HWS News
4 December 2019 Campaign for Sustainability in Texas
Karen Bulnes '21, a double major in political science and philosophy, worked to amplify the dialogue around sustainability and climate action as she canvassed for the Texas Campaign for the Environment initiative last summer.
The Texas Campaign of the Environment mobilizes citizens to have a voice when it comes to the safety and preservation of the environment. The grassroots initiative has a presence in all 181 legislative districts in Texas and champions issues such as passing statewide environmental legislation to reduce air pollution, curbside recycling and composting in various cities and a single-use bag ban in Austin.
Located in Dallas for the summer, Bulnes daily tasks included membership recruitment and education, fundraising and letter-writing campaigns. Through door-to-door canvassing, Bulnes says she learned the importance of nonpartisan outreach and coalition building to help achieve the organizations goals.
Bulnes hopes to become a politician or launch a career in public policy. She says her experience at HWS has improved her ability to communicate and connect with constituents. "My public policy and political science classes at HWS have taught me the importance of coalition building. As a result, I am able to speak confidently to the people I meet about the importance of their signing onto the campaign," she says.
On campus, Bulnes is a founding member of the Feelgood club, a national effort to end extreme poverty by 2030.