Katie Thomason recently earned her MS degree from the University of Maryland, College Park where she studied sustainable development and conservation biology, particularly concerning land use and urban sprawl.

Y.E.C.A. would like to congratulate Katie Thomason as the June winner of the Faithful Neighbor Award for Climate Stewardship.

Each month, Y.E.C.A. is recognizing a young Christian in this country who is striving to live out what Jesus said was most important: loving God fully and loving our neighbors as ourselves. Climate change is already impacting our neighbors and God’s creation, both in the United States and around the world, and we believe God is calling us to faithful action and witness in the midst of the current climate crisis.

Katie Thomason recently earned her MS degree from the University of Maryland, College Park where she studied sustainable development and conservation biology, particularly concerning land use and urban sprawl. Katie earned her BA degree in Biology with a minor in Environmental Studies from the College of Charleston. She credits her undergraduate experience with providing the defining moment when she felt called to a career in environmental stewardship, saying, “I knew that I wanted to do something meaningful and beneficial to society, but I didn’t know how to articulate that into a career. The first time I really learned about our world’s biggest environmental issues and heard about climate change, I felt it was God telling me this is how I was supposed to impact society. I quickly learned that climate change was not just an issue about natural resources, but it was also about people – it’s about each other.”

Katie is an advocate for sustainable socio-ecological systems, and she sees her career as an opportunity to connect both Christians and non- Christians. She says, “In a career where there are not many people of faith, I see environmental stewardship as a way to break down barriers to what Christianity can be, and I want to demonstrate that it can take shape in many different forms.” Katie comes from a Baptist background but mentioned climate change was not something often talked about. She would like to improve this dialog. “I want to help close the divide between the issues of faith and climate change,” she says.

Katie is a member of The District Church in Washington D.C. She is also the daughter of a pastor. 

If you would like to nominate someone you know for the YECA Faithful Neighbor Award for Climate Stewardship, visit our nomination page here.