Personal Statement

Following my discovery of social justice, my freshman year, I wanted to do more. I became apart of the Habitat for Humanity organization on campus so I could continue working with the issue of affordable housing in the Cedar Valley. At the Vineyard Church in Waverly, I have volunteered to help combat hunger by helping with the free dinner they provide on Wednesday nights; another way I am helping with the issue of food insecurity in the Cedar Valley is organizing a food drive for the Wartburg College Symphonic Band. Food insecurity has become a passion of mine after serving the greater Baltimore, MA community. Working on the urban farms and talking with people about their journeys changed my outlook on food. I know strive to educate those around me on this issue of food insecurity. Outside of the social issue of food insecurity, I have done extensive work with environmental sustainability and conservation. Joining EARTH Club my sophomore year sparked my interest in working with this issue. After going on a service trip to work with the Urban Farming Guys, I found how important it is to learn and engage in sustainability efforts. This knowledge grew after leading a service trip to work with Living Lands and Waters. I came back to campus as a junior and became an eco rep to spread awareness about this issue and educate students on campus about small efforts they can take that make an impact: recycling the coffee cups from dining, turning the water off when they brush their teeth, and other small actions that add up. I'm furthering this activism by leading another trip this coming April focusing on environmental education doing trail maintenance on the Cumberland Trails in Tennessee.