Student Leaders
Cupertino Team co-leads
Sarah is a senior at Monta Vista and a co-lead of the Cupertino Action Team. As a nature enthusiast and climate advocate, she joined SVYCA to educate others and create change within her community by empowering other youth and pushing for more aggressive climate policies. In her free time, she enjoys crying at Disney movies, playing cards with her family, and sleeping.(sliu428@gmail.com)
Sarah Liu
Erinn is a student currently attending Cupertino High. She is a co-lead of the Cupertino Youth Climate Action Team as well as an officer of Cupertino High’s environmental club. After growing up reading encyclopedias and having learned about renewable energy from a TED ed video in 5th grade, her interest in the environment had slowly accumulated and propelled her to join SVYCA in high school. She is highly passionate about advocacy and education in climate and defending our foot on this planet. Colonizing other planets will not be our future for a long time. In her free time, you can find her with windows wide open at midnight, photosynthesizing the street lamps and night air, or writing poems and sketching at 3am. (erinnhuang@gmail.com)
Erinn Huang
Xinpei Lu is currently a senior attending Cupertino High School and co-lead of Cupertino Youth Climate Action Team! (lux733360@gmail.com)
Xinpei Lu
Elise is a senior at Monta Vista High School and has been a co-lead of the Cupertino Action Team since her sophomore year. She joined SVYCA to contribute to climate solutions in her community and integrate social and scientific approaches in her activism efforts. Besides working with youth and participating in advocacy, she enjoys traveling with her family, trying new foods, and watching action and classic Disney films! (elichi8899@gmail.com)
Elise Chiu
Clarabelle is a part of Cupertino High School’s class of 2025. She joined SVYCA in the summer of 2022 and is part of the Cupertino team. She is also part of the Youth Environmental Power Initiative and founded Tino Eco. In her free time she enjoys crocheting and scrapbooking. (clarabelle.wangruiting@gmail.com)
Clarabelle Wang
Purva Marfatia
San Jose team co-leads
Daphne is a junior at Lynbrook High School and a co-lead of the San Jose Youth Climate Action team. Her love of nature since childhood has developed into a passion for environmental preservation, and she hopes that many others will join the global community working to protect our common home. She joined SVYCA to empower herself and other youth to fight for tangible, impactful change. Ever since, she has loved the dedicated and supportive network of fellow advocates that the organization has given her. She is also an officer of her school’s environmental club, site lead in the FUHSD Climate Collective, and Vice Chair of the Valley Water Youth Commission. In her free time, she enjoys going to rhythmic gymnastics practice, hiking, playing clarinet, or reading a new fantasy series.
Daphne Zhu
Mani Bekele is a homeschooled freshman in highschool and a co-lead of the San Jose Youth Climate Action Team. He has always been aware of and passionate about climate action, but got more involved after working with his older sister to give climate literacy presentations to students at their former elementary school. He joined the San Jose Team after attending SVYCA’s 2022 Youth Leadership Summit and has been an active member since, with a particular interest in nature-based and food systems solutions like wildland conservation, community food forests and regenerative agriculture. In his free time, he loves vegetable gardening, vegan cooking, hiking with family, and playing board games, especially chess. (manimandm0@gmail.com)
Mani Bekele
Vaishali Ravikumar is a Junior at Lynbrook High School and a Co-lead for the San Jose Youth Climate Action team. Outside of SVYCA, Vaishali shares her passion for music by being in the choir at her school and loves to help her mom with their backyard garden. She joined SVYCA to help make a change in her community. She loves being a climate advocate and connecting with many different people to keep SVYCA’s efforts moving forward. (vaishaliscr@gmail.com)
Vaishali Ravikumar
Saratoga/Los Gatos Team Co-Lead
George Hu is a student at Saratoga High School and is a co-lead of the Saratoga/Los Gatos. In addition to SVYCA, he's a leader in the Saratoga Green Committee. George fights back against climate change because of the many disasters connected with climate change, and the rising cases of asthma, of which he suffers from. In his free time, George enjoys listening to music, walking his dog, and reading books. (georgehu25@gmail.com)
George Hu
Sunnyvale Action Team co-leads
Jamie Nguyen is a senior at Homestead High School and a co-lead of the Sunnyvale Team. She is deeply passionate about environmental service, science, and advocacy, and loves the work of SVYCA. In her free time, she enjoys soccer, running, and discovering new music. (jamielinnguyen@gmail.com)
Jamie Nguyen
