A teenager, citizen activist Mexican immigrant who led a group in opposition to a powerplant a superfund site that wanted to expand in her agricultural community in California. "They just needed someone to tell them they have a voice."

We cannot do anything to fix the past but we can do something about our future. Now a freshman majoring in environmental studies at Stanford University.

Fought the power company with a group of 20 people at first. When I learned enough about the issue we started educating people. School presentations, church, trying to build a fire in them. Inspired by her father who suffered from resperatory problems. I was not going to accept any more pollution in our community.

Our campaign was to defeat the BHP (liquefied natural gas) plant because it's dangerous, dirty and unnecessary. Would add 120 tons of air pollution in Ventura County. Would have included 120 mile pipeline through poor neighborhood. They were going to extract the natural gas from Indonesia and the environmental consequences to the whales, but also the damage would have been real to the community, in which they weren't living. The community was not going to use the gas. But, the company advertised the jobs. (The power of the conviction in Fernandez's voice is impossible to convey here - wow!). Agriculture because of the pipeline would have been damaged. The only thing the company was thinking about was money and they found that environmental racism played a role in the selection of the site. My community is in need of no matter how poor we are we all deserve a safe environment. Let our voices rise for a better world. It took us four years to stop this company. Still, I did not believe I had a voice with the California Land Commission. What difference can a 16 year old Latino lady have? What inspired them to change their mind. People like me and you who decided to speak up, that our committee and a rally of 3,000 people told them we didn't want them to come to our community just for the money.

We won. The battle didn't end there. At county commissioners meeting also voted it down. In the end our friend Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed the project. We ensured less pollution. But the superfund site is still worsening the health of community. Want to enforce a reduction of pesticides in Ventura County. Opposed by the ranchers. I'm working to empower youth and educating rights of those who have to work for the ranchers who are being harmed. Organized a meeting with EPA officials with youth in charge of meeting. Customers giving testimony. The power of youth in our communities. Together we can work to educate others on how to respond to multi-billion companies. We all have to raise our voices and work together. It's not just our little poor community, it affects all of us. I started when I was twelve. I understand the power of youth was one of the most important keys to the victory. We are learning from you, and one day we will be just like you. What are you doing to get youth involved? Are you putting them at the forefront of decision making? Training them to be future leaders? If you have not made youth organization, that it key to all of our futures.