David O’Hara

Activist, Business leader, Concerned citizen, Foodie, Idea generator, Inventor, Student

I'm passionate about a variety of fields that inspire me in different ways. Cooking is a creative outlet for me, where I can experiment and bring together flavors and techniques. Politics fascinates me because it shapes the world around us, and I’m particularly interested in how youth can drive political change and innovation. I'm also deeply invested in youth innovation and entrepreneurship, as I believe that young people have the potential to come up with fresh ideas and create businesses that solve real-world problems. Climate justice is another major interest of mine—I’m concerned about the future of our planet, and I want to contribute to finding solutions that ensure a fair and sustainable future for everyone.

As a young person, I’ve seen my generation take to the streets, march for climate justice, and demand action from leaders who often don’t take us seriously. But what if we could do more than just protest? What if we had the power to actually help create the solutions? I believe it’s time for young people to move from protest to policy-making. We need more formal pathways that allow us to sit at the table with decision-makers and actively participate in drafting climate policies. Imagine mentorship programs where we work alongside politicians and environmental experts, or youth representatives on climate task forces that help shape real laws. We have the passion, the ideas, and the urgency. But instead of just being heard, we need to be involved—helping to create the policies that will actually save our future. We’re already leading the fight for climate action. Now, it’s time for us to help lead the solutions too.

Climate Action, Politics, Youth Innovation

People don’t actually know that I’m really good at gardening! It’s been a passion of mine for a while now—I love planting seeds and watching things grow, whether it’s flowers, herbs, or even vegetables. There’s something really calming and rewarding about nurturing plants and seeing them thrive. Unfortunately, I never have enough time to actually commit to it as much as I’d like. Between school, activities, and everything else going on, my garden dreams often get pushed aside, which is frustrating because I’d love to spend more time working on it.