Hey everyone, Maia here! As most of you know, I’m a graduate student in Sustainability Management at the University of Southern California. I am incredibly honored to share that I've been selected as one of 20 international delegates to join Circular San Antonio’s Global Sustainability Delegation!! This program is dedicated to advancing circular economy, innovation and sustainable urban transformation across the world. The circular economy is the future: It reshapes the traditional “take-make-dispose” consumption model and prioritizes the reuse and regeneration of materials for sustainable development.

Circular San Antonio is a nonprofit that champions a circular economy in an innovative and sustainable way across the globe. Through this program, I’ll join leaders and changemakers from around the globe to explore how sustainability programs can reshape traditional systems that advocate for waste less, reuse more and to create efficiencies, resilience within our communities.

This delegation includes immersive learning experiences, collaborative workshops, and site visits highlighting real-world examples of sustainability in action. My goal is to bring this knowledge and these strategies back to our U.S. communities by partnering with businesses, governments, and local organizations to adopt innovative approaches that strengthen the environment and the economy.

This opportunity aligns perfectly with my undergraduate and graduate studies, and my lifelong mission: to make sustainability accessible, actionable, and impactful. By learning from global leaders in circular design and sustainable development, I plan to equip our local communities with the tools to build greener and more resilient futures.

However, attending this international conference comes with travel, lodging, and program costs, and that’s where I need your help.

Every contribution, no matter how small, brings me one step closer to representing our community in order to make a real impact here at home.

Thank you for supporting my journey and believing in the power of circular innovation and sustainability! Together, we can create the future our planet and children deserve.