Water Wanderings!

It's been a long time! It's wild to think that time has flown so quickly, and I will be graduating from UVM in May. Much has changed since I began this blog in preparation for fundraising for Kroka, and yet, some things are circling back around. Indeed, I will be running the Burlington Marathon a week after I graduate with my dear friend Lucy, who inspired me to run my first marathon all those years ago when I was recovering from my Traumatic Brain Injury. I am looking forward to the long runs and a regular exercise regime, but I am equally excited for my classes!

I will be taking two graduate courses with the Masters in Sustainability Leadership program, Diversity, Power and Privilege in Catalyzing Change and Ecological Leadership Seminar, in addition to Environmental Problem Solving and Impact Assessment, Birding for Change, Winter Wildlife Tracking and finishing my thesis, which is about assessing the racial climate in the Rubenstein School for Environment and Natural Resources (RSENR). This fall, I organized six focus groups about the racial climate in the Rubenstein School, and I will be coding the transcripts over break. RSENR is investing in a diversity assessment this year, lead by Shadiin Garcia, whose brilliance and expertise have been a total blessing and inspiration for me as I focus in on one aspect of diversity, equity and inclusion: race and racism.

The timing for this project couldn't have been better; RSENR has been working towards getting an equity assessment for ten years, and their hallmark diversity class - Race, Culture and Natural Resources - is under review and revision. I am very grateful for all the people who have helped to make this project a reality, especially my friends Kunal, Haydee, Miguel and Kirsti, who facilitated the focus groups with me this fall, and my advisors Rachelle, Zach and TwoTrees. I probably won't have time to blog about the writing process, but I will be sure to post a link to the completed thesis when it is published on the library website. If you're really interested, I can send you the proposal.

In the meantime, check out the website I just made for Water Wanderings, a summer camp I started with my mom last summer! I am thrilled that Adam Stewart will be joining this summer's programs. Please spread the word and invite young folks ages 9-12 that you think might be interested.