During my senior year in high school， my AP Environmental Science teacher showed The Story of Stuff， a video that first exposed me to some of the most prominent sustainability issues regarding water sources. The ten-minute clip was able to captivate me as I began to realize that having access to clean and safe water was a privilege rather than a human right that ensures equal distribution. This marked the beginning of my cultivated interest in studying and advocating for water rights as I learned the importance of water conservation and waste management at the forefront of climate change.While working on NYU’s fossil fuel divestment campaign， I was invited to speak about the global water crisis at the national youth climate change conference， Power Shift 2013， as a panelist representing New York State Coalition. The event allowed me to meet with many of the nation’s leading environmental organizations including Food & Water Watch that later hired me as the new Campaign Director for the tap water campaign at New York University， which is now known as Take Back the Tap NYU.I was able to revive a nationwide movement on my campus to promote safe tap water as the smartest choice for the environment， the economy， and public health. Water is one of the basic elements that sustain life on Earth. Our existence is dependent on the presence of H2O and that is why Take Back the Tap NYU is committed to help break the bottled water habit at school and in our neighborhoods. Instead of purchasing overpriced bottled water that contributes to ecosystem degradation， people deserve free access to high quality water on campus and beyond. We are a group of students who have organized at school and have asked decision makers to stop serving bottled water in dining halls， provide filtered water reiflling stations for reusable water bottles， and host bottled water-free events. The campaign is quickly building momentum as activists continue to collaborate with administrators at NYU and Food & Water Watch on designing a public awareness campaign and preparing to eliminate bottled water from campus. The university has agreed in the past to no longer include bottled water in meal plans for on-campus dining facilities but Take Back the Tap members will continue to push our efforts in hopes of bringing New York University closer to a bottle-free campus.As a youth activist， I am standing for the recognition that social support systems and improved infrastructure be prioritized in order to ensure long-term resilience to climate change exacerbated impacts. The advancement of sustainable development， renewable energy sources， efficient waste management， and smart growth initiatives need to see faster progression in the near future. The health of our communities should be placed at top priority and that starts with more attention being focused on environmental issues. The protection of natural resources such as clean air， water， and soil ensures a foundation of healthy neighborhoods where generations of community members will continue to thrive in.Being a grassroots organizer on multiple campaigns has also granted me the privilege of hearing the stories of inspiring young individuals and leaders from a diversity of cultures that really fosters a sense of international unity to address the present climate crisis. As more climate change-exacerbated disasters continue to strike the most vulnerable areas， there is a generated sense of real urgency and hunger to mitigate and adapt to global warming immediately. It is incredibly essential for youth to express and stand up for their beliefs in local communities， but also through international platforms.