Hometown: Port Clinton, Ohio
Major: Environmental Studies - Sustainable Urban Planning
The kind of work I want to do: I want to promote sustainable urban environments and sustainable communities; I like the idea of dense, low carbon cities, in putting a lot of people in one place and protecting the land around that place.
Eco League school I attend: Green Mountain College
Eco League school I visited: Prescott College
Things I appreciate about the new environment: I like the cultural environment of Prescott and the emphasis on social justice at Prescott College. There is a great diversity of people here and the nearness to the border brings a diversity of perspectives. Also I feel a lot of personal autonomy here; students enjoy free time to grow on their own and pursue their goals. It was great to live in a house and the independence this affords to cook and invite people over.
Courses I took and what I liked about them: Environmental Problem Solving, Environmental Law, Yoga and, in the Block, Geology. I loved geology because I got to see everything there was to see in Arizona, and it is the perfect place to see the land laid bare. In Environmental Problem Solving, organization of the class was such that I was offered the independence to study what strongly interest me; sustainable urban planning. I really appreciated being able to take a yoga course. That gave me a model for balance in my life and taught me that if you can find balance in yourself, you can more clearly envision balance in the external world, so I was able to begin to picture how cities can be created in a balanced way.
Fun things to do in the area: That is an endless list! Bouldering, going to the School of Rocks, plenty of places to ride your bike. Also, there was always dancing at the Granite Performing Arts Center.
Best excursion/adventure there: Going to Mexico was close, but wasn’t the best, and neither was going to the Grand Canyon, food making in my house with friends and just gathering together was great. But the best thing was on the night of the full moon we had a gathering of all our close friends and ended up going to Ken Lindley Field and playing wiffle ball, there on the grassy field under the full moon.
Best time to go: Spring.
What to read up on before you go: I read a lot on Prescott Hiking trails and Grand Canyon, how close the ocean is from Prescott (San Diego); general geographical, place based information. I also really looked into information on Phoenix and the lack of urban planning there.
What is unique about the people there: There is an interesting diversity of people at Prescott College. There are people at all places on the political and environmental spectrum and they talk to each other. It’s a great place to hear different people’s points of view.
Faculty member I enjoyed working with: Scott Risley, who taught Environmental law and has a background as both a lawyer and a historian, was great. Andre Potochnik was an awesome geology teacher; he took us everywhere. While working on the Climate Action plan, in Jack Herring’s Environmental Problem solving class, I’ve been able to do some briefing about the Green Mountain College action plan and make a few recommendations on the transportation and offsets pieces
Reasons to participate in an Eco League experience: The Eco League worked really well for me because at Green Mountain College, I was able to enjoy all the benefits of a traditional college experience with dorms and the sustained focus that you have when you live on a college campus. Then, when I was ready for it, I was able to go to Prescott College to see a new place and live more autonomously and grow in myself. Also, in terms of all the colleges becoming more sustainable, there is so much info-swapping potential!
Ways I’ve changed from the experience: I learned a lot about what I want to do and the person I want to be.