Javan Santos is an indigenous CHamoru born and raised in Guåhan (Guam). He started his policy journey when he was elected to the Guam Youth Congress in high school where he was one of the few youth whose bills reached the adult legislative floor, introducing a plastic bag ban that adult legislators passed into law. This tangible change showed Javan the power of policymaking, moving on to participating in programming such as the Conference of Asian Pacific American Leadership (CAPAL) and the Asian Pacific American Institute of Congressional Studies (APAICS) in Washington D.C. while he studied political science at the University of Guam. After graduating, Javan worked in the Guam Legislature and then in the national and international climate space, bringing Pacific Islander voices to climate policy solutions in Congress and in serving as a youth delegate for Guåhan at the U.N. Climate Conference. Javan’s rooted in the mindset that the best policy is made when all communities have a hand in crafting it, including the AA and NHPI communities. In his off time, you can find Javan making gains in the gym, playing the newest Pokemon game, or learning to make AANHPI sweets.
