Paola Moncada is a Miami native since birth and attends Coral Reef Senior High School as an International Baccalaureate student. She identifies closely with her parent’s Colombian and Nicaraguan heritage and is the youngest of two siblings in her family. After spending a whole summer in the beautiful and progressive city of Medellin, Colombia, she knew right away that she wanted to help her city change for the better. Upon participating in a sustainable development summer course, Paola became aware of the implications the climate crisis has on the livelihood and homes of the people all over the world, especially in her hometown. Thus, she became eager for chances to help out in the community with things like recycling efforts and school projects. Through the CLEO Institute, Paola earned a Climate Speaker Certification and became a leader of environmental consciousness at her high school. She is President of her school’s environmental club, where she aims to teach students about climate science, channel a sense of purpose, and ultimately provide an outlet for student activists. As a 2020 ACE Fellow, she aims to expand her impact across the city. 

Paola is ecstatic to help give the climate crisis the attention deserves in the next elections. Ultimately, her goal in Fellowship is to expand the percentage of registered voters that are young and pro-climate policy. She believes that power comes from the polls, and young voters can direct that power. Paola hopes to teach and inspire young leaders to harness their vibrant energy and love for the earth toward manifesting change within their communities.