The following is the senior project written by South Tahoe High School Senior Tegan Klem.
Students have always been the front-runners for change, and students at South Tahoe High School (STHS) are no different. With the current political atmosphere, many students of STHS are keeping up with what is going on in the world and have been using their voice for a powerful change through activism.
Even though STHS is nestled in the Sierra Nevada, far from major urban areas and surrounded by mountains, they are no stranger to political movements. Students at STHS are speaking out about student activism and highlighting the role of youth in modern activism. The Metropolitan State University of Denver notes that activism is an effective way to educate, raise awareness, and open new perspectives, enabling students to “confront and solve” modern societal conflicts.
Four local students were recently interviewed about activism on campus – Sebastian Guerrero, Ava Galli, Arya Saini, and a sophomore, Isabella Mendiola. To understand their level of activism on campus, it is important to know who the students are.
All four students were born between 2007 and 2010, which makes them Generation Z (Gen Z). Gen Z is the generation born between 1997 and 2012. Gen Z has been through the wringer over the years, with COVID-19 interrupting important years and multiple wars around the world.
Sebastian is a very outspoken person who loves to voice his opinions and has strong political knowledge. Sebastian is a member of many clubs at STHS, including Key Club, where he has been a member since his freshman year, and National Honor Society (NHS). National Honor Society is an organization that recognizes students in grades 10th through 12th who demonstrate academic excellence and “focus on scholarship, leadership, service, and character.”
Ava is the ASB Vice President at the high school, where she is part of many different clubs, like NHS, where she also holds a leadership position. While with the NHS, she cofounded a program called Buddy Bags, where the goal is to provide necessities to STHS and STMS students in need during major breaks from school.
Arya has been active in the community since she was a little girl, when she was in the Girl Scouts. Currently, for her senior project, she is working with a fellow student to start a college application workshop created for rural students in an underserved community. The project consists of six sessions along with presentations and an interactive workbook. She is also one of the nine students who are part of the Superintendent Advisory Council and serves as the Student Board Member for LTUSD, where she gives feedback and student insight to shape district policy.
Isabella has recently been candid about the effects of Immigration and Customs Enforcement on local families. Better known as I.C.E., which is responsible for national security. She has shown up at all of the recent No Kings protests. Isabella is an avid member of STHS theater and is also a part of the high school dance team; dance is a big part of her life, where she dances at The Studio during the week. Bella is trying to start a new club, called Monarch, where they will educate fellow students about using their political voice and to hear out others’ opinions.
These interviews were conducted during school hours in March 2026, where they were asked the same ten questions:
- Have you ever participated in student activism? Why or why not?
- Do you think it is important to keep up with the news in today’s world? Why or why not?
- Is it good practice to research the topic you are passionate about?
- Is it okay to disagree with others on political ideologies?
- What are some basic rights that people should have?
- Is every human being allowed to use their voice no matter what?
- Do you feel safe expressing your political beliefs on campus?
- How do you think activism can remain respectful, while still being powerful?
- How does social media affect student activism?
- How much does peer pressure influence involvement in activism?
Each student had a different outlook. The students were picked because they are all very involved and vocal in the community. While these students focus on community-level change, the motivations behind them are mirrored in the frustrations of their generation.
When comparing the Millennials and Generation Z, Gen Z has faced a significant amount of hurdles at a young age that were caused by multiple generations before them. Some factors are the COVID-19 pandemic, economic collapse, climate change, gender equality, and LGBTQ+ rights. With a notable Gen Z activist, Greta Thunberg, at the heart of the climate change movement. Millennials at the time of COVID-19 were already grown with the opportunity to have had a stable job; Millennials were born between 1981 and 1996. Currently, the oldest Millennial is 45.
The British Broadcasting Company reported that a large part of Generation Z is frustrated with the overall democracy and forms of government because the institutions are not supporting the young part of the population. The 18 to 34-year-olds are having a hard time growing financially due to the strain that has been put on them. With the higher cost of living, many of the Gen Z and Millennials have “lower odds” of purchasing a house in the future.
Consequently, students at South Tahoe High are concerned about their future. Student activism isn’t just about protesting; it’s about finding a future where they can live in communities with comfortable security.
On the topic of ever participating in student activism, Isabella said, “Yes, I have.” As mentioned before, Bella is trying to create a club called Monarch. In her words, the club would, “help support the ideas of why we are considering doing protests or why we are actively volunteering at these protests, and just speaking up about what is going on in the world. Also, to expose young people and open minds to the fact that there are other opinions and other ideas, and that we genuinely need to start growing with empathy.” She says that student activism is important in the community and helps get the word out about what is currently happening, given her father’s deportation. She also added“ to help share what happened with her father.
The use of social media has changed how we communicate and protest. When Sebastian was asked about how social media has affected activism, he shared that, “Could be both positive and negative, because anything is on social media”. By stating “anything,” he is talking about the overwhelming amount of content that is available to the public.
However, the ease of accessing this content also makes it easier to spread errors. Arya highlights the ethical side of this issue, stating that research is vital, “especially if you are telling other people about it because you don’t want to provide misinformation to other people and be the spreader of wrong or just entirely inaccurate information, because that would just contribute to problems and not fix anything. But yeah, you should just definitely research.”
Regarding if students at STHS feel safe to express their political beliefs, all students are in accordance with each other for the most part. However, Ava states that she does not feel comfortable expressing her political ideologies. She feels this way because “Whether you are left-leaning or right-leaning, I think there’s a big group of opposers for both sides, and it causes you to get attacked for political beliefs that you shouldn’t really be attacked for.”
All students on the topic of free speech agree that the ability to express oneself is a basic human necessity for growth and connection, but it is often blocked by the obstacles set up by society. But on paper, in reality, it is much more complicated. All students agree that disagreeing with another on political preferences is okay. Those interviewed are in agreement that while political disagreement is part of being human, it must be rooted in logic and empathy to prevent it from crossing the line into hatred or personal attacks.
Overall, the percentage of students at STHS who identify as “activists” might be small, but their influence is massive in practice. STHS students are proving that you don’t need to be in a major city to spark change. As seen through the lives of Sebastian, Ava, Arya, and Isabella, Gen Z isn’t just waiting for the future; they are actively building it from their corner of the Sierra Nevada.
Tegan will be attending California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo in the fall.
