Kira Adkins

What is your major? Legal studies with a certificate in environmental studies and American Indian studies

Expected graduation: May 2025

What inspired your interest in the environment and/or community? My passion for the environment came from my inner-city tribal community. I had grown up enjoying just being outside, spending time with my non-familial relatives. I take a lot of pride in my relationship with the earth as it grows and evolves throughout my academic journey.

When I got to college, I had taken almost all environmental studies introductory courses. As the semester progressed, I noticed there were very few people who looked like me in these lecture halls and discussion sections. Quickly I had begun to understand that the lack of color in these spaces was not a coincidence. It was the result of environmental racism and societal barriers. In these classrooms, I had taken an interest in the legal barriers which prevent black and brown communities from feeling safe in the outdoors. I had decided from then forward that I would utilize my passion for the law, human rights, and the environment to ensure vulnerable communities have a right to create relationships with the land.