Nature was a big part of my upbringing. My parents emigrated from South Korea in the late ’80s, and being outdoors was a source of comfort and familiarity to them that they passed on to me. Later, when I studied business in college, I focused on marketing and communication design, which examines how messaging—both visual and verbal—can influence people’s decisions, whether it’s buying a product, taking up a cause, or figuring out what to cook for dinner. When I started at WWF in 2015, climate activism was finally starting to enter mainstream conversations on a more regular basis, and I knew I wanted to contribute.
Outside the bubble
When I joined WWF’s Activism and Outreach team, I was a little self-conscious that I didn’t have a ton of experience in nonprofits or activism. Now I understand that part of what makes WWF effective is the diversity of strengths and perspectives that so many of us bring to our roles. Our varied personal and professional backgrounds can be strong assets when we reach out to those outside the bubble of environmental activism.
WWF doesn’t just partner with other NGOs. We work with corporations, high school students, academics, tech companies—the list goes on. My job is to figure out how to engage with different kinds of people about the breadth of WWF’s work—from climate change to wildlife trafficking to plastic pollution and beyond. Environmental issues affect people and communities in so many different ways, and it’s important to learn about these differences so that we can figure out the best ways to help amplify their stories.
