North Andover High School senior Mariah Eskel is working with state Sen. Bruce Tarr to turn ideas about renewable energy and battery storage into legislation.

Eskel and classmate Sofia FloresQuero Llamas developed the proposals after a middle-school civics project introduced them to local government, WCVB reported.

Their class successfully petitioned North Andover Town Meeting to recognize William Symmes Jr. in 2023. The unanimous vote encouraged the students to pursue changes beyond their hometown.

Massachusetts’ right of free petition allows residents to bring legislative proposals to a state senator or representative for introduction.

The students’ proposals concern renewable energy and storing electricity for later use. WCVB reported Sept. 24 that one bill remained under consideration while another had been referred to study.

In an Oct. 21 profile, WHDH reported that Eskel’s legislative work also involves economic policy and tax incentives.

Eskel has testified before lawmakers and said the experience showed her that participation does not require professional lobbying connections.

“I don’t think I realized that you could just testify before a bill, you don’t even have to be part of a lobby group,” she told WHDH.

Tarr told WCVB that the students’ work illustrates how people of different ages and backgrounds can influence public policy. He also emphasized that legislative work requires patience and persistence.

Eskel and FloresQuero Llamas are organizing a statewide Young Leaders in Politics Day. Eskel has also drafted another proposal she hopes to have filed in 2027, according to WCVB.

Her ambitions extend beyond advocating for bills. She told WHDH she hopes to run for Congress and has considered a presidential campaign.

Earlier fertilizer testing draws North Andover connection

A separate Oct. 21 article in The Progressive revisited a 2021 study that detected PFAS in Earthlife Natural Fertilizer, a sewage-biosolids product manufactured in North Andover.

The Sierra Club and Ecology Center conducted the testing. The historical finding does not establish PFAS levels in products sold today.

PFAS are persistent synthetic chemicals commonly called “forever chemicals.” Applying contaminated sewage-derived fertilizer to agricultural land can introduce them into soil and the food system.

Learning about the North Andover product prompted Eddie Nachamie, who grew up in town, to examine PFAS policy while studying ecology and environmental sciences at the University of Maine.

What began as a class assignment developed into a broader policy analysis with faculty and research collaborators, The Progressive reported. Nachamie graduated in spring 2026.