By: Maggie Chen, MSW

Before I obtained my Masters of Social Work and joined Living Lotus Therapy, I worked at the nation’s #1 ranked engineering and architecture firm as an environmental engineer. Growing up in the early 2000s, I had always had my eyes set on becoming an engineer, though I didn’t yet know what type. As college applications were forcing me to choose a major, the 2015 Paris Agreement was signed, President Obama had made climate change a key priority for his administration, and I was living and breathing it at home in the San Fernando Valley. Power outages became increasingly frequent in the summers with temperatures that once barely huddled around 100°F – 103°F consistently hitting 108°F – 110°F. Surrounded by mountains on three sides, my family learned to efficiently pack our belongings into the family vehicles as we faced mandatory evacuations due to wildfires every couple of years. In fact, my parents became so accustomed to these fires that during the most recent evacuation order just last year, my Mom calmly sat and finished eating her yogurt before getting up to pack while I FaceTimed her frantically, trying to tell her which of my childhood belongings I wanted saved in case we weren’t so lucky this time around. With that, my career decision was made for me.