Hi, I’m Atessa, a current SHC senior. Climate change and environmental activism are of utmost importance to me, and through my i2 projects I hope to educate myself and others about the ways that we can live with more compassion for the natural world.
As Editor-in-Chief of our school’s newspaper, the Emerald, I believe that raising awareness, whether in my community or globally, is the first step to major change. Over the past couple of summers, I have learned research techniques and done projects studying the impact of habitat loss on wildcat extinction risk as well as studying diversity and inclusion in the local climate activism movement. I currently teach paddle boarding lessons in the San Francisco Dogpatch — an experience that continues to deepen my appreciation of our city’s natural habitats, which exist even along a waterfront filled with industrial relics.
Additionally, I enjoy reading, writing, playing piano, hiking in the Sierras, and swimming on my school and club teams.

MY BLOGS

Designing the Survey: Qualitative Research

Over the past few months, I’ve worked with multiple researchers to learn about creating and analyzing data from surveys. I dipped my toes into the water (and got the idea for my project!) by working with a UCSF educational scientist in the UC Center for Climate, Health and Equity. She and her team were analyzing […] Read more

i2 Journey: 2021-2022

After immersing myself in two different but related projects for my first two years of i2, I want to build on what I’ve learned and incorporate quantitative data. Redefining Organic taught me so much about the agriculture industry, and how “organic” labels really don’t mean much when it comes down to the transparency of the final […] Read more

i2 Projects

Climate Change and the High School Curriculum

Why are we not acting to prevent irreversible climate change? Why do we not talk about this global crisis? How are Bay Area high school teachers addressing climate change in the classroom? Are they addressing it? I conducted a survey of local high school teachers from across disciplines to get a better sense of how climate change is being taught in one of the most environmentally conscious cities in the world.

Project details

Growing Hope: An Urban Planting Guide

We've all owned a plant or two and watched it wilt despite our best efforts — so how can that be prevented and how can that plant benefit the world most? Growing regeneratively, with the techniques nature has practiced for millennia, provides an answer. This project hopes to be a concise and understandable guide on growing plant life in a city, no matter how small the plot of soil.

Project details

Redefining Organic

This project aims to inform consumers if their food is completely sustainable, including packaging, shipment, pesticide use, and other factors. Many people end up paying extra money to buy organic produce, personal care products, textiles, and more. But are these products actually sustainable for the environment? Currently, an "organic" label can mean anything from 70% - 100% pesticide free, and in many cases, is very loosely enforced. All products should cause minimal impact on the environment.

Project details