From the president
Clara Lee ’26, a major in Environmental Studies and Chemistry at Swarthmore College, is deeply passionate, intellectually curious, and civically engaged both on and off campus. Even before joining the Swarthmore College community, Clara has demonstrated thoughtful and active participation in many environmental justice and sustainability initiatives. For instance, Clara leads a Lab Waste Project that aims to significantly reduce rubber glove waste in chemistry labs. She is also an active member of Campus Coalition Concerning Chester (C4), a student group that supports an environmental justice organization, Chester Residents Concerned for Quality Living (CRCQL). Currently, Clara is developing a project to uplift the voices of Asian-American activists in environmental justice movements in the US and beyond. Clara stands as a key player in the next generation of public problem-solvers and civic leaders.
Personal Statement
While my passion for the climate initially began after witnessing Hurricane Ida impact my hometown, my time at Swarthmore broadened the scope of that passion and introduced me to concepts like environmental justice (EJ), as well as the intersections between EJ and environmental science. Most of my activism work is for Campus Coalition Concerning Chester (C4), an on-campus EJ group that works with Chester Residents Concerned for Quality Living (CRCQL), another EJ organization based in Chester, PA, where America’s largest incinerator currently lies. I use my work for C4 as a way to combine my interests in EJ with my love for graphic design, as I often create infographics and social media posts to further the cause. I am also working to improve Swarthmore’s sustainability efforts by developing a plan to reduce and more sustainably process waste from the Chemistry teaching labs. For my personal endeavors, I am currently working on a project to amplify the voices of Asian-American activism in EJ movements across the world and country.