Spotlight: Nadia Shutov
By: Audrey Lin
An inspiring leader from the Fairfax County CCL chapter as well as the National Youth Action Team, Nadia Shutov has accomplished outstanding work that has reached both a national and local audience, and we are so proud of her! Keep reading if you want to learn more about Nadia’s CCL journey or her tips for youth who want to get involved.
Nadia lobbying her member of Congress (MOC), in 2022, with fellow members of her local chapter.
Nadia’s interest in climate activism stemmed from her mother. In Nadia’s own words, “Because [my mother was] so knowledgeable about environmental issues, she taught me about the dangers of climate change from a young age. Once I knew how serious a problem climate change was, I became really motivated to do the best I can to reduce climate pollution.”
Since her first introduction to the organization, she has enjoyed a multitude of opportunities to present her work at influential conferences. For example, a few years ago, Nadia presented at the Junior State of American conference in Washington D.C. Furthermore, she uses her skills to lead lobby training events. For example, she organized one for the FXB Climate Advocates, an international organization for youth climate activists. She states that this opportunity was “one of the coolest opportunities I’ve had with the National Youth Action Team because I got to connect with youth from all over the world!” Recently, Nadia also helped found her school’s National Electrification Challenge team, where she pushes her school district to reduce carbon emissions. Nadia hopes to reach “more people about the significance of climate change and empower them to help make a difference.”
Nadia tables for CCL at an event with her chapter last spring.
As the co-leader of the Outreach Team, Nadia helps to recruit new members to the National Youth Action Team. Her advice to someone, who wants to get involved in climate activism or CCL, is to “get yourself out there and try new things. You might be nervous at first and feel like you don’t know how to make a difference, but if you try new things, you’ll create so many amazing opportunities for yourself.”
The Youth CCL Blog is constantly inspired by leaders like Nadia. We urge readers to join the movement by visiting https://youth.citizensclimatelobby.org/.
Audrey Lin is a junior from ‘Iolani School in Honolulu, Hawai’i and calls the California Bay Area home. She is a a co-leader of the Hawai’i CCL Youth Action Team.
