Country: United States

About: Isay is a community leader from California who addresses both youth issues and environmental conservation through her woodworking workshops that she hosts for kids and families in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has been a youth leader at the Mid-Peninsula Boys & Girls Clubs since the age of 14, and at NYU where is now, she is completing a degree in environmental studies with a concentration in projecting sea level rise for vulnerable island communities in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Her hope is to foster the next generation of scientists and product designers that use sustainability as a way to mitigate climate change and its negative effects on low-income communities.

When creating change from the ground up, one takes on the very challenging role of relentlessly representing the communities they come from. Coming from the San Francisco Bay Area, where being an outspoken leader is quite normal, I find that at times, my fellow leaders in the community burn themselves out in the midst of fighting for the causes that they care about. Although the issues we fight for stem from personal experiences, we also have to be aware of our personal mental health. For me, pushing towards social change lso means knowing when to nourish my mind and body so that I can continue to show up and advocate for the youth in my community. As a young person training even younger individuals to articulate problems and ideate solutions for environmental and educational issues in the Bay Area, emphasizing mental health in advocacy is more important than ever.

Recipe for Change: Here are my steps to aligning your advocacy with your personal well-being.

1. Practice saying “No”. As community leaders, it is natural to want to take on tasks that go beyond your issue of focus, especially if you yourself experience more than one challenge. However, taking on too much responsibility can prevent you from making the tangible impact you want to make. Practice saying phrases like “As much as I would like to help you with  ____, right now, a lot of my energy is going towards ____.”.
   
2. Use your creativity to address more than one topic. If there is more than one issue that matters to you, instead of taking on tasks from each issue separately, try and think of ways that you might blend them together. For instance, a workshop that teaches creativity in woodworking is also an opportunity to teach youth how birch trees are sourced from forests across North America.
   
3. Schedule time for yourself to heal. No social issue is easy to address. Writing letters, making phone calls, and mobilizing youth take up a lot of physical, emotional, and mental energy. Whether that healing is making art, practicing a sport, or going for a walk, purposely make time for it.
   
4. Give yourself distance when necessary. Our dedication to social change is marked by the way we present ourselves to the rest of the world: our thoughts, beliefs, and modes of expression. Sometimes I find myself so engrossed in my work that I forget to zoom out and reflect on what I am doing. Give yourself the opportunity to take breaks, zoom out, and keep an open mind to the other ways that your work can manifest. I’ve drawn inspiration from artists, activists, and even my friends, even when I’m not on the ground.

Recipe: California-Style Shrimp Tacos

Growing up in my own culture and those of my neighbors in California, my favorite has always been seafood tacos. Over the years, I’ve modified these tacos to incorporate meat and spices from different cuisines including my own, but the recipe I am sharing is the classic shrimp taco, which is what I make for myself and my friends the most. This recipe serves four people because it’s best served when with good company. My drink of choice with these tacos is horchata or thai milk tea.

INGREDIENTS:

TACOS

Juice of 3 limes

1 tbsp. freshly chopped cilantro

2 minced garlic cloves

½ tsp. cumin

1 tbsp. olive oil

Zest of 1 lime

Salt

1 lb. peeled shrimp

8 corn tortillas

FOR THE CABBAGE SLAW

1 c. shredded green cabbage

¼ c. cilantro

⅓ of a red onion, thinly sliced

½ avocado, thinly sliced

Juice of 1 lime

1 tbsp. olive oil

Salt

FOR THE GARLIC-LIME MAYO

⅓ cup mayo

2 tbsp. hot sauce 

Zest of 1 lime

½ tsp. garlic powder

Salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Mix together lime juice, cilantro, garlic, cumin, olive oil, lime zest and salt in a large bowl. Toss in the shrimp, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, then let marinate for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
   
2. SLAW: In another bowl, mix together all of the cabbage, cilantro, red onion, avocado, lime juice, and olive oil. Season with salt as desired.
   
3. MAYO SAUCE: In a separate bowl, combine the mayo, hot sauce, lime zest, and garlic powder. Whisk and season with salt.
   
4. Preheat the grill or pan to medium heat. Grill shrimp until pink, which is about 3 minutes per side.
   
5. Warm the tortillas on a griddle or pan, then assemble the tacos. On top of the shrimp, add a scoop of cabbage slaw and drizzle the mayo sauce. If desired, garnish with cilantro and serve.