World View Essay
Coming from a family that did not focus on sustainability or an interest in the natural world, my views of sustainability evolved from personal experiences that I have sought out. These experiences have ranged from intensive outdoors experiences, to spending time fixing bikes and to selecting a university that values sustainability. Something that my family gave me that did impact my sustainability worldview was an appreciation and a passion for places beyond where I am located and an interest in entrepreneurship. Moving four times throughout my childhood opened my mind to living in places such as extremely urban cities to a rural township, demonstrated to me that my views have been shaped by personal experiences. These experiences go beyond simply living new places, but also include a passion my parents have instilled in me of international travel. These experiences taught me to be uncomfortable and to ask questions, and these are skills that I have taken with me far beyond traveling with my family. As someone who is continuously ask questions, my parents fostered an interest in finding answers to these questions from a young age. Whether its finding ways to repurpose old things to make them new again or starting small businesses such as a small beading business and denim jacket repurposing businesses to support myself, I am constantly looking for new solutions to old problems. This curiosity has forced me to ask questions about why things are the way that they are? And the entrepreneurial background has taught me to look for solutions.
This solution based approach has lead me to think about what components I deem necessary while creating a solution that is socially, economically and environmentally minded. These components need to work together to go beyond the values of the implementer but also focus on a solution that is context specific to offer an individualized approach. This aspect of my world view has been developed through research experience, when I often learned about how solutions were offered and implemented and what made them successful or not. In this approach I believe, that behavioral insights need to be leveraged in order to truly understand how a community or group of people would react to a particular solution. In my personal life I try to find new ways to prepare plant-based food and apply behavioral insights when sharing with my family, by using language that makes the food seem more attractive than animal options. This aspect of my world view has been developed through my work at the Center For Sustainability Education and with the NGO Rare.
I believe that sustainability is constantly evolving and that the world will never truly reach a concluding point in sustainability practices. I find this interesting because this evolution in sustainability runs in conjunction with the political, social and economic climate, making this a field I am extremely excited to pursue a career in. These changes will constantly spark my curiosity and desire to develop new solutions. My life thus far has shaped my current views, but I look forward to more live experiences to continue to develop and shape my views.
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