Ann Franks

What is your major? Environmental science

Expected graduation: May 2023

What inspired your interest in the environment and/or community? My main inspiration for my interest in the environment was growing up in an agricultural community, where I was able to take agricultural classes in my middle school and high school. In these classes I learned about environmental current events which made me concerned about the future of the earth, ultimately causing me to declare my major in environmental science.

For the community aspect, my family has always been active in volunteering, and I was in the Lion’s Club in high school that required community service hours, which made me more passionate about being involved in giving back to the community. My church at home was also centered around participating in local projects to benefit the community, and participating in