The classes that I enjoyed the most from the sustainability certificate was the seminars. Due to the pandemic, the seminar class ran differently these past two semesters than it has in the past. The class was completely online with a rotating three week schedule consisting of the first week being a class zoom speaker and the next following two weeks being smaller breakout rooms on zoom to go more in depth on specific topics that the speaker covered. I found that the new format worked well for me and that the pace of the class fostered constant engagement throughout. The multitude of topics that we were able to cover was astonishing and exposed me to new skills, ideas, and practices of sustainability.
Some of my favorite topics and discussions from the seminars include the alumni panel and the inter/intrapersonal competency. The alumni panel, which occurred both semesters that I took the seminar, allowed me to see how students were able to use the sustainability certificate to define and further their careers. This was specifically beneficial to me as I was able to hear from a landscape architect alumni and gain very clear insight on how I can use the skills I have learned from these courses and apply them to my desired profession.
I am grateful for the seminar classes for the connections that it has fostered for me. I was able to connect with a lot of my classmates throughout both semesters and talk through different ideas and initiatives both within class and outside of it.