Motivated by his interest in the matters of protecting the environment, Giordan Kho has the desire to do his part to prevent the catastrophic consequences of global warming.

Kho, currently a third-year University of Guam student majoring in civil engineering, is a member of the Micronesia Climate Change Alliance, an organization that advocates for protecting the island against climate change through education and outreach.

In addition, he participates in protests, climate strikes, and testifies on public hearings.

“We need to be more conscientious of our actions,” Kho said.

Kho echoed the idea that to make a change, take the steps to acknowledge your environmental impact. He said that even if you take small steps, we would be able to make a difference.

Kho was also the former president of the University of Guam’s Green Army, a club that promoted environmental awareness and conservation, and lead the recycling program on campus with his club members.

Despite the current hiatus of the UOG Green Army, Kho continues to uphold the mission of the organization as he strides toward spreading awareness and acts upon environmental issues.

“In my high school, we didn’t have an environmental club,” Kho said. “We didn’t have any recycling bins.”

His desire to implement recycling bins around his school didn’t work out, but the Green Army at UOG gave him an opportunity to make a change.

Kho first heard about the Green Army after attending UOG’s Fall Convocation in his freshman year.

Not only did the organization’s mission align with his interests, it also allowed him to take a step further to create a wider, positive environmental impact.

During Kho’s first two semesters at UOG, he was simply a member of the organization. The following year, he took the mantle as the club’s president.

However, according to Kho, the task of a leader had its challenges.

As he looked back on his presidency, he highlighted the difficulties in encouraging people to join the club as well as establishing relationships with club members.

He explained that since their club focused primarily on acts of service, there was low membership.

“To be a good leader, you have to be good at forging bonds,” Kho said.

Some of the highlights during Kho’s time in the organization include collaborations with other clubs to do campus cleanups and helping Margaret “Peggy” Denney from the i*recycle program.