My Global & Environmental Identity
As a global and environmental citizen, I’m many things. As someone who holds dual citizenship in the United States and the United Kingdom, I’ve had the privilege of experiencing two similar but also different cultures and societies. I’ve also had the privilege to visit over 15 countries and 15 US states, with each visit generating a new perspective on global topics.
As an environmental citizen, I’m proud of how my family and I are committed to sustainable practices - things like composting, the use of solar power, and generally making environmental conscious decisions are common in my home. Studying global and environmental topics is important to me because I want to make sure I’m expanding my understanding of the world in many different ways - whether it be political, environmental, or cultural. For me, being a global and environmental scholar goes beyond passive observation - it’s about active engagement with the world.
One goal I have for GESC this year is to learn more about various environmental issues and ongoing projects - coming into this program, I definitely feel like I’m more familiar with the “global” component compared to the “environment.” Something I’ve always admired about the GESC program, and what feeds another goal for me, is how the capstones in the program always manage to weld so many different components together - my goal is to produce the most multifaceted, comprehensive, and well thought out capstone I can.
Being a part of the GESC program is, to me, an opportunity to explore the intricacies of global dynamics, diverse cultures, and environmental challenges - it’s something I’m really excited for!
Global & Environmental Resume
GESC-designated Courses
- World History
- French: IIA, IIIA, CL French IV
- Introduction to Philosophy
- CL European History
- Ceramics I
- CL Comparative Government and Politics
- CL Statistics
- Philosophy of Nonviolence
- French V: Cinema
- French V: Modern Writers
Elective Courses
- Model UN: Doing Model UN (MUN) has helped me develop skills like international relations, diplomacy, and critical problem-solving all with a global lens. Doing research about the countries I have represented has also let me develop a deeper understanding of countries like the Netherlands, Chad, Switzerland, and New Zealand. Additionally, as many topics debated in MUN are environmentally focused, I've learned about many global environmental challenges and the ongoing or possible solutions for them
GESC Experiential Education
Exploration Alaska: Adventure, Climate, & Culture from the Kenai to Denali
The summer between my sophomore and junior years, I had the opportunity to travel to Alaska, where I engaged with the local history and environment. While most of the trip was spent hiking in Alaska's beautiful mountains, we were able to experience some eye-opening activities as well. From learning about environmental problems in Denali National Park during a four-hour-long guided bus tour to hiking on glaciers and swimming in glacier waters in Seward to learning about Alaskan heritage and history at the Anchorage Museum, I was able to explore and learn about a vast range of topics in the biggest state in the US.
Learning Artifacts
GESC Coursework
One assignment that I chose to highlight is an essay I wrote in my Introduction to Philosophy, visible here. This assignment connects to the Alvord Center Matrix by connecting with the "Develop Empathy for other Perspectives" "Expand active listening, open communication, and self reflection techniques" and the "Examine local, global, and enviromental trends" goals in it's discussion of how ethical and moral principles differ across geographic borders. The essay also largely connects the the "Enhance Understanding" section of the Matrix, as it's main purpose and my main goal while writing it was to expand comprehensions of these differences and the reasoning/cultural histories behind them. I remember this essay, and this class in general, being very impactful because it was the first time I was exploring topics outside the typical Math, Science, English, etc, in a school setting. Along with ethics and morals, some other topics in that class that I was really interested in included free will, intelligence, and epistemology. Overall, I really enjoyed that class and I have fond mememories of writing this assignment.
GESC Seminars
- Seminar #2 Post-Seminar Reflection: As someone with a personally negative relationship with religion and an intellectual curiosity about its global significance, this trip was illuminating in the way it allowed me to learn more about the value of religion in certain cultures and areas of the world. Having conversations with the people at the Islamic Association of New Britain was interesting to me because of the exchange of stories and information that occurred. This trip shattered stereotypes for me in the way that I knew very little about anything that was discussed on the trip, and I’m grateful that through both the pre-trip research and the trip itself I learned many things on a range of topics - the Jiran program, the educational foundations within the Association, and the immigration stories of many people my own age among them. I predict this trip will impact my work as a Global and Environmental Scholar in the way that it has expanded my knowledge about global issues and how they affect the modern world. It will also help me apply a greater global and environmental lens to my work in the GESC program - one of the goals of the “Develop Skills” sector of the Engaged Citizenship Matrix. Overall, most of the points listed in the Matrix are goals that this trip has allowed me to work towards - “Question prevailing assumptions,” “Develop empathy for other perspectives,” and “Seek and identify opportunities for collaboration” among them.. This trip made me want to learn more about the range of immigration stories in Connecticut - Connecticut is home to immigrants from all over the world, and speaking to people on this trip made me curious about what other stories could be available to me. Overall, I really enjoyed this trip, and I hope I have more opportunities to go on similar trips, both independently and with the GESC program in the future.
- Seminar #4 Post-Seminar Reflection: I attended Ameen Mokdad’s The Curve: from Iraq, A Story of Triumph Concert + Q&A. This event, which featured beautiful music from Ameen Mokdad and the Cuatro Puntos Ensemble, was accompanied by four dancers from the Ekklesia Contemporary Ballet. The featured guests "took action" by sharing the life and experiences of Ameen Mokdad through song and dance, with several moments emphasizing the horrors he experienced living in Iraq under ISIS rule. Some moments of the performance that stood out to me were the ending pose in "Havoc," the scrubbing motions in "From Her," and the interactions between the dancers and Ameen in "Secret." This event has impacted my work as a Global and Environmental Scholar by inspiring me to adopt a more global view as I absorb information about yet another global experience from a new perspective. In the Q&A talkback portion of the event I attended, Ameen discussed how he tries to inspire others through music, which helped inspire my capstone project. He talked about how "music is freedom" and that music inspired him to stay motivated when the restrictive pressure of ISIS was closing around him. Personally, I thought that the event futfilled the matrix goals "Develop empathy for other perspectives" and "Engage in civil discourse to raise awarness and promote understanding," but it could apply to some others as well. Overall, I really enjoyed the event, and I hope Loomis hosts more events like this in the future!
