Hello ACE Community!

My name is Enxhi Popa. I’m a senior at Somerville High School in Somerville, Massachusetts and was recently chosen to be ACE’s New England Youth Representative.

I was born in Albania 16 years ago, a small country in Eastern Europe. Even though it is next to Italy and Greece, not that many people have heard of the name. However, to me “Albania” meant everything because that is where I spent 13 years of my life.

In Albania I did not have the necessary support to develop my skills as a leader or an activist but these roots helped me be where I am today.

In Albania, I saw smoke everywhere. I did not know what to do about it. I remember when I was younger and cars would release smoke in the air and all I did was hold my breath so I would not inhale it. As a 10 year old, that was the biggest action I took: to not allow bad air enter my lungs.

When I moved to America, the air was cleaner and I got a chance to learn more about being a leader and about climate change.

I started working for a non-profit, Groundwork Somerville, in the summer of 2009 and I learned a lot about climate change. I have had the opportunity for the past two years to work with them in gardens in Somerville and other green projects. The Groundwork Somerville Green Team also got me interested in our school green club. I joined the club and shortly after I became Vice-President.

Working with the school green club gives me a chance to share the knowledge that I get from Green Team and ACE with other high schoolers.

Knowledge is one of the most powerful tool that we all have and can share with others. The more I learn about how the temperatures are changing in the atmosphere and of all the waste that humans release, the more I want to do something about this in my home, school, community, the country, and maybe one day Albania too.

I love the work that ACE does throughout the country and I am truly proud to be involved with this organization. ACE has taught me a lot about climate change and mostly inspires me to want to make a change and spread the word. I am really excited for the work that we will do this year.