Grey Kenna
she/her • master’s candidate in community development & action, Vanderbilt University • Nashville, TN
2022 Climate Wayfinding online alum
“Climate Wayfinding taught me how to go where the energy is — to be honest with myself about what I actually enjoy and find energizing. And then to go and do that in service of the planet. I am an artist and a photographer. I no longer see that as separate from ‘more serious’ climate work. My contributions matter. It all matters.”
Grey Kenna came to Climate Wayfinding the summer before her senior year of undergrad at Sewanee: The University of the South. She was looking for a guidepost as she traversed the vast landscape of post-graduate possibilities. “A lot of my friends already had firm plans for after graduation. I had a lot of ideas, but felt up in the air about what I really wanted. I saw a post about Climate Wayfinding on Instagram and it looked like a supportive place to explore this big question around ‘what’s next?’”
Grey wasn’t sure what to expect, but hoped that Climate Wayfinding would connect her with others who were curious about how to best be of use to a planet in crisis. As Grey describes her experience: “My [online] cohort had people from literally all over the world. We had people from every time zone and every possible background, career, and personality. It was such a gift to hear their stories, their questions, and how they saw themselves in the work that needs to be done. We learned about climate solutions and hard facts. We also learned how to be in community with one another, how to sit still and listen deeply.”
The vulnerability of her cohort created space for Grey to let go of the “shoulds” that often plague college students and to get curious about the alignment between her interests, her skills, and proven climate solutions. “I started actually thinking, ‘Well, what would it look like if I took my photography and art seriously? What climate good could I do with that?’ I gave myself permission to bring different aspects of my life together.”
Grey credits Climate Wayfinding with recalibrating her internal compass so that her natural curiosity and creativity could inform her next steps. Now she’s a graduate student at Vanderbilt pursuing a master’s in community development and action. She weaves her seemingly disparate interests into a rich tapestry of climate engagement. With her camera at the ready as she moves through grassroots organizing spaces at the intersections of climate, education, and religion, Grey uses the power of visual storytelling to create a common language for fellow activists: our struggles are interconnected, as are our possibilities.
