leading and training her peers in environmental awareness and advocacy.

“I am so pleased that Aarushi was given this award,” said Rochelle Younan-Montgomery, the Southern California Education and Leadership Manager for the Alliance for Climate Education  “From the moment I met Aarushi, I knew she was an extraordinary leader. She's driven, eloquent, consistent and genuinely devoted to the cause. I am thrilled she won this award and believe she couldn't be more deserving.”

Walia plans to continue serving her community in the future, noting a connection between her work in sustainability and her dream of going into the field of medicine. “I always knew I was going to be a health care professional. Pursuing environmental science in high school just made me realize that many of the cases I would be treating would be directly caused by climate change, such as asthma, heat stroke and infectious diseases, to name a few. And not all heath care professionals realize that our action and inaction can directly affect the health of those around us.”

“It’s going to take more than health care professionals, it’s going to take more than activists and students,” continued Walia, “I feel this is the basic responsibility for every human being towards mother Earth.”

http://youtu.be/aOBe_aJDP74



About The Women In Green Forum
The Women In Green Forum, produced by Three Squares Inc., is the premier conference for professionals from all aspects of the environmental industry to discuss the latest clean tech innovations, develop powerful professional networks, and build upon each other’s successes. The Forum is the largest international conference for women in environmental careers.

For more information on the Women in Green Forum and to view a complete agenda, please visit http://www.womeningreenforum.com.

About Alliance for Climate Education
Alliance for Climate Education (ACE) educates and inspires young people to break through the challenge of climate change. Their mission is to educate, inspire and activate 12 million teens and young adults as part of multigenerational force for carbon reduction and healthy communities by 2020.

To learn more about the Alliance for Climate Education, please visit www.acespace.org .

Media Contact
Jessica Mariglio
Alliance for Climate Education Media Assocaite
Jessica.Mariglio@climateeducation.org