GESC Electives
Something I do in the summer that I'm incredibly passionate about is being a overnight counselor at the YMCA Camp Fuller in Wakefield, RI. One of the most amazing things about my job is how it allows me to meet so many amazing people from all over the world. We have a large amount of international counselors and campers each summer, and people in this photo come from Hungary, New Zealand, England, New York, Ireland, Texas, Michigan, Rhode Island, Scotland, Missouri, Spain, and Wales. Meeting all of these people and sharing stories with them about where I'm from helps me connect to the Alvord Center Matrix through the "Explore one's cultural and enviromental identity" goal. Working at camp also helps me "Expand active listening, open communication, and self-reflection techniques," as I'm working to bond and connect with campers of all ages at all times. Overall, attending working at the YCF has been one of the most rewarding and futfilling experiences of my life, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.
GESC Experiential Education
- This first image is of my and my friends on the trip before we embarked on an eight-hour long kayaking trip. On the trip, we got to see so much natural wildlife along the shores of the river we kayaked on, living undisturbed in nature. This moment is memorable in my growth as a global and enviromental scholar becuase it showed me scenes that emphasize just how important it is that we preserve the enviroment and continue fighting to protect these untouched spaces.
- This second image is from earlier on my trip, when my group went on a hike in Denali National Park. At the bottom of the hike, there was a beautiful lake, which we all went swimming in despire the freezing temperatures of the water. This moment again is memorable because it was such a beautiful space in a somewhat unexpected place, and contributed to my comitment to being a conscious enviromental citizen and trying to protect these beautiful spaces.
- This third image is from the final day of our trip, when we were able to hike up a glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park, in Seward, Alaska. On the hike, we learned about how the glacier is rapidly disapearing due to global warming - it's shrunk significantly in the last thirty years. This moment is memorable not just for how much of an amazing and unique experience it was, but also for how I got to see first hand the effects of global warming and what we had to lose.
Capstone Project
Learning in Harmony: A Musical Database
https://docs.google.com/document/d/18ZAxu9o-eugXynUEa89pSUccPa-hGzjRyY2CloWwQFE/edit
Project rationale
This project is important to the community because when brainstorming ideas for this project we noticed a distinct need for more connection between the music department and other academic departments. Similarly, we noticed that many GESC-designated classes were not fulfilling expectations of featuring global or environmental topics. Our project aims to fix those divides, which makes it important for the entire Loomis community.
Target Audience
Our project is designed specifically to engage with students and teachers in classes with the GESC designation. Specifically, we wanted to target the classes in which finding a connection to GESC topics can be difficult or awkward. Additionally, by connecting all those classes to music, we hope that music students at Loomis can also use this database to expand their library of performing arts pieces they may wish to explore.
Project Process
My group struggled with the planning phase of our project. We had a lot of ideas, but lacked a concrete plan on how to bring our ideas to the project stage. Once we solidified our ideas, we talked to various teachers of GESC courses to get an idea of how to integrate music into their curriculum. We then found examples that connected to various units in each of the classes, and wrote descriptions about all of them. Finally, we brainstormed ways to integrate these examples into classes through both in class work and take home work activities. All of our activities are designed to use relevant class topics and materials to align with the GESC matrix and add more global and environmental aspects to classes with the GESC designation.
Project Reflection (To be written upon conclusion of your Capstone, 250-300 words)
Our GESC Capstone project, "Learning in Harmony: A Musical Database," stands as a testament to interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation. This project bridges the gap between GESC-designated classes and the Alvord Center Matrix, fostering a deeper understanding of global and environmental issues through the lens of music and performing arts. Our project connects to the Alvord Center Matrix by integrating several themes from the matrix: from “Enhance Understanding,” we have referenced the “Analyze connections between local and global issues” and “Recognize and evaluate local and global implications of individual and shared actions” themes. From “Seek Knowledge,” we have set the goal to “Investigate how history, culture and science shapes the modern world.” Finally, from “Develop Skills” and “Take Action” we have integrated the “Apply a global and environmental lens to critical thinking and problem solving exercises” and “Empower action through research-driven projects” points.
Personally, I believe that this project has greatly aided me in my growth as a global and environmental scholar. It has challenged me to think critically about the intersection of music, culture, and sustainability, pushing me to expand my perspective and embrace interdisciplinary approaches to learning.
In the future, I see our project being used as a resource in many classrooms at Loomis. The versatility of our project allows for adaptation across various topics and projects, as incorporating music as a tool for cultural understanding and appreciation can be adapted to fit almost any subject. Along with the template we've provided to increase awareness at music performances, we hope that this project will be used to foster a legacy of inclusion of culture and music in many classes at Loomis.
GESC Reflection (150-300 words)
In my statement of intent, I said that through the GESC "l'll be able to develop as a globally and environmentally engaged leader while pursuing things that are incredibly interesting and important to me." I think this statement has stayed pretty true - while my project didn't go in the direction I was initially envisioning it to, I was still super interested by and developed a greater appreciation for the topics my group explored. Generally, I think I've definitely met the goals I outined in my statement of intent. The GESC has allowed me to grow as a global and enviromental scholar in the experiences it's given me, like witnessing Ameen Mokdad’s The Curve: from Iraq, A Story of Triumph Concert + Q&A, or my experiental education trip to Alaska two summers ago. Overall, I'm super grateful to this program for the opportunities I've had the chance to experience and everything I've learned from them.