I want unity. I live in Antioch, California, one of the most diverse mid-sized cities in the US. As someone who's lived here my entire life, I see the beauty in my community's differences, yet I cannot ignore the division that exists alongside it. This division scares me. This division scares all of us. How can we overcome the systemic divisions that have existed for decades? How can we unite our people? How can we set ourselves free? I don't have all of the answers to these questions. However, I can share some of the answers that I've found during my time working for the City of Antioch. Around May 2022, I attended one of Antioch's sesquicentennial celebrations and saw a booth advertising opportunities to work for Antioch's Environmental Sustainability and Resilience Division. I decided to sign up and work as a Resource Recovery Ambassador. Resource Recovery Ambassadors (RRAs) would attend City events, and inform residents about the upcoming changes to waste management legislation. After so many years of waiting, Antioch would finally allow residents to use their "green bins" as composting bins. To prepare residents for this change, Resource Recovery Ambassadors would stand near waste receptacles during city events, and advise residents about which bins their trash would go into. While this sounds like a boring job, I really enjoyed it. I was able to have open discussions with residents about their feelings toward composting and got to further understand why some individuals were hesitant to sort their waste properly. While working, the most common question I got was, "Is composting really going to make that big of a difference?" After hearing and answering this question over and over, I realized that more people need to understand that their actions, however small they may seem, can still make a huge impact when we all do them together. Many people fear that their actions won’t end up making much of a difference and decide to give up. However, it’s important to realize that caring for our planet is caring for all of us, and every bit of work done to benefit our environment will help humanity thrive. Being able to break out of a cycle of inaction can be difficult to do alone, but with enough support, anybody can provide enough motivation to help someone take their first steps. While these conversations can be difficult, I valued the honesty of the residents I talked to. Being honest can make you vulnerable, but it's only through these moments of vulnerability that we can change our mindsets, and truly understand one another. I consider it my life’s purpose to care for and serve those in need, which is why I want to pursue a career in environmental science. Caring for our planet is caring for our people, and I am driven to care for all. The effects of climate change have disproportionately affected disadvantaged communities like Antioch the most, and I believe that community outreach and engagement is our best tool for protecting our planet for future generations. Through my time working as a Resource Recovery Ambassador, I realize that for change to happen in my community, my country, or even the world, people need to be united, with a shared goal in mind. When any action is done in unison, its impact is multiplied. Actions we take together not only bring us closer to a common goal, but they also bring us closer to each other. When we can be vulnerable with one another, when we can be free of judgment, and when we can seek to understand each other for who we truly are, then we can free ourselves of the division that has been ingrained into many of us. When united together, we can succeed together.