Francesca is a junior at The George Washington University studying International Affairs (with a concentration in International Environmental Studies) and minoring in Journalism/Mass Communication and Sustainability. Francesca is passionate about international environmental advocacy and conservation, and the essential role that storytelling and communication play in these fields.

Francesca’s love for travel is what got sparked her interest in global environmental advocacy in the first place. In 2016, she embarked on a service trip to Nicaragua that exposed her to the severe effects of drought on the country’s food supply and livelihood. Since then, Francesca has participated in meaningful environmental service in Italy, Ecuador, Argentina, Puerto Rico, and Utah. As a first-generation Filipino-American, Francesca is especially interested in environmental and conservation issues in her home country. Notably, a report published in 2019 by the Institute for Economics and Peace named the Philippines as the country most at risk from climate change.

At The George Washington University, Francesca is the co-president of GW UNICEF, works as a Community Engagement Assistant for Sustainable GW, and has interned for the communications teams at the Council on Foreign Relations and USAID. She has also filmed two mini environmental films that were selected as finalists for Planet Forward’s annual storytelling competition. Francesca is the Director of Outreach and Marketing for ThinkOcean, an international environmental NGO present in over 20 countries. In her role, she runs ThinkOcean’s digital advocacy initiatives, social media accounts and blog, and leads a creative team.

In her free time, Francesca loves singing, songwriting, hiking, thrifting, and taking photos. She is ecstatic to be an intern at Mongabay this summer!