Ishaan is a dedicated youth advocate for the environment and a passionate champion for climate action. With a commitment to the well-being of our planet, Ishaan has tirelessly worked to raise awareness and mobilize communities to address the pressing issues of climate change in the city of Sunnyvale. Driven by a deep-rooted concern for the future of our world, Ishaan has spent years collaborating with environmental organizations, participating in climate rallies, urban development, and engaging with policymakers to push for sustainable policies and practices. (goelishaan2007@gmail.com)
Ishaan Goel
Morgan hill/Gilroy team co-leads
Sofia Ruiz-McGinty is a junior at Live Oak High School and a co-lead of the Morgan Hill Youth Climate Action Team. She joined SVYCA her freshman year because she was looking for an opportunity to make an impact in her community by spreading awareness about the climate crisis to her peers and advocating for comprehensive climate education in schools. She also is a passionate proponent of climate conscious policies to make a difference on a societal level. Sofia is a member of the city of Morgan Hill’s Youth Action Council and president of her school’s Mock Trial Club. In her free time she is an avid reader, runner, music listener and enjoyer of the beach. She is hopeful for a more sustainable future. (ruizmcgintys@gmail.com)
Sofia Ruiz-McGinty
Keerthi is a co-lead of Morgan Hill's Youth Climate Action Team, and a junior at Live Oak High School. She is very passionate in making an active change in her community, and engaing youth in climate friendly policies and activities. At school, she is President of the Mental Wellness Club, an officer of the Girls Stempowerment Club, and organizes multiple mindfulness small groups. In her free time she enjoys dancing, playing tennis, and listening to music. This year, Keerthi hopes to help make changes towards. bigger, brighter, more environmentally friendly future. (menasriram@gmail.com)
Keerthi sriram
Santa Clara County team co-leads
Rosie is a senior at Wilcox High School excited about empowering youth voices to combat climate change. They're passionate about climate education, protecting native wildlife, and green transportation. Besides climate related activities, Rosie enjoys making crafts, doing research, and drinking boba. (rosie.chen2006@gmail.com)
Rosie Chen
Nandana is a sophomore at Santa Clara High School and a co-lead of the Santa Clara City Team. As an advocate for environmental issues, she is committed to mitigating the effects of climate change through spreading awareness. She is also involved in spreading environmental awareness through educating young minds. Driven by a passion to address food insecurity caused by climate change, she is dedicated to finding technological solutions to this critical global challenge. She is currently the co-president of her school’s environmental club. Nandana enjoys playing the violin and drawing. You can also find Nandana volunteering at nature preserves in her free time. (nandanamahesk@gmail.com)
Nandana Maheskumar
Alexis Tan is a sophomore at Santa Clara High School and a student leader of the Transit Team. After installing water bottle fountains at her middle school, she joined SVYCA looking for other ways to support the environment. She is also part of the Santa Clara Youth Climate Team and co-leads an environmental club at her school. In her free time, you can find Alexis reading, drawing, hiking, and photographing wildlife. Through advocating for green policies and spreading environmental awareness she hopes to halt global warming. (alexis.h.tan@gmail.com)
Alexis Tan
San Mateo County team co-leads
Anjuli Mishra is a junior at The Nueva School, leader of the San Mateo County Advocacy Team since Summer of 2022, and currently serves on the San Mateo County Youth Commission. Anjuli is passionate about creating a more sustainable future.(anjuli.mishra2025@gmail.com)
Anjuli MIshra
Jayden Wan is a senior at Burlingame High School, and Co-Lead of San Mateo Youth Climate Action. Hoping to pursue a career in urban studies and sustainability, he's often searching for new ways to further his skills as both an advocate for the environment and as a designer. (jdenwan@gmail.com)
Jayden Wan
State Advocacy team Co-leads
Neha Tadikamalla
Katherine Park
Transit Team Co-Leads
Vasisht Nishtala is currently a junior at Lynbrook High School in California. He joined SVYCA to expand his knowledge of business while helping the community. Vasisht has experience and education in marketing and is looking to expand his skills. Aside from business, he is passionate about physics and chess. He is a USAPhO qualifier and the team captain of his school's chess team.
Vasisht Nishtala
Zachary Pan is a senior at Lynbrook High School. He joined SVYCA to help the environment by advocating for and promoting public transportation in local areas. In his free time, he enjoys playing the violin and badminton, caring for his guinea pigs, and solving math problems.