Casten names High School STEM Scholar as Virtual Guest to State of the Union Address

Congressman Sean Casten on Tuesday March 1, 2022 invited high school climate activist Venya Sharma as his virtual guest to President Biden’s State of the Union Address to Congress.

Venya is sophomore and youth climate activist attending Fremd High School in Palatine, IL.

Last year, Venya started her own podcast to call for climate action, environmental protection, and investments in clean energy innovation.

She speaks to her community and her youth audience to create a group that will rally together to take action, and pushes environmental discussion to the forefront of community conversation.

Congressman Sean Casten on Tuesday March 1, 2022 invited high school climate activist Venya Sharma as his virtual guest to President Biden’s State of the Union Address to Congress. Photo courtesy of Congressman Sean Casten

As a board member of the environmental club at her school, founder of the Green Teens Environmental Podcast, and an emerging leader of Congressman Casten’s STEM Scholars program, Venya is committed to using her knowledge about environmental issues and her passion for advocacy to encourage climate action and environmental awareness.

“As a teen, I call for all students to speak out and stand for the change that we must see in order to nurture our planet. We are the voices of the future that must generate conversation, and if we work together to promote environmental initiatives, we can make a lasting impact that stirs governmental action and betters our earth. With the current severity of climate change, our action cannot wait.”said Sharma.

“As an engineer by training and a lifetime climate nerd, young leaders like Venya remind me that today’s student activists are not only calling for action, but are also taking it upon themselves tomake meaningful changes in their community every day. Venya’s commitment to climate action and her passion for helping other young people learn about and get involved in environmental advocacy makes me incredibly proud to invite her as my guest,” said Casten.

The State of the Union Address will highlight the achievements and work still to be done under the leadership of President Biden. While safety protocols mean this year’s in-person attendance will be limited, Casten believes that inviting Venya Sharma as his virtual guest is an important way to uplift the contributions of young climate leaders.

Rep Casten’s STEM Scholars program aims to connect highly-motivated students – especially women and people of color – interested in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics with hands-on learning experiences throughout the 6th district.

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Ray Hanania is an award-winning opinion columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.

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