My Worldview
Communicator, Organizer, and Facilitator
One of my favorite movies is the original The Lorax. The first time I saw this movie was in the 4th grade on Earth Day. Even though the recess bell had rung, I was too captivated to leave. I was inspired by how the Lorax was able to communicate, lead, and organize to protect his community from environmental degradation. After several rewatches I began to wonder what the young boy in the story would do after he heard the story of the Lorax. How would he engage and influence his community to create caring relationships with the environment? As I work to find my place in the environmental field this question and the Lorax’s leadership has been influential and guiding. It has helped me realize the importance of communication and organization of people to change behavior as it relates to the environment. Ultimately, it is effectively engaging with people that informs my sustainability worldview.
This picture was taken the day that I launched the compost collection service in my neighborhood
This is a compost bins that my neighbors had outside their home
In 2017, I attended the Sustainable Summers’ Environmental Leadership program. Many of my peers pitched compost collection programs in their neighborhoods for their final project. I realized that I could implement one in my neighborhood. Before the program, I knew very little about composting. I quickly learned that composting was a tool for fostering caring relationships with the environment and working towards a collective goal. I had to convince my community to see these benefits of composting. This experience taught me that it is challenging to convince people to change routine behaviors, for example, throwing out garbage for free. I was driven to find different platforms to communicate with my neighbors about why it was worth changing their routine. My efforts resulted in more than 20 homes signing on to compost collection service. My neighbors started having compost bins outside their homes and we had lively conversations about what everyone was composting. By organizing this service I created a new sense of community in my neighborhood. My community was committed to thinking about their relationship to the environment, thinking locally, and thinking about the difference they were making as a group.
I helped organize a C-LUV pop up shop at Dickinson College
These are some of the posters I drew to advertise C-LUV
Communication and organizing are skills and passions that I have carried over to Dickinson College in the Marketing Club. During a club meeting I recommended that we do marketing work for a local thrift store called C-LUV. As the only Environmental Studies major in the marketing club I had to convey to my peers in different majors why marketing for C-LUV made sense. We launched new social media accounts for the store, hosted a pop up store on campus, and students designed new advertising posters. Our marketing work with C-LUV this far has built C-LUV’s appreciative relationships with Dickinson and its students. I have helped my peers in the marketing club start to see connections and intersections between their passions and sustainability. Helping my peers understand these connections have strengthened their relationships to sustainability and the environment.
My worldview on sustainability is rooted in my first experience with the Lorax. I believe in the importance and urgency of protecting the environment for healthy living. My contribution is to communicate and organize to achieve better sustainability and environmental outcomes. As the threat of climate change and environmental injustices grow, I want to create these outcomes by continuing to help people understand the role they can play in the environmental movement.
