“I’ve always thought that I truly have the power to make change and as long as you try to make positive change that’s all that matters,” says junior Sreya Patri.  

Climate change and the environment have always been important topics for Junior Sreya Patri. “Personally, I’m an empathetic person and I really believe in and care about the causes around me. I believe that we should live our lives with purpose, and one of the main issues I care about is climate change.”

Patri has already been involved with the climate change organizations Greenpeace and the midwest-based Sierra Club, but recently, Patri decided to start an environmental chapter at Eden Prairie. The chapter is called Earth Endeavors,  a branch of Earth Uprising that is led by high schoolers worldwide. The goal of Earth Endeavors and Earth Uprising is to advocate for climate justice. Patri’s main goals with Earth Endeavors are to unite Eden Prairie students and get them involved with local climate affairs and legislators.

Patri believes that there is a lot of room to get involved in the cause. “I noticed that, especially as we live in Eden Prairie, there’s kind of a disjoint between what we as youth can do to advocate for our climate. It kind of seems like all the action takes place at the capitol in Minnesota,” says Patri. “I thought that starting this chapter  would be the best way to increase climate participation In Eden Prairie and really tell other students that it is possible to make a change, even though we’re in the suburbs.”

Outside of her work with climate change, Patri is also a member of the EPHS Speech Team and has placed multiple times this year. Patri joined the activity in her freshman year and considers it one of the most valuable activities she has been part of. “When I joined Speech Club I was able to make connections with the people around me, and I learned what it means to inspire other people,” she says. “It’s given me the confidence to be a good public speaker. I’m not scared to voice my opinions.”

Patri competes in the storytelling category. “The way you win in my category is when you make a judge laugh or cry or really move them. So, I’ve learned how to use my facial expressions and I’ve learned how to tell better jokes than before and be funny, extravagant, and extroverted.” She is grateful for all the ways speech has helped her get out of her shell. 

Another big part of her life is music. Patri has played the piano for 12 years and started playing the violin in sixth grade. She is currently in the Eden Prairie High School orchestra. 

When thinking about the future, Patri wants to major in political science and is considering a minor in music as well as French. She isn’t quite sure where she wants to go to college yet but is considering a wide variety of schools including local and reach schools like Yale or NYU. Wherever she goes, Patri hopes to continue her work with climate change and help make a difference in the world.