4 minute read
WORKING TOWARD A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
Seren Homer '17
Photo by Jenna Schad
Seren Homer '17 thought she knew the campus of Guilford College like the back of her hand. Like every student who has spent four years studying at Guilford, she had walked the common areas to class and meals a million times, and wandered off the beaten path in search of a little solitude. Seren even worked on the college’s farm for her work study job, taking her to a part of the campus some students rarely see. But in the summer of 2018, the alum got to come back to Guilford and explore the campus in an entirely new way.
“After graduation I took a job with Pilot Environmental, Inc., out of Kernersville, a company that provides environmental consulting on everything from indoor air quality to stream and wetland management,” Seren says. “When I saw the Guilford College softball project on the list of upcoming jobs, I put in a bid to work it. I thought it would be really cool to go back and work at Guilford.” Seren was part of the group from Pilot Environmental that mapped out the streams and wetlands in and around the area of the proposed softball stadium.
As part of the natural resources and environmental team at Pilot Environmental, a lot of what Seren does in the scope of her work is similar to the softball field project for Guilford. Her job is a combination of field work, getting out on job sites to conduct stream and wetland delineations, and office work where she’s writing up the research and evaluations of sites. “In addition to looking at streams and wetlands, we also make observations on the habitats at the site. If there’s a potential for federally protected species to be located on a site, based on the habitat they live in, we’ll conduct a detailed survey of the species,” Seren says. “I really enjoy that part of my work and how it incorporates environmental sciences and conservation along with my Biology degree.”
Seren’s love for the outdoors started in childhood. As a kid in Blacksburg, Va., she and her four sisters grew up in a house without a television. “My parents wanted to make sure we were engaged in the world around us instead of glued to the screen,” Seren says. That meant a house full of books and interesting hobbies, as well as a lot of time outdoors.
Once at Guilford, she found a way to turn her passion for conservation and sustainability into a course of study. “Like many kids when they first get to college, I wasn’t sure what I wanted at first and I switched between different disciplines. But when I started taking courses in the Environmental Studies program, I knew I’d found the right major for me. I loved being able to apply the knowledge I gained in both my science and my liberal arts classes to projects pertaining to sustainability and enhancing the environment, which we all depend on,” Seren says.
One of those projects was the STARS assessment (sustainability, tracking, assessment and rating) created by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. “During my senior year it was offered as part of a two-credit course, and we worked with Bronwyn Tucker and David Petree to complete this assessment for Guilford College,” Seren says. The assessment is a self-reporting program that allows colleges to measure their sustainability in different facets of the college, from academics to operations, and even planning and community engagement. “It was interesting to be a part of the process and see how the different facets of the college promote sustainability, especially in areas I didn’t necessarily see before, like operations,” Seren says. “What really made an impression on me was how so many of the faculty, staff and students I spoke with seemed genuinely interested in promoting sustainability throughout our College.”
Seren credits her experiences and education at Guilford College with helping her find a job that allows her to continue to make a positive impact on the environment. “The majority of the projects I work on are for proposed solar facilities,” Seren says. “I love that I’m able to take the knowledge I gained at Guilford and also through my work at Pilot Environmental and help to contribute to renewable energy projects.” A strong background in geology and biology set her on the right track for a career in environmental sciences. “Of course, it’s also great that I get to work out in the field part of the time,” Seren says. “Like most people who go into the environmental field, part of the end goal is being able to get a job that allows you to work outside!”
How can I support sustainability at Guilford College?
ENVIRONMENTAL AND SUSTAINABILITY STUDIES DISTINGUISHED SCHOLARS FUND
Funds from this endowed scholarship support ENVS and SFS students who plan to study abroad and exhibit excellent academic and extracurricular performance. Each student chosen receives financial aid to study abroad.
SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS ACADEMIC PROGRAM FUND
This fund assists the Sustainable Food Systems major in multiple ways, including operating the Guilford Farm and providing support for the Farm Fellowship.
ENVIRONMENTAL AND SUSTAINABILITY STUDIES
Environmental and Sustainability Studies majors and minors explore complex relationships between humans and the environment through hands-on research, collaborative projects and service- and community-based learning and internships.
If you are interested in making a gift to one of these funds, go to www.giving.guilford.edu.
