Reflecting on My Fellowship with Gratitude and Inspiration

My name is Laura Gomez, and as my time as the Ipsos Climate Ambassador Fellow with ecoAmerica comes to a close, I’ve been reflecting on what an incredible journey this has been. When I first began the fellowship, I was a little nervous. I have always cared deeply about climate action, but I wasn’t sure how I would fit into such an accomplished program. That uncertainty faded quickly once I became part of a team that valued collaboration, purpose, and learning.

Throughout the fellowship I worked on projects that strengthened my skills in outreach and communication. I supported efforts to grow the Climate Ambassador network by researching youth and community organizations and identifying opportunities for collaboration. I learned how to shape messages that help people connect to ecoAmerica’s programs and see themselves as part of the climate movement.

A big part of my work focused on storytelling. I wrote and edited a blog about Climate Ambassadors “Leading Locally: How Climate Ambassadors Are Sparking Change Across Communities”, helped outline ideas for youth engagement projects, and supported the creation of materials for the Ambassador Community. I also helped plan ways for Ambassadors to share their stories and inspire local action. These projects taught me how creativity and communication can spark real change when shared in the right way.

One of my favorite experiences was working with the team to design the Day in My Life social media series. We created content that showed what climate leadership looks like in everyday life. This project helped me see how storytelling can make the work feel personal and meaningful while inspiring others to take part.

Another highlight was attending the Spanish Community Call. Growing up translating for my family in both English and Spanish taught me how powerful inclusion can be. That call created a warm and welcoming space for Spanish-speaking Ambassadors and reminded me that climate action grows stronger when everyone can be part of the conversation.

I am deeply grateful to everyone at ecoAmericafor creating a program that values people as much as progress. This fellowship showed me that climate leadership is built on genuine connection and a shared sense of purpose rooted in care for people and the planet. Even though I didn’t meet everyone on the team, I felt their support and commitment throughout my time here. Each person plays an important role, and together they create a space that inspires lasting impact.

This fellowship gave me new skills and a deeper understanding of what it means to lead with intention. I am grateful for everything I learned and ready to keep working toward a future where people and the planet thrive together.

About the Author

Laura Gomez, Ipsos Climate Ambassador Fellow at ecoAmerica, is passionate about building community-driven climate solutions through collaboration, policy, and public engagement.

ecoAmerica is a nonprofit organization that moves society toward climate solutions by engaging and supporting trusted national institutions to inspire and empower their millions of members in local communities across America to visibly act and advocate for ambitious, just, climate mitigation, resilience, and restoration.