Amanda Walter, Millersville University

Amanda Walter, a business administration major in her junior year at Millersville University, is a critical student leader in campus sustainability efforts including environmental preservation, social justice and economic equity. During her sophomore year, Amanda created a process to create and sell upcycled soda tab bracelets to fund the Millersville University/Wheatland Middle School Permaculture Garden, a butterfly and vegetable garden in the School District of Lancaster. This project enables children in an urban setting to grow their own food to feed themselves and their families. She researched which tools were needed for the garden and purchased them, in addition to volunteering in direct service to the project. Amanda’s vision, social entrepreneurism and leadership played an instrumental role in addressing food insecurity in an urban community with an 80% poverty rate. Through her involvement with the international non-profit organization, Enactus, Amanda mobilized the Millersville student community in the production of bracelets for future fundraising. Amanda also coordinates the University’s Enactus club members in volunteering to work in the Wheatland Middle School garden and she was selected to deliver the closing conference address at the 2012 International Policy Conference on Sustainability at Millersville University.