Dedicated higher education students Avery Spry and Thomas Shumway returned from a trip to the nation’s capital with a renewed understanding of the legislative process. Their concern for the environment prompted the two Western Nevada College (WNC) students to apply for scholarships to attend a national climate conference earlier this month. They aimed to learn how federal government functions, how citizens can lobby, exercise their First Amendment rights, and implement their knowledge to protect the environment.
For Spry, the climate conference was transformative in shaping her career aspirations. “This trip showed me all the things that could be possible in this career field and really opened my eyes to all the ways that everyday people can change the world,” Spry said. “I now aspire to work in the legislature and help protect our environment in any way that I can.”
Spry and Shumway attended the conference in Washington, D.C., on scholarships provided by the Carson City chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby through WNC Foundation. Dr. Tim McFarren of Carson City Climate Lobby accompanied them along with his wife, Dr. Sandra Koch McFarren.
“It was a wonderful experience having the students from WNC participate in the Citizens Climate Lobby conference in Washington, D.C.,” said Dr. Tim McFarren. “These students are bright, engaged and motivated to improve the planet that we live on. They did an amazing job on Capitol Hill discussing real solutions to address climate change with our representatives.”
Conference attendees explored effective climate solutions both nationally and internationally while connecting with other advocates across political spectrums.
“These types of educational experiences bring out the best in our students and help develop their skills and perspectives that will make them succeed in the future,” said WNC President Dr. J. Kyle Dalpe.
Recent climate changes have included more intense storms, rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, species loss, elevated sea levels, warming oceans, melting glaciers, among others.
“I am very concerned about climate change,” Shumway stated. “Knowing more about how we can influence policymakers is important for shaping our future.” He is set to graduate from WNC with an Associate of Arts degree this summer and plans a career in psychology.
Shumway found learning about legislative processes particularly informative: “Primarily, we learned about some current bills such as the PROVE IT Act which would be helpful for increasing clean energy in the U.S.”
Spry noted that her concerns about climate change were alleviated by what she learned at the conference: “I think this conference made me less concerned because I now know all things I can do to help.”
The visit also provided personal insights into federal government operations for Spry: “It was very special to experience our nation’s capital,” she said.
Shumway echoed similar sentiments regarding his time spent at notable landmarks like Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument: “D.C. was special because of amazing people I met there.”
The generosity of Carson City’s Citizens’ Climate Lobby enabled these educational experiences for Spry and Shumway—a fact not lost on them.
“Going on this trip changed my life,” Spry remarked gratefully towards those who supported her journey.
“This trip meant a lot!” added Shumway expressing gratitude towards scholarship providers who facilitated his participation without financial worries.
Drs. Tim & Sandra McFarren believe WNC students represented themselves well demonstrating commitment towards environmental issues during their engagement efforts within D.C.: “Joining over 1k volunteers motivated addressing climate-change excitingly.”
