Student Spotlight, Part 2: Sustainability Award winners reflect on their college careers
this Sustainability Undergraduate Program Proud to celebrate the hard work and outstanding dedication of our recent graduates. Six students from the Class of 2023 received departmental honors: Divya Agarwala, Clio Dakolias, Heidi Lichtl, Kiara Ordóñez Olazábal, Justas Pakašius and Maris Welch.
The Department of Sustainability Honors course is awarded to students with a minimum 3.7 GPA in the major and a minimum of B+ in both courses in the Senior Thesis Seminar.
In this spotlight, we interview Kiara, Justas and Maris.Read our previous interviews with Divya, Clio, Heidi herestay tuned for the next Senior Spotlight featuring other Sustainability Student Award Winners!
Q&A with Kiara Ordóñez Olazábal
What advice do you have for students looking to complete a sustainability project?
Take as many skills/action classes as you can, and apply for internships and research opportunities available at Climate School!
What are your plans after graduation from this program?
I will continue to work at Columbia International Geoscience Information Network Center (Sai Xin).
What drew you to the Sustainability major or specialization?
I’ve been an environmental activist since I was 16 and I thought a sustainability program would be an ideal step in my education to keep me working on better environmental and energy policies.
What is your favorite course in the Sustainability Program? Why?
I love Science for Sustainable Development because it gave me a clearer understanding of the physical systems behind issues like climate change, natural disasters, water scarcity, and biodiversity loss.
What was your greatest achievement while at Columbia University?
Completing my senior thesis on the economic and environmental impact of mining on local communities in Peru. Although it was a lot of work, I am very happy with the result.
Justus Pacassius Q&A
What advice do you have for students looking to complete a sustainability project?
Like any other area of life, the key is to always be curious and show interest in the material. Especially the professors in the Sustainability Program and Columbia University are always willing to meet with students, whether it’s for coffee or office hours, everyone should really take that opportunity. Reading, following the news, and talking to other students are also great ways to stay engaged with your studies. Personally, I also enjoyed writing my bachelor’s thesis. While by no means easy, the process of creating your own substantial work can be very rewarding both personally and professionally.
What are your plans after graduation from this program?
I intend to work in finance in London for a while before doing a postgraduate degree in political science.
What is your favorite course in the Sustainability Program? Why?
It’s hard to pick just one course because they all bring something new to the table, but if I had to choose, Sonali de la Niagara and John Mutter’s “Disaster and Development” might be my favorite in the sustainability program. favorite course. The course incorporates the science behind disasters such as earthquakes and their short- and long-term economic impacts. I found this interdisciplinary approach very unique and very engaging.
How has the program shaped your understanding of sustainability?
It helped me understand that sustainability is not a goal but a difficult journey, full of trade-offs, difficult policy making and setbacks.
What was your greatest achievement while at Columbia University?
Together with my friends and teammates Daniel LaFata, Lu Xi, Romain Cabanes and instructor Jenik Radon, we were selected from 27 entrants to win the Schuman Challenge, the annual policy competition organized by the EU Representative to the United States second place. This year’s theme is climate and security. Our team is focused on how climate change is increasing interest in Antarctica’s minerals while making them more accessible. We are particularly concerned about the growing interests and belligerence of Russia and China in the region.
Besides the classroom, what extracurricular activities did you participate in?
While studying at Columbia University, I worked with the historian and journalist Paul Ham, whom I met at Sciences Po, to help him research his forthcoming book. During the summer between my junior and senior years, I interned at the Warsaw office of Goldman Sachs.
Maryse Welch Q&A
What advice do you have for students looking to complete a sustainability project?
This is an interdisciplinary project, so stay focused on your studies! Explore systems-level thinking and big-picture thinking – these are amazing skills that generalists bring to the table, in addition to any specialized skills you may have learned in the programme.
What are your plans after graduation from this program?
I will be working as a climate change researcher at ICF (a consulting firm in the Washington area).
What drew you to the Sustainability major or specialization?
I am interested in environmental and climate issues but have a political science background from a double bachelor’s degree program. I see sustainability as a great opportunity to combine these interests.
What is your favorite course in the Sustainability Program? Why?
“GIS for Sustainable Development”! After entering the program, I was terribly intimidated by the STEM aspects of the degree, but they ended up being my favorite part. Learning to think about data spatially has completely changed the way I think about data visualization and problem solving.
How has the program shaped your understanding of sustainability?
The program really emphasizes that you can never solve a problem in isolation. As much as we like to think of ourselves as separate from nature, humans also exist within larger ecosystems, including the social and economic ecosystems we construct. You must understand how systems interact to find solutions to some of your most pressing problems.
What was your greatest achievement while at Columbia University?
Finish my thesis! I’m glad I chose to write one, but it’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I definitely recommend it to anyone who may have a niche interest they want to explore that the courses here don’t really offer.
Besides the classroom, what extracurricular activities did you participate in?
My passion for climate issues stems from my love of the great outdoors. I was a member of the Columbia Climbing Club, worked as an outdoor science educator, and even worked as a sawmill for the Forest Service trail crew. I use all my down time to pursue my climbing and backpacking adventures!
For information about the program and upcoming events, visit the Undergraduate Program in Sustainability website.
