This past month we welcomed three new Campaign Interns to our statewide team! Over the next weeks, we’d love to introduce you to our newest team members and let you get to know them. First, meet Sia Gaind! We asked her some great questions to learn more about her.

Share a little about your story!

Though I primarily grew up in the Seattle area, Washington’s nature and greenery always amazes me. I love day trips to different hikes and trails in the area. In high school, I developed an interest for law and politics. Through my internship at Futurewise, I hope to deepen my passion for law while protecting the environment I grew up in and making it a better place for everyone.

Why do you believe in Futurewise’s work? Why do you think what we do is important?

As someone who had a daily commute time of an hour when getting to and from school, I strongly understand Futurewise’s mission in connecting communities and reducing sprawl. Additionally, I took an environmental science course in high school, where I learned about different factors that contribute to climate change. I hope to tackle these issues as a part of the Futurewise team.

Share a little bit about the work you do outside of Futurewise.

I’m a freshman at UW Seattle – I plan to double major in economics and mathematics. When I’m not interning or at school, I’m typically exploring Seattle with friends.

What’s your favorite thing about living in Washington?

Washington’s duality! I love being able to see both Seattle downtown and Mount Rainier from my dorm balcony. The general climate is also nice (even the rain!).

If you could snap your fingers and fix one issue facing our state, what would it be?

Definitely urban sprawl. Learning about the detrimental effects of sprawl in my high-school AP Environmental Science class made me more conscious of how driving pollution and urban heat islands in cities, and how it increases the negative impact of climate change.

Once again, we are so excited to have Sia join our team through the upcoming legislative session, and if you want to say hello or learn how to get involved with Sia, you can always email her at sia@futurewise.org