Meet Saleta Ameixeiras, one of our many Scholars who are taking action today to change our world for the better.
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Name: Saleta Ameixeiras VLI Cohort: Cohort 12 Home Country: Spain Social Issues that you are passionate about: Environment, Leadership Development, Media/Journalism |
Saleta is a rising leader from Spain passionate about empowering young people towards taking action against climate change. She is participating in the Atlas Corps: Spain & Andorra Climate Resilience Leadership Initiative, a special partnership with BioAgradables, supported by the U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Spain and Andorra. This initiative is working to advance citizen engagement in Spain and Andorra in the fight against the climate crisis and deepen mutual understanding and collaboration between Americans and the people of Spain and Andorra, in advocating climate resilience.
Today, Saleta shares what she looks forward to during the Virtual Leadership Institute and how she plans to inspire positive change.
What does leadership mean to you and how will VLI contribute to your growth as a leader?
In my opinion, leadership is the superpower of transforming our reality and improving our standards of living. It is the capacity of convincing people to work together to achieve an objective in common.
From the VLI, I hope to gain a global network to build a better society and support each other in our projects. Secondly, I would like to achieve the key soft skills [and self-confidence] to become a climate leader and carry out my project wherever it was necessary.
How has your VLI experience been so far?
I am learning a lot about the theory of change which permits me to have a broader vision of my leadership project, taking into account all aspects which influence or affect the project’s success. Furthermore, I find really interesting the possibility of sharing ideas and giving support to a colleague of the same cohort with similar concerns and vice versa (accountability buddy program). Extra activities, for instance, the leadership sessions with different institutions planned for the following weeks are a stunning way of expanding our knowledge to real life and also seeing leadership case studies.
What do you hope to gain for the VLI?
First of all, I hope to gain a network of people from all over the world with similar concerns and enthusiasm to build a better society and support each other in our projects. Secondly, I would like to achieve the key soft skills to become a climate leader and carry out my project wherever it was necessary.
Tell us about your Leadership Project and why it matters?
My leadership project consists of teaching young people about climate change topics through training in schools, youth associations, and other institutions in an engaging way, avoiding eco-anxiety and depression.
I have been a climate leader since 2020, after online training at The Climate Reality Project, a non-profit institution founded by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore. After the training, I received a vast quantity of documentation with the aim of giving training to other on climate change awareness, its causes, consequences, and possible solutions; however, I never did that because of my lack of self-esteem and confidence which I would like to overcome after the Virtual Leadership Institute.
Thank you, Saleta, for sharing your leadership journey with us. We wish you and your fellow Cohort the best of luck in the program!
Photos from Saleta’s personal archive.
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