About Temesgen 's Work

Temesgen Gebreyesus is a first-generation college student from South Los Angeles, California.

While at UCLA, he was compelled to volunteer for the Ethiopian-Democratic Club of Los Angeles, and advocated for the closure of urban oil-drills near low-income housing. Being a child of East African immigrants, and a part of the community that was heavily impacted by the neighborhood oil wells, he saw first-hand the injustice of environmental racism and the communities it affects. After graduating from UCLA in 2020, he continued his work in the environmental justice and policy advocacy space.

While at Bren, he plans to specialize in Energy and Climate, and Conservation. Being from Los Angeles, Temesgen believes the future is one where human made technical innovation is balanced with nature, where large sprawling cities have lush tree density and plentiful green spaces. Temesgen believes the Environmental Injustices we see today will one day no longer exist, and in it’s place would be a society that is both ecologically and economically productive. Temesgen strongly believes that the path forward for humanity is one that meets the needs of people and the environment overall.