In October of 2024, World Geography teacher Danielle Lozano started the Green Wings club. She was inspired to do so because of a student who approached her.
“What inspired me to create the [Green Wings] club was not only the Spanish speakers, but [students] who come from different backgrounds. They come from different countries and they want to do better here in the United States. The girl [Ximena Herrera Ceja] who wanted to do it, she wants to help people and do better for others within the community. She wanted to become a doctor, and wanted to do good for the community. She’s one of those who wants to lend a helping hand. That’s also what inspired me, because I like helping those in need as well.”
Her goal for the club members is for them to help the community in any way they can, and take the initiative to come up with community service projects.
“The goal for the members is more [up to] them, as they want to go around to different communities, like the food bank, they want to do recycling. Trying to do good for the community, but it also teaches us [the general population] as well, what we can do better as a community,” Lozano explained.
The club helps prepare students for the future by teaching them leadership, responsibility, and accountability.
“It helps you learn leadership skills from volunteering. It teaches you responsibility as well. When you sign up for things, you have to be there for your club and show up, and do the things you need to do in order to help others. It also gives you a brief look into what life is like and what to expect,” Lozano disclosed.
The club offers multiple leadership opportunities, and has an ever-growing list of roles. Currently, all members have been assigned a role. Senior Ximena Herrera Ceja is President, senior Daniella Herrera Ceja is Vice President, Fernanda Rojas is Executive Secretary, junior Gabriela Alvarez Peralta is Marketing Manager, junior Valeria Herrera Ceja is Photography Specialist, junior Diego Lara is Historical Archivist, junior Emily Salinas is Interpreter and Translator, junior Grace Morales is Publicity Coordinator, and junior Treanna Moss is Content Writer.
“[Once the Green Wings club expands], we’ll add more roles. And when members graduate, other people will have the opportunity to fill that role,” Lozano revealed.
The new club has had some issues with growth, but Lozano has a high goal for it to meet.
“[Club membership] is kind of stagnant at the moment. It’s new, and we haven’t branched out yet. We’re starting from scratch, so it’s a whole building process. I’m hoping that we can get at least almost half the school [as members] at some point,” Lozano expressed.
So far, Lozano has promoted the club by spreading the word about their Instagram account and informing students about recycling.
“Right now, we are promoting it [Green Wings club] not only through Instagram, but also the kids right now are slowly getting their friends to follow the Instagram page. We also hand out flyers with QR codes [leading to the Instagram page]. I’ve gotten a lot of my students to scan the QR code to see what it’s all about. When we talk about recycling, or when they hear me say, ‘Put the paper in the recycling bin,’ they’re like ‘What for, miss?’ I talk about it [recycling] in my lessons sometimes because we talk about deforestation and things like that, and it relates to World Geography with how it’s bad for the environment,” said Lozano.
Lozano believes that the whole school population is partly at fault for harming the environment, and believes the club will help remedy that.
“I know a lot of teachers here on campus [utilize] recycling the papers. When you think about it, us as teachers, we throw away a lot of paper, and it’s bad for the environment, and that [helping the environment] is the club’s purpose. [Prior to the creation of the Green Wings club], teachers didn’t recycle. But from what I knew, there was recycling on campus before. I know ROTC used to do it, and then they got rid of it. I don’t know why, but I think it would be good to bring it back on campus fully because it’ll show that we’re trying to save paper because we waste a lot of paper. Even students, they’ll get paper out of their journal, crumple it, then leave it on the floor or play trashketball with it, which contributes to the waste as well. If you think about it, we all waste paper,” Lozano stated.
Lieutenant Colonel Hyatt shone some light on the recycling program that ROTC used to run.
“I’d say it’s probably been more than ten years [since ROTC stopped collecting recycling]. It ended before I got here. I’d heard the kids had done it before, but it had just become so cumbersome. The school didn’t have the city or anybody picking up recycling anymore, and so what it became is, they had all this recycling but had nowhere to go, and they would have to personally take it, which became more work on their part. They had to take the cans somewhere, they had to take the plastic somewhere. And nobody likes to handle trash,” claimed Hyatt.
Despite the dissolution of the ROTC recycling program, Hyatt believes that there’s an easy way to bring it back to the high school.
“I think the biggest [solution] would be if we could work something out with the city. If they could drive a recycling truck through here, we could have recycling bins put out on the curb here and they could pick them up. I think that would be easy! But then the city has to weigh how much additional effort they have to put in, but right down the street are houses that they pick up recycling for. It wouldn’t be too much trouble. But then you have to have recycling bins. Whatever faculty member [who runs the recycling club] may have to go to Lowe’s or Home Depot to buy a couple of them, and put one in the lunchroom, one in the athletic wing. It’s always about money. As well, whatever organization there is would be responsible for making sure those recycling bins get put out as early as 7 o’clock the next morning so they can get picked up, like at your house. All we have to do as an organization is make sure our recycling bins are out on the curb! That’s not too difficult. And believe me, I would love for recycling to come back to Judson High School. There are so many wasteful things that I see, like [students and staff throwing away] water bottles,” Hyatt suggested.
