Throughout my life, I have always had a love for the outdoors. Every summer growing up, my family would take a vacation to a new place across the United States. These trips of course included the stereotypical museum tours and decent hotels, but they also always included multiple hikes, long days at the visiting center for each new park we went to, and a large emphasis on learning from and respecting the natural environment as much as we could. While I never took any classes that peak my interest more, my love for the outdoors was reflected in the extracurriculars that I was involved with in high school. I routinely volunteered at river and lake cleanups, and incorporated sustainable art practices in my Girl Scout Gold Award project during my senior year.
When I entered the University of Georgia, I knew that I was going to major in Landscape Architecture and that I had interest in the Sustainability Certificate. I had heard about the different certificate programs offered at UGA during my first tour of the university, and it had stuck out to me as something I would be interested in. I also decided to run for EcoRep on my hall council. As an out of state student, I did not know anyone when I moved the UGA and I thought that hall council would be an easy way to get involved and make friends. Little did I know that that experience would jumpstart my passion for sustainability. The responsibilities included researching and educating the whole building on sustainability and conservation, organizing and overseeing sustainability focused events, and overall just getting people excited about the environment. I am most proud of a recycling competition that I put on one month where, between three floors, we recycled over thirty bags of proper recycling. Many of the students who lived there became very involved and would even knock on my door to ask if something was recyclable or not.
The first semester of my second year, I took a class where the professor, Alfie Vick, was the director of the Environmental Ethics Certificate and decided to pursue that certificate as well.After two years of taking my major specific classes, electives for both my sustainability and environmental ethics certificates, I knew that I was going in the correct direction. All of the classes that I had taken were interesting and engaging. I felt proud of myself for finding where I belonged on such a large campus. At that point I was interested in taking on more responsibility within the organizations that I was a part of. However, in the fall semester of my third year, I studied abroad in Canberra, Australia. While I was there, the classes that I took were very impactful for me. It was interesting to learn how another nation views environmental issues and policy, see multiple diverse and spectacular ecosystems, and volunteer with Park Care, an inclusive volunteer program where volunteers contribute to improved environmental, social, and educational outcomes. This organization was a highlight of my study abroad experience because of the close bonds I made and the initiative that I felt drawn to do.
After my experience abroad, I took the position of Sustainability Coordinator for my sorority, Gamma Sigma Sigma. This gave me more opportunities to practice my skills surrounding environmental education and event planning. The knowledge that I gained from this position was immense. I learned how to incorporate sustainable practices into large scale events. Some things that I implemented include providing trash, recycling and compost bins at all events, a weekly sustainability tip, and links to organizations, shops and influencers that focus on sustainability. I was also available for sisters to reach out to for guidance, if needed. Personally, I was proud of the battery recycling opportunity that I started for the sorority, which included educating sisters about why and how to properly recycle batteries and offering to take them myself to drop off at the correct recycling center. In just one semester, the sorority as a whole recycled 94 batteries!
As you view the rest of my portfolio, I hope that you can see all of the dedication and excitement that the Sustainability Certificate has given me. I am overwhelmed with the amount of support and freedom that I have gotten from this program. Freedom to explore all of my ideas and support with figuring out how to combine my passions into a fulfilling career.