Young Change Makers Promoting Climate Action: Why and How Shriya Boppana of Becoming A Voice Is Helping To Change Our World
An Interview With Monica Sanders
Find a mentor and let them play your devil’s advocate. It’s easier than trying to figure out everything on your own.
We are standing at a critical juncture in our fight against climate change, and it is heartening to see young leaders rising to this enormous challenge. Across the globe, they are initiating change, voicing their concerns, and catalyzing action toward sustainable solutions for our planet. These young change-makers are not just the future; they are the driving force of the present. As part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Shriya Boppana.
Shriya Boppana, Miss India America 2020, is an Indian-born activist, author, and on-air personality. She founded Becoming a Voice, collaborating with the Obama Foundation, She’s The First, the Malala Fund, Michelle Obama’s Girls Opportunity Alliance, the United Nations Foundation, and the US Department of Justice on to combat gender inequity, sexual health and reproductive injustice, and climate degradation. A recognized activist, her show on Fox 5 Plus shines a light on important causes for 6.2M viewers.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit. Can you tell us a bit about how you grew up?
Thank you so much for having me! I’m honored to share my work with you. I was originally born in South India, natively Telugu. When my parents first got their work visas to move to the United States, they had to leave immediately, giving up their careers and families, so they made the difficult decision to place me with my grandparents and I eventually joined them in America when I was 5 years old. The land of the free is all I have truly known since then, being raised right near the capital.
I’m a naturalized US citizen, immigrant, and a first-generation U.S. student, heavily influenced heavily by my parent’s sacrifice. I see their sacrifice as one for my self-actualization: they provided me with the abundance of freedom that was within their capacity so that I could have every opportunity I wanted, whether that be business, education, art or anything in between.
Is there a particular book or organization that made a significant impact on you growing up? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
I started working with She’s The First, an organization centered around advancing girl’s rights all around the world, in college. After three years as president of their Carnegie Mellon University chapter, I became an official youth ambassador for the non-profit. STF deeply resonated with my goals because they provided me with incredible opportunities to highlight the intersectionality of my advocacy and focus on how identity plays into some of the world’s most pressing issues, such as climate change, sex education, and youth rights.
With STF I teamed up with famous actress, Brooke Shields, to take over her Instagram page (with a following of 1.3 Million) to raise awareness for sexual health education for the #GirlsGetLoud Campaign. I, also, partnered with the popular beauty brand, Bobbi Brown, for their Pretty Powerful Campaign on a mission to empower young girls. Add I even created the She’s The First official video entry to the Project for Awesome charity livestream by award-winning authors and content creators, John and Hank Green on Youth Leadership In change making
How do you define “Making A Difference”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?
To me, “Making A Difference” means actively working towards positive change — big or small. When we think of changemakers, the first things that comes to our mind are the Nobel Laureates, the Pulitzer Prize winners, and the gold medalists. But I urge you to think about the attainable role models that impact everyday life.
For me, an example of that is the sustainability activists on Instagram, showing you how to thrift. The local government officials, policymaking on holding businesses accountable for climate degradation. Or even my local produce farmer at the Sunday farmer’s market, decommercializing every day food. It even means my own mother.
Growing up I saw my mother endure sacrifice, support my dreams, constantly evolve her mindset to adapt to my personality changes as a growing adult, and provide unconditional love. She is my attainable role model, the one right in front of my eyes showing me that greatness isn’t saving the world, it can sometimes just be saving you, saving the people around you, saving your little microcosm of life. “Making A Difference” really can just be being the hero in your own story, not everyone’s.
Ok super. Let’s now jump to the main part of our interview. You are currently working on promoting climate action. Can you tell us a bit about what you and your organization are trying to change in our world today?
I started my organization, Becoming a Voice, with the intention of focusing on girls’ rights, child sexual assault prevention, sexual health education, anti-sex trafficking, and reproductive justice. But I fell into the advocates trap, which is understanding that every societal issue is somehow connected to every other societal issue.
In 2023, I believe we need to start thinking of environmental degradation and the climate crisis as an intersectional issue. We need to understand how being a youth affects your ability to contribute to the debate on global warming. We need to understand how being a woman affects your ability to save yourself from the climate crisis. We need to understand how being in a developing country affects your ability to secure resources in an ethical manner. I wanted to point a lens on a variety of sociohistorical factors and their conjunction with environmental wellbeing to produce holistic solutions and a voice that understands a multitude of issues that stop the human population from progressing towards healthy change.
So, I spent my degree minor researching the intersection of identity and climate degradation with a special emphasis on feminism, POCs, immigration, and youth. I worked with the social psychology lab to analyze foreign cases on factory workers and their minimum wage jobs in fast fashion which contribute to textile waste, indigenous communities in America and their relationship to forest conservation, and youth education on climate crisis reversal in formal school curriculums. Then, I brought that knowledge to Becoming a Voice and we continually partner with the Action for Climate Emergency organization to lobby for change and create action teams in DC.
Can you tell us the backstory about what inspired you to originally feel passionate about this cause? How old were you when you made this decision?
I started my advocacy journey, I general, when I was 15. As I met more and more youth advocates who were specializing in their specific causes, the interrelatability of the goals eventually pushed me to say — If I stand for change in one aspect, I stand for change in every corner of society. Around 22, I started making the connections to continually push the climate cause in any way I can. It really was the incredible young activists around me that pushed climate to the forefront of my changemaking agenda at some point.
