As a recent sustainability graduate of Arizona State University, I’m excited to join the workforce and dedicate myself to protecting and maintaining the health of our state’s landscapes and people. At 22 years old, the prospect of having my whole life ahead of me should fill me with hope.

But as a climate justice organizer since my teens, it’s been increasingly hard to not be caught up in the feeling that our ongoing drought has not only taken our water with it, but also our hope.