I must say that my journey with environmental issues and sustainability wasn’t from the beginning like you may hear from everyone. I grew up in East Montpelier, Vermont. I spent a lot of time in the woods, as my parents encouraged nature to be a big part of my childhood.

It never occurred to me that that would be in jeopardy. When I got older and entered high school I began to pay attention to the news and social issues and realized how passionate I became when struck by climate justice issues and sustainability. I would start to participate in local rallies and read about legislation when I could. I also would try and focus class projects and as much as I could on these issues. It became something I did on the side but never had the opportunity to delve into until I got to Champlain when I saw a table for EcoReps. I was immediately drawn to the table and realized that it would be a really fun way to foster this interest, so I took a leap into it. It has been a great experience. Not only does it allow me to explore this aspect of my interest outside of my career but now I can incorporate sustainability into my daily life and encourage my peers to do the same. Hopefully this can help us all to do this and work toward a cultural shift of this together.

Written by Ruby Singer, March 2023