Many of us have ideas, dreams, and passions, but never manifest them. We don’t always get up and just do it. But you did. Was there an “Aha Moment” that made you decide that you were actually going to step up and do it? What was that final trigger?
I feel that those who are already passionate about something will always find a way to do it. However, for me, I just wanted to help people. And it wasn’t a dream or passion, it’s simply being a good person and giving back. I’ve had so much privilege in my life and not recognizing that would be an honest shame and disregard to all those who helped me get where I am today. In an effort to give back and feel grateful, I started my advocacy work and I slowly started to fall in love with it. Over time, it became a huge part of who I am and how I felt I could contribute to the world. There was never one singular moment or trigger, I worked my way up gradually.
What are some of the things you did, or steps you took to get started?
I started working with an organization I trusted. I began my journey with the Save Our Stars Foundation, founded by one of my closest friends, and we had incredible advisors that really helped guide and mentor us into changemaking adults. The key is to understand what sector of society you want to help make better and focus on ways that can create real world change with the resources you have immediately available to you. Then you start to focus on the resources you don’t have and how to secure them. That process itself is changemaking in action. For example, if you need funds for your cause, you’ll start thinking of unique ways to fundraise. If you need volunteers, you’ll ask around until you can fill out your roster. If you want to lobby, you’ll cold email until you get a response. All solutions are born of necessity, so find you problem, then work towards your solution
None of us can be successful without some help along the way. Did you have mentors or cheerleaders who helped you to succeed? Can you tell us a story about their influence?
Absolutely! Throughout life, I’ve had teachers, RA’s, and managers be great examples of complete faith and trust. They’ve been incredible products of their time and culture and I learned so much from how they view the world and it’s change throughout their lives.
When I was crying in the hallway in high school, because a university said they wouldn’t review my application for admission since they lost my transcript, it was the front office administrators hurriedly faxing a copy over while my counselor was on the phone with their admissions office at 6 PM after school. I got into that university.
When I was forced to move home in undergrad during the pandemic, it was my middle school drama teacher that showed up to work on a day he was scheduled to work from home, just so I could use his auditorium to film my TED talk. It ended up featured on FOX.
When I was nervous before the international competition for DECA, it was my marketing teacher who pulled me to the side and said, “you are standing in your own way and I will not allow it anymore. You are the only inhibiting factor of your success.” I ended up placing 21st out 17,000 competitors worldwide, broke 2 state records, 4 regional records, and won marketing student of the year.
I grew up surrounded by nurturing educators, loving advisors, and guiding mentors who not only helped me chase my dreams but helped me build a dream to chase.
Without saying specific names, can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
At 16, I worked at a sexual assault clinic in rural Andhra Pradesh on my summer break where I met Sunitha. Rescued from the hands of traffickers, holed up in a small dusty hotel room, unbeknownst to the fact that her husband sold her into modern slavery.
She now works at the NGO that helps Becoming a Voice work with MLA’s in India on clean environment policies.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
Everything from stopping bank funded fossil fuels to declaring a climate emergency from the deadly heat waves, there are actions that our governing bodies can take to regulate and slow down the problems that are degrading our climate and the wellbeing of our people.
From fast fashion and unethical labor practices to building pipelines on indigenous land, we have a seat in every industry for climate intervention. But what that requires is a step back to understand we are choosing the least economic or industrial option and this opportunity cost will determine the survival of our planet.
Fantastic. Here is the main question of the interview. What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why?
1 . You experience is your expertise. Don’t let anyone remove your seat from the table because you don’t have “experience.” No generation lives in the same reality and all input is equally valuable to dealing with the issues of tomorrow.
2 . Find a mentor and let them play your devil’s advocate. It’s easier than trying to figure out everything on your own.
3 . Focus on one goal at a time. In the world of advocacy, it’s easy to get caught up in chasing multiple intersectionalities.
4 . Work with organizations that give you the space to be creative and grow from there, this will help you build a strong foundation for your future activism.
5 . Be your own advocate. Nominate yourself for the award, ask for the speaking opportunity, request the media appearance. The larger your social presence, the more opportunities you will be handed.
If you could tell other young people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our environment or society, like you, what would you tell them?
When it comes to climate change, we simply don’t have time. We have less than 7 years before we commit irreversible damage to Mother Earth. We might not even have the chance to watch our kids grow up one day. That time poverty should be enough to scare everyone into focusing on solutions to keep our planet safe from destruction.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
Emma Watson or Angelina Jolie, for sure. I’ve followed both of their work for gender equity and the refugee crisis and I’m proud to see such influential people using their platforms for good.
How can our readers follow you online?
You can follow along on my social media @shriyaboppana on Instagram, Tik Tok, Twitter, Facebook, even LinkedIn and Snapchat or my website shriyaboppana.com. And if you’re interested in my work, you can check out my organization at becomingavoice.org. Thank you so much for having me!
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!
About the Interviewer: Monica Sanders JD, LL.M, is the founder of “The Undivide Project”, an organization dedicated to creating climate resilience in underserved communities using good tech and the power of the Internet. She holds faculty roles at the Georgetown University Law Center and the Tulane University Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy. Professor Sanders also serves on several UN agency working groups. As an attorney, Monica has held senior roles in all three branches of government, private industry, and nonprofits. In her previous life, she was a journalist for seven years and the recipient of several awards, including an Emmy. Now the New Orleans native spends her time in solidarity with and championing change for those on the frontlines of climate change and digital divestment. Learn more about how to join her at: www.theundivideproject.org
Young Change Makers Promoting Climate Action: Why and How Shriya Boppana of Becoming A Voice Is… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.