Student Spotlight: Esther Duong

"I truly grew up as an activist, a leader, a team-player, and a person overall during my time in SVYCA. Before college, climate change was taught and told to me in a very negative light, with the assumption that we could do very little to reverse these catastrophic consequences. However, SVYCA taught me that youth have so much power within politics and legislation to demand fast and effective change that our generation and future generations rightfully deserve.”

Hello! My name is Esther Duong and I’m a fourth-year UC Davis student majoring in Environmental Policy Analysis and Planning with a minor in Landscape Restoration. I joined SVYCA in 2020 as a high school senior and was an active member and leader for four years. 

I joined SVYCA in July 2020, organizing and moderating various workshops highlighting climate change resources and skills for advocacy. I then became a co-lead of the San Jose City Action Team (SJCAT) from August 2020 to September 2021. I recruited and trained seven high school peers to the team, where we successfully advocated for the implementation of the San Jose Updated Natural Gas Prohibition Ordinance, the Santa Clara County Sustainability Council, and the San Jose Carbon Neutrality 2030 Resolution. My experience in SJCAT taught me so much about the public policy process—through countless long nights drafting public comments and presentations for city council members and city staff—and what it took to be an effective and team-oriented leader. I developed a new appreciation for grassroots advocacy at the local level  - where many people feel the most impact in their lives, but rarely engage politically.

In the latter half of 2021 onto 2022, my focus shifted to environmental science education when I joined the Climate Literacy Team. Through these efforts, I helped create a climate change education curriculum that focused on both climate science and the climate solutions high school students could implement in their everyday lives. With the help of other SVYCA members, our educational videos were presented to over 10,000 high school students at Fremont Union High School District and beyond, receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback from students and teachers alike.

My policy efforts have resulted in me receiving recognition from Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE), Climate Smart San Jose, and Congressman Ro Khanna.

Esther Duong with her Urban Forestry Internship team after a tree planting

Besides my policy work, I organized and moderated a San Jose City candidate forum in October 2020 where District 4 city council candidates, David Cohen and Lan Diep, were invited to discuss legislative solutions to global warming and effective city-level policy-making to combat the climate crisis.

Most notably, I organized two Green Careers Bus Tours in the summers of 2022 and 2023. These multi-day events took SVYCA members across Silicon Valley to the headquarters of industry leaders in sustainability, such as Google, Delta Electronics, and Crissy Fields. Over twenty high school and college students every year were exposed to the vast diversity of green jobs awaiting them and current industry trends in climate-orientated careers. From spearheading outreach, coordinating company tours, programming, and logistical day-of execution, I developed strong skills in event organization and networking. It was wonderful to give back to the SVYCA community and support them as they go off on their professional journeys outside of SVYCA.

A site visit during my environmental planning internship

When I took AP Environmental Science in high school, I thought the only career paths I could pursue to help combat climate change were in the sciences (which disheartened me, as someone wary of chemistry, physics, and the like). However, my time at SVYCA exposed me to a wide range of environmental industries and jobs where I discovered my passion for the policy and humanities side of environmental studies. I was inspired to pursue environmental policy and planning at UC Davis, one of the few California universities that specializes in such a topic.

I’ve truly explored my different interests and passions in college. I interned at the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Gardens Learning by Leading program for three years, developing my interests in urban ecology and horticulture. I also had the opportunity to complete an environmental planning internship at a consulting firm, working with cities in their General Plans, housing development, and environmental justice initiatives. Last summer, I was able to study abroad in the Netherlands to learn about bicycle infrastructure, sustainable urban planning, and a successful multi-modal transportation system. Currently, I’m interning with UC Davis Facilities Management to facilitate Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for on-campus buildings, gaining experience in sustainability standards that influence how our cities are made.

Fellow SVYCA Member Gwyn and I at the 2025 California Environmental Assembly at UC Davis King Hall

I have had the wonderful opportunity to attend the 2024 and 2025 California Environmental Assembly hosted by the Planning and Conservation League at UC Davis King Hall. Representing SVYCA with fellow SVYCA alumni and UC Davis student Gwyn Azar, I got to hear from various activists, policymakers, and lawyers about how we can utilize state legislation to encourage affordable housing, utilize nature-based solutions, and promote environmental justice within the urban planning space. So used to viewing California environmental issues through academic papers and outdated case studies, it was eye-opening to see the monumental impact advocates and government workers have enacted and are working towards now and into the future. It only reaffirmed my aspirations of working at the intersection between urban planning and conservation, bridging a gap that many people emphasized at the conference that must be addressed through policy and community action.

After graduation, I plan to take a gap year before pursuing a master’s degree in urban planning. I hope to combine my interests in urban ecology (nature-centric) with urban planning and public policy (human-centric). My dream job would allow me to combine urban planning and the conservation and restoration of native ecosystems.