America Leon

Background

About America Leon

I am a third-year student at the University of California, Berkeley, majoring in Chicanx Latinx Studies on a pre-law track. As a writer and passionate advocate for environmental justice, educational equity, and carceral justice, I am seeking opportunities to learn more about how we can leverage public policy to effect systemic change. I currently work as a community health reporter at The CC Pulse, a Bay Area news outlet and youth media organization, where I report on local news, raise awareness about health inequities, and write commentary pieces. Emphasizing the importance of written communication to ignite societal change and as a mechanism for keeping people informed about critical issues, I have written and published several op-ed pieces, including an editorial in The New York Times titled "Cheap for You. Costly for the Environment." which criticizes the food industry for its detrimental impact on the environment. I also worked as a climate justice organizer in a youth-led organization called Youth Vs. Apocalypse that mobilizes activists to create policy change and fight for a livable climate and an equitable world, furthering my interest in environmentalism and sustainability.