A few of the Green Wings club members weighed in on the purpose and benefits of the club.
Senior Ximena Herrera Ceja
Inspiration for Creating Club: “I was inspired to create Green Wings because I saw a real need for a club that empowered students to actively participate in creating a more sustainable future. I wanted to create a space where we could learn about environmental issues, develop solutions, and take action together. Because together, we can make a difference!”
Reason for Joining Club: “I joined the club because I believe that every individual has the power to make a difference and I wanted to be part of a movement that created positive change. I am passionate about protecting the environment, and I believe that Green Wings is the perfect platform to amplify our voices and inspire others. Every action counts, and when we act together, our impact is multiplied.”
How Culture Impacts Her Membership: “I am from Mexico and I am Mexican. My culture has instilled in me a deep appreciation for nature and a strong sense of responsibility to protect it. I believe that every culture has a unique perspective on the environment, and I wanted to bring that diversity of thought and experience to Green Wings.”
Community Within the Club: “I believe that being in the club fosters a sense of community and a shared purpose that goes beyond age. We all share a passion for the environment, a desire to help others, and a commitment to making a difference, and that creates a bond that transcends any cultural differences.”
Benefits of Being in the Club: “I believe that being in Green Wings will help me develop my leadership skills, gain valuable experience in environmental activism, and connect with like-minded people who are passionate about creating a better future. This will also help me achieve my goals of making a positive difference in the world and leaving my mark [on the world to create] a better future.”
Aspirations for the Club: “I hope that Green Wings inspires our community to be more environmentally conscious, to take action to protect our planet, and to adopt sustainable practices in all aspects of our lives. Because if we don’t act now, history will not judge us for our inaction, but will condemn us for our indifference.”
Purpose of the Club: “The purpose of Green Wings is to empower students to be agents of change, inspire others to take action, and create a more sustainable and equitable world for future generations. The fight against climate change is a shared fight, everyone can make a difference. A small step today, a big change tomorrow!”
Senior Daniella Herrera Ceja
Inspiration for Creating Club: “My sister and I decided to create the Green Wings club because I’ve always considered myself a person passionate about nature and the environment. Since I was a child, my family and community have taught me to respect and care for the earth.”
How Culture Impacts Her Membership: My Mexican origin and Hispanic ethnicity have played an important role in my connection with nature, as many indigenous and Latin American cultures deeply value the relationship with the environment.”
Community Within the Club: “Being part of Green Wings has allowed me to make great friends and discover new cultures that share my passion for sustainability. It has also given me the opportunity to develop leadership skills and work as a team to achieve common goals. One of the most significant benefits of being part of Green Wings is the opportunity to participate in projects and activities that have a real impact on my community. From organizing fundraising events to supporting conservation projects and participating in environmental education initiatives, I’ve had the opportunity to make a difference and inspire others to join the cause.”
Aspirations for the Club: “My vision for Green Wings is for it to become a model for other clubs and organizations that seek to promote sustainability and environmental care. I want Green Wings to be a place where people feel inspired to take action and make a difference in their community.”
Junior Gabriela Alvarez Peralta
Reason for Joining Club: “I decided to join the club because it promotes many causes that I support, such as recycling and helping our community.”
How Culture Impacts Her Membership: “I am from Colombia and I feel that it does have an influence because in my culture we are very interested in nature and I was instilled with the importance it has since I was a child.”
Community Within the Club: “Being part of the club makes us familiar with our culture and makes it a very pleasant environment and the connection we have goes beyond having similar ages. The common goal of Green Wings is wanting to help nature and the community.”
Benefits of Being in the Club: “Being in the club, I feel that it benefits me in that it helps me strengthen my bond with nature and also helps me improve my leadership.”
Aspirations for the Club: “I hope that the club has a positive impact on my community that we can improve many areas and help whoever needs it so that we can live in a community with environmental awareness.”
Purpose of the Club: “I believe that the purpose of the club is to be able to help and create awareness of the environment, and also help the communities that need it and be able to leave our grain of sand to improve our school, community and above all the planet.”
According to Lozano, there’s no qualifications when it comes to joining the club. Everyone is welcome to join. Volunteering can help you earn not only community service hours, but JROC hours as well. The Green Wings Club meets every Thursday in Lozano’s classroom, H220.