The Washington Oregon Higher Education Sustainability Conference (WOHESC) provided an invaluable experience for a group of eight Evergreen students. This diverse group, comprising undergraduate and Masters in Environmental Studies students, traveled to Corvallis, Oregon via van. For some students it was their first time experiencing WOHESC in-person. For a few it was their first time experiencing a conference. The experience served as a catalyst for their professional growth and engagement in sustainability, as well as generating ideas for our own student population and campus.
During their time at WOHESC, the students took advantage of networking opportunities, forging connections with fellow attendees and sustainability professionals from across the PNW region and Idaho. Other attendees were student peers, directors/staff, faculty, business owners (some sponsors), public sector entities, or local community members. These interactions led to (and continue to) collaborations, guest presenters, and discovering career prospects and options in all sectors and academia. The conference served as a hub for knowledge exchange, empowering the students with a wealth of insights and best practices shared through panels, workshops, and presentations.
Between sessions and over meals, like true Greeners the Associate Director and student group met to seminar and discuss our experiences. Inspired and motivated to apply their newfound knowledge to their own campus. This reflective process fueled brainstorming sessions, which highlighted common needs within The Evergreen State College community (even across undergraduate to Grad programs). Notably, they recognized a shared desire for the Greener Sustainability Project Network (GSPN) and the need to develop passive and active programming for summer events.
The impact of WOHESC extended beyond the conference itself. Inspired by a speaker they encountered, the students extended an invitation for the individual (Deann Garcia) to deliver the keynote presentation at the Rachel Carson Forum Earth Day 2023 event (an annual event traditionally hosted/led by MESA, this year being assisted by CCAS in securing funding and logistics/running. Now being passed onto CCAS for 2024) on the Olympia campus. This exchange exemplified the lasting connections formed at the conference and the influence it had on their approach to sustainability initiatives.
The students’ participation in WOHESC, was a great examples of CCAS goal to fostering sustainable practices and conversations in students. It highlighted the importance of creating opportunities for students to engage in professional conferences, network with industry leaders, and bring back ideas to shape and enhance sustainability efforts on campus. We hope to drastically expand the number of students that attend in Bellingham next Feburary, and organize a few Evergreen based workshops as a group.
(Pictured above: six of the Evergreen students plus Associate Director of CCAS posing in a clever WOHESC! Left to Right: Michael Joseph, Emma Wright, Cleo Gourley, Olivia McGoldrick, Rachel Escobedo, Shaina Thompson, and Alix Vasseur-Landriault)