News from campus and beyond

Student voices: How youth can influence the (Up)state of climate change


Last updated July 5, 2022

By Tina Underwood

In partnership with the Greenville Journal, The Riley Institute at Furman University presents an annual student op-ed contest “Mightier than the Sword.” The inaugural winner of this year’s event went to Furman’s Chloe Sandifer-Stech ’23 who responded to the prompt “How can young people advance climate action in the Upstate over the next five years?”

For the contest, which engages Furman students and the broader community around critical issues in the world, Sandifer-Stech posed three ways to reduce our carbon footprint. Her essay touches on issues to be explored at StraightTalk 2022 set to begin Aug. 30 – “A New Climate Movement: Acting on Solutions that Work,” a three-part series presented by the Riley Institute and Furman’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.

Sandifer-Stech is studying environmental sciences and philosophy at Furman. She grew up in Beijing, China, where she became curious about the negative effects of human activity on climate. After graduating, she aims to work as an environmental policy analyst at a nonprofit or think tank.

Contact Us
Clinton Colmenares
Director of News and Media Strategy