CivicSpark allowed me to spend my gap year before going back to school by working directly with the communities I grew up in and advancing the tenets of sustainability, equity, and access to structurally disempowered neighborhoods. It cemented my decision to work within the local and municipal government space and assist local bodies in ensuring they are doing their part to comprehensively and intentionally address climate change on a local and tangible level, whether in the realm of public utilities, housing, or information governance for small businesses.