Meet The Team

Hey everyone!  I'm Ariane “Ari” Jong, a Ph.D. student in Civil & Environmental Engineering at UC Irvine studying the effect of wildfires on floods in southern California.  I've always loved the outdoors, but I first got interested in taking action on climate change when I saw the documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" in my high school biology class.  I couldn't believe that, at the time, almost none of the adults in my life were talking about such a far-reaching issue that was getting worse before my eyes.  So I moved from Long Island, NY to Orange, CA to study Environmental Science & Policy at Chapman University - that's where I discovered my passion was doing scientific research that supports efforts to adapt to and mitigate climate change.  I also joined some local chapters of organizations like Citizens' Climate Lobby, which advocates for bipartisan policies to address climate change because I'm not the kind of scientist that can sit back and wait for my research to be acted on.  After college, I spent 2 years as a Staff Scientist at a nonprofit in LA called the Council for Watershed Health, where I learned how much I enjoy sharing my enthusiasm for science with the public.  These days, you can find me developing a model of the relationship between wildfires, floods, and the built environment as a Ph.D. student at UC Irvine, working with regional agencies like Riverside County Flood Control District to improve emergency planning efforts as well as flood control infrastructure design and maintenance.  Through my work as a scientist and activist, I hope to make southern California a safer and healthier place to live.

If you're reading this you found our website! Welcome! As a young wannabe-filmmaker I spent a majority of my high school and college career binge-watching documentaries. More specifically, I grew a great love for docuseries and exposes that were able to take complex of subjects and essentially translate its contents to be understood by even the most inexperienced viewers. I was - and still am - fascinated by the way documentaries gain rapid popularity, educate (education disguised as entertainment) and bring awareness to populations of people that were previously unaware. An Inconvenient Truth is one of the best examples of this. It came out when I was in the 6th grade and - seemingly overnight - all of my classmates were talking about climate change and (most importantly...as far as a group of 11-year-olds were concerned) the polar bears. I pursued higher education in film and media, always keeping the impact of An Inconvenient Truth in the back of my mind. And as years went on, my love of environmental conservation, sustainability, and eco-friendliness grew. During the 2020 lockdown, I was toying around with the vague project idea of documenting the stories of people in my town who were implementing eco-friendly practices into their everyday lives: Converting their grass lawns into regenerative mini-crops... Joining volunteer groups and holding weekly beach cleanups... Even local activists lobbying for legislation changes. And through a magical turn of events, my path crossed with some youth activists whose bios are featured on this very page. As it turned out, they too had similar ideas for a collaborative project promoting local  environmental initiatives. And so Reform & Sustain was born...

Hello and welcome to Reform and Sustain! I’m Jordyn Murray and I’m a freshman at UC Santa Cruz studying politics with an interest in climate governance and environmental action through public policy. I first became interested in the climate crisis when I was in 8th grade after I visited Alaska and was introduced to the concept of global warming with the melting ice caps in the state. Afterwards, I decided to dedicate more time to researching and educating others on this crisis, heading the Ocean Club at my school, taking AP Environmental Science, and helping start Reform and Sustain! I hoped to find a community of young people with like-minded ideas committed to lobbying representatives and living a more sustainable lifestyle, and I’m happy to say that R&S gave me that space and I look forward to the exciting projects we have planned in the future.

Hello everyone! My name is Haley, and I’m so glad you found our website! I am from Placentia, California. I am currently attending University of Southern California (Fight On!), majoring in Political Science with a focus on Environmental Law. I hope to become a legal advocate for our ecosystems and work against climate change. As a member of Gen Z, I find it especially important for younger generations to be politically active, aware, and engaged in everything we can do to save our environment. We all play a role in taking care of our planet, and helping one another become more aware of the challenges we face brings us one step closer to making a difference. It is never too late to make a change, and you can make a change, even if it means just recycling your plastic water bottles everyday. Even though it sounds cliché, we all contribute to polluting our planet, the cars we drive, the trash we throw away; so your individual actions really do matter, that’s one less piece of plastic in our oceans! 

Hello Everyone!  My name is Chloe, an LA teen into Climate Action.  As a proud plant mommy with a love for all things nature, I have realized the direction our Earth is going.  With the urge to help and do my part I got involved with a global organization, Citizens Climate Lobby, and my high school’s Earth Club.  I began to truly love the work I am doing and wanted to get more in touch with Climate education to the youth.  I was so happy when Jordyn reached out to me to be a part of the core members of Reform and Sustain.  I am so hopeful and ready to see how we grow and educate the youth today to advocate more for our Climate in a multitude of ways.  I can’t wait to communicate with you all more often and I am ready to grow together.

Hi!! I’m Tula, a junior in high school at Orange County School of the Arts. Ever since I joined Citizens Climate Lobby (CCL) in October of 2020, I have been fascinated by environmental justice and advocacy. I have been involved with CCL’s Youth Action Team since around December of 2020, and after participating in their Climate Advocacy Program in April of 2021, I grasped a deep understanding on lobbying, media outreach, youth advocacy and the different forms of effective communication. As someone living in the generation of our future leaders, I feel that it is my obligation to advocate for the health of our planet. After all, true climate advocacy starts with taking responsibility for our actions. There is nothing I love more than seeing others take small steps towards creating change for our planet. Thank you so much for your interest in Reform and Sustain, let’s move forward together!

I am a current senior at Rosary Academy (Class of '22). My future ambitions involve fighting for social justice and fair treatment for individuals as well as the environment. This year, I was chosen as the Rosary Academy Delegate to Girl's State. My time at Girl's State gave me a taste of what policy-making and government is like. I'm excited to continue my studies of law and political science in college next school year. I am the Vice-President of my class and a four-year varsity softball player (and CIF champ!). Sometimes taking small steps is just as important as big ones. As a Reform& Sustain ambassador, I try to spread awareness on my own campus though sharing and promoting R&S events and opportunities - and exploring additional opportunities. Thanks for checking out the website!