Owen strives to create systemic change by reducing his community’s environmental footprint. He is a co-lead of the Arizona Youth Climate Coalition and recently co-developed the Tucson Unified School District’s (TUSD) Climate Action Resolution. It recently passed by a 4-1 vote and now the District is working on implementing changes. Owen is the only student serving on TUSD’s Bond Oversight Committee and he helps determine the allocation of $480 million from an infrastructure bond. He likes having a voice and encourages other students to get active in their community.  

He says, “Youth have a unique perspective and sharing our experiences is important. They want to hear from us and it’s exciting to see them take our solutions into consideration.” 

Owen is one of the youngest people in the room and is often surrounded by people who haven’t attended school in over 50 years. He takes his vote seriously because it affects 102 schools, serving over 47,000 students.  

He’s also a mentor and current President of the Healthy Living Ambassador Program (HLA). Since starting in 2019, he has seen over 700 young people be positively impacted by the program. He is also a Men4Choice fellow where he has learned effective advocacy skills. Owen has spent hours as an environmental advocate and countless hours teaching others about future challenges our planet faces. 

Owen plans to pursue a degree in political science and always will continue advocating for change.