Ben Ost

Assignment #3
Interview With Joy Shang
My partner for this assignment was Joy, who hopes to be an
Environmental Studies major. This is most likely due to her being a fan of
biology in general, as well as the concept and applications of sustainability.
The idea of being in this major means a lot to her, as do animals, and the
ability to enjoy the beauty of nature. Joy is already specifically looking
forward to the possibilities of studying abroad (international engagement),
activism (service), and internships (leadership). In terms of studying abroad,
she was exploring options in South America, especially Peru, a nation with
extremely diverse landscapes, from the Amazon Rainforest (which boasts the
highest biodiversity in the world), to the Andes Mountains, to coastal cities,
and arid climes. As far as activism goes, there is an extremely large amount
of organizations dealing with environmentalism, and she could choose which
one aligns with her particular skills. Greenpeace for example, is a riskier,
more hands-on group, while The Sierra Club provides a powerful avenue for
political lobbying, and the National Wildlife Federation works directly with
local organizations, and communities, in a grassroots effort at preservation.
Locally, there is a company called PES Environmental Inc., which does
consulting for businesses about the environmental issues on their properties,
and in their operations. Joy is still exploring opportunities, but I believe that
shes passionate about this subject, and that this is a good start to gaining
more experience in the field. I asked her what shed like to get out of it, and
she said work experience, which certainly an internship at this sort of
company would give her, fun, which I cant see how Peru wouldnt provide
that, and new experiences, which I suppose is that point of all of this. Shes
headed in a good direction.