What’s it like to attend a sustainability conference as a student? 

In late October, staff and student interns from the Office of Sustainability traveled to Spokane, WA for the 2019 AASHE Conference. AASHE, which stands for the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, aims to “inspire and catalyze higher education to lead the global sustainability transformation.” The organization offers sustainability resources and toolkits, as well as administers the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS), which is a “self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance.” The annual conference is a gathering of approximately 2,000 sustainability students, professionals, and vendors from across the United States, Canada, and several other countries.

But what’s it like to attend a national conference as an undergraduate? Read on to hear from our interns about their impressions!

Natalie Brunner
Role at AASHE: Presented Compost Stewards poster session

1. Was there something at the conference (a workshop, keynote, etc.) that you found particularly educational or inspirational?
   

   My favorite session was led by student from the University of North Carolina-Asheville on tokenism versus authentic inclusion within sustainability initiatives on college campuses. I gained valuable insight on how to “call in” rather than “call out” individuals regarding microaggressions and internal biases, and how to meet students where they are rather than inviting them into potentially intimidating, and often all-white, spaces. This has strengthened my understanding of how to properly go about building one of the teams I am a part of at the Office of Sustainability, the Green Allies Coalition.

2. As a student, what was the most valuable part of attending this conference?
   

   The most valuable part of the conference for me was the optimism and motivation I experienced. I feel more confident in my work at the Office of Sustainability and was invigorated by the energy of the conference, which stressed the urgency of our efforts and encouraged us as students to push even further and harder for institutional change.

 

Meg DiPoto
Role at AASHE: Co-presenter

1. Was this your first time attending a conference? How was it similar to or different from what you were expecting?
   

   I’ve attended many sustainability-related conferences in Madison and even have presented at one before this. This was the first time, however, that I went to the conference with others because usually I just attend on my own. It was fun to have a group you’re there with and proudly representing! This was also by far the biggest and most inspiring conference I’ve been to!

2. Was there something at the conference (a workshop, keynote, etc.) that you found particularly educational or inspirational?
   

   The opening keynote speaker for the Student Summit, Varshini Prakash, was one of my favorite parts because it was inspirational to see someone so young make such a large impact. Having primarily students in the room helped create a sense of community and Varshini did an amazing job inspiring us to act big.

 

Jackie Millonzi
Role at AASHE: Presented Research Poster

1. Was there something at the conference (a workshop, keynote, etc.) that you found particularly educational or inspirational?
   

   There were a few really intriguing and engaging sessions diving into the connection between environmentalism and social justice. I think that’s an important concept of sustainability that, unfortunately, isn’t dealt with as often as it should be.

2. As a student, what was the most valuable part of attending this conference?
   

   I greatly appreciated learning about the different initiatives colleges and universities around the country and globe are taking to reach common sustainability goals. There were a whole lot of passionate people in higher education sharing the knowledge and wisdom they’ve gained by working on various projects around their campuses. It was especially mesmerizing to see so many students taking the lead in implementing and presenting such interesting and beneficial initiatives.

 

 

By: Hannah Kasun