Our newest cohort of Campus Sustainability Ambassadors have been hard at work this year putting on events on their campuses. Together, they have planned eight different events on their campuses, and reached over 300 students with their events. From increasing composting and recycling capabilities on campus, to leading student climate strikes, our Ambassadors have been inspiring their campuses to engage more fully with climate action. We can’t wait to see what they will do during the spring semester!
Mandira Panta - Goshen College
Mandira is a senior at Goshen College. She helps lead the Ecopax club on campus in addition to her work with CSCS. This year, she has been hard at work, putting on events in partnership with the Indiana Environmental Council, and UCapture. Recently, she led a climate simulation at Goshen which was attended by more than 20 students and faculty, and was so successful, that it will likely be brought back again next semester!
Levi Geyer - Hesston College
Levi is a second-year student at Hesston College. He is the founder of the campus Sustainability Club (founded this year!), and works closely with the local cycling community. This semester he brought the Sustainability club to their local recycling facility, and intends to use the experience to spur change in the recycling procedures on campus. He is also working on getting students who bike to local businesses a discount for sustainable transportation!
Erika Enomoto - Fresno Pacific University
Erika is a senior at Fresno Pacific University, and is in charge of the campus Shalom Club. This year, Shalom Club is the most active club on campus, putting on regular events, such as their sustainability potlucks, and working hard at getting composting started at Fresno Pacific. Erika has been hard at work getting composting up and running, and opening a campus greenhouse which is available for students to use!
Emma Beachy - Bethel College
Emma is a junior at Bethel College, and works with the Environmental Action Club, as well as running the Feminist Collective on campus. She has been working on promoting recycling on campus, as well as getting more native plants in the landscaping. She hopes to increase recycling in every building on campus with events next semester, culminating in a big earth day event for the student body!
Cassie Reinhart - Bluffton University
Cassie is a senior at Bluffton University who helps lead the Sustainability Club on campus. This semester, she hosted an event about ways to reduce waste as a college student. They even gave away DIY house cleaning supplies, and showed students how to make some for themselves. Next semester she plans to push composting on campus, and make the campus waste program more sustainable than even before!
Dhiraj Adhikari - Tabor College
Dhiraj is a senior at Tabor College who helps lead the Science and Sustainability Clubs on campus. This semester, he put together a recycling competition for different buildings on campus. Teams are taking turns taking recycling, and helping increase efficiency for those recycling. Next semester, he is planning a big event around earth day, which will include sustainable giveaways, and feature the campuses new greenhouse, open to students!
Wade Banks - Eastern Mennonite University
Wade is a sophomore at Eastern Mennonite University, and co-leads the Earthkeepers club on campus, as well as working with the Sustainable Food Initiative. He has been working on increasing communication between students and administration around climate, and is planning a Climate Town Hall for the spring semester with the president of EMU. In the fall, he organized a climate strike which saw a full 10% of the student body attend!
This is a great opportunity for our Mennonite colleges to get students involved in climate control and recycling!