Tell us about your background. Why did you choose Vanderbilt and what influenced your decision?
I am originally from a small town in Southern Illinois, where I discovered a passion for sustainability and business. Growing up, I witnessed problems ranging from local businesses—whom I knew like family—struggling to survive, to my neighbor’s corn farm facing crop loss due to climate variability. Instead of ignoring problems like these, I knew I wanted to use my academic and professional experiences to find solutions that are sustainable—economically but also environmentally. This is why I am presently studying climate studies, human and organizational development, and business at Vanderbilt University.
A cornerstone of the Vanderbilt community is overcoming challenges through collaborative discovery. Describe a time when you solved a problem or learned something new through collaboration.
As the team lead for a group of four student climate consultants, we were tasked with helping a local, woman-owned coffee alternative company transition to more sustainable packaging in order to reduce their carbon footprint. The challenge of coordinating a team of busy students quickly became apparent, as setting up regular meetings and maintaining consistent progress was difficult. In the beginning, I tried to shoulder most of the workload myself, which led to burnout and a decline in the overall quality of our work. At this point, our mentor advised me to tap into the strengths and skills of my team, rather than trying to do everything on my own. Following this advice, I reached out to each team member to better understand their individual expertise and availability. I then reassigned tasks accordingly: one team member, with a background in mechanical engineering, took on the responsibility of calculating the carbon footprint in the supply chain, while another, with strong creative skills, reframed our problem statement in a visually engaging, digital format. Once we implemented this new system, we saw significant progress. By working together and leveraging each member’s strengths, we successfully reduced the company’s CO₂ emissions by 488.2 kg/year through the elimination of 10,312 plastic bottles of packaging. The client was thrilled with the outcome, and this experience taught me that true collaboration is not about taking on everything yourself but about empowering others and making the most of diverse perspectives.
What type of Immersion experience are you planning? What led you to choose this project?
Throughout my time at Vanderbilt and beyond, I have had the immense privilege of refining my critical thinking and theoretical capabilities through stimulating classes, research opportunities, and campus involvement. However, I often felt a gap between what I was learning and the tangible actions needed to align with my personal mission—fostering positive human-environment interactions and business strategies amid the climate crisis.
This past summer, I was a Nichols Humanitarian Scholar and worked as an Environmental Education Intern at the Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation in Haleʻiwa Town. This non-profit organization supports environmental education in Hawaiʻi through a three-pronged approach: promoting local and healthy food awareness, production, and consumption; empowering viable waste reduction practices and systems; and fostering ʻĀina and place-based respect, understanding, and practice. Their dynamic programming—including the 3Rs School Program, Plastic Free Hawaiʻi, ʻĀINA in Schools, Field Trip Grants, and the Kōkua Learning Farm—has made significant strides, engaging over 15,000 students in environmental stewardship.
