Anya Gandavadi
she/her • undergrad studying environmental science, The University of Texas at Austin • Austin, TX
2023 Climate Wayfinding online alum
“Even though I had the climate knowledge and the passion, I realized something was still holding me back from taking the climate action I wanted to take: fear, and the inner work I needed to do to actually sit with that fear and understand it. Climate Wayfinding gave me the space, tools, and supportive community to do this work. I feel a new steadiness. Steady in myself and in how I can best be of use in the climate movement.”
By her second year as an environmental science major at UT Austin, Anya Gandavadi had already acquired a lot of technical climate knowledge through her academic work and on-campus engagement in carbon accounting and emissions reduction efforts. Yet, though she was pursuing the issue she cared most about, she often felt depleted and stuck in “climate doom,” with little to refill her cup. “I was looking for a way to steady myself, to connect with kindred spirits, and to rediscover joy in climate work. I knew I needed to learn how and where to do this movement self-care if I wanted to sustain my climate action for the long-term.”
Enter Climate Wayfinding. Anya joined the virtual summer 2023 cohort alongside other undergraduate and graduate students. “Before Climate Wayfinding, I would cycle through periods of hyper-involvement, followed by burnout. I felt like I was doing a lot, but I wasn’t necessarily working in harmony with my own skills.” With her cohort, Anya was able to identify and align her unique skill set with both the climate action needed in this moment and what brings her joy. Supporting others as they did the same helped her forge new personal connections.
“After completing the program, I feel more tethered to myself. I am less afraid of my feelings around this work — the positive and the negative. I feel more connected to other people and Earth. I trust my intuition more. I also feel a lot more generous with my expressions of joy over our collective achievements. Feeling all of this actually makes me want to keep going in a way that is authentic, not a relentless grind.”
Centered in her purpose and fortified by her newfound climate community, Anya has renewed energy to take climate action. After learning the role major banks play in lending money to the fossil fuel industry, Anya moved her personal bank accounts to an institution that instead funds clean energy — an individual decision with structural impact. She continues to network on campus and in the Austin community, widening her circles to link up with others working on fossil fuel divestment. And, she knows that she can call on her Climate Wayfinding practices, tools, and community anytime she needs a boost or an ally.
