Meet the interns: Hi, Anna!

January 17, 2018

We’re back with another outstanding intern to introduce you to, Anna! Anna joined WEA as our Communications + Outreach intern and we’re so lucky to have worked with interns, like Anna who are so passionate about empowering other women as well as creating a more sustainable environmental future. This social media savvy woman helped us keep our community up to date and informed on all our work while effectively communicating the passion we all feel for women and the environment. Thanks, Anna!

Read more about the amazing Anna below and what she’s up to!

Name: Anna Pedersen
Hometown: San Luis Obispo, CA
If you had a superpower, it would be (and why):
It would definitely have to be breathing underwater. If would open the door to exploring a whole new realm without depending on any equipment and I could spend hours underwater doing research, photography, or just hanging with the sea creatures.

Why did you want to intern with WEA?

Initially I was searching for an organization to work with alongside my minor, Global Poverty and Practice, and when I came across WEA it seemed too perfect a fit. I love that WEAs work is centered around both women and environmental concerns and the unique approach that WEA has to this area really aligned with my perspectives on development work. There’s no stepping in to ‘help’ women, its working as a support to enable women to feel empowered and able to make the changes they want to see, which is really beautiful.  

 

Tell us about a woman who inspires you.
I am always inspired by Melati and Isabel Wijsen who are two sisters from Bali that started their own non-profit against plastic pollution and worked/protested/fought to ban plastic bags in Bali. They started their organization when they were 10 and 12 because they saw an issue and wanted to address it. They did everything in their power to make the changes they were so passionate about, from beach cleanups-to a hunger strike. Eventually, their voices were recognized by the Governor of Bali, as well as other countries and now they are spreading their voices globally to ban plastic bags. Their story always inspires me, their passion, their dedication, their bravery and the way they are making things happen!
Why women and why the environment?
Because women are amazing! And the environment needs a lot of love right now. The way in which women are marginalized in so many different ways around the world is something that needs to be the center of focus and change if we want to create a healthy, sustainable and equitable planet for life to thrive on. The way things have been going for the last bit of time have taken us in a direction that won’t last long unless we create a paradigm shift and I believe women and the environment both need to be at the center of that shift in moving forward.
 

What does your life outside WEA look like?

I’m currently on a boat out in the Pacific right now, working as a Marine Naturalist for a children’s conservation program on board, so its life at sea for a little while. While I was with WEA though, I was studying Conservation and Environmental Biology at UC Berkeley, with a minor in Global Poverty and Practice. I was wrapping up my last year and spending a lot of time camping, going on adventures to the ocean in Santa Cruz or Marin, and going to different events around the Bay Area.

What’s your favorite thing to do in the Bay Area?

Drive up Panoramic way and just sit and watch the whole Bay Area. It puts so much of what’s happening in this space into perspective and helps me reset. It’s also such a magical view up there. 

 

What are you currently reading / watching / listening to?

I don’t watch too much TV and haven’t had a lot of time to read (sadly) but I’ve been listening to a lot of Parov Stelar, Glass Animals and Flume lately. And when I’m feeling nostalgic, I’ve been throwing it back to Jack Johnson and Pepper.
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