Regina Hall Instagram – This week my #WCW goes to 21-year old environmental justice advocate Wanjiku “Wawa” Gatheru (@wawa_gatheru). Wawa is a talented vocalist, an introvert and self-proclaimed nerd, and the first black person ever to receive the Rhodes, Truman, and Udall, three of the most prestigious scholarships available (give her her flowers!) An #EnvironmentalStudies major at @UConn, Wawa spearheaded a “Ban the Bottle” initiative, which succeeded in persuading several on-campus retailers to stop selling bottled water and led a survey of #FoodInsecurity on campus so impressive that it’s been cited in both federal and #StateLegislation. Next fall, at @Oxford_uni in England, Wawa will pursue dual master’s degrees in #nature, society, and environmental governance and evidence-based social intervention and policy evaluation, with a particular focus on the barriers that prevent people of color from participating in #ConservationEfforts. And as if that’s not PLENTY, she also aspires to eventually run for Congress, perhaps becoming the first Black #congresswoman from Connecticut’s 2nd Congressional District. Follow Wawa at @wawa_gatheru and @blackgirlenvironmentalist “The environmental movement is at a crucial crossroads. We have only 12 years to create climate policy that works to both decarbonize our economy and center equity. I want to help make that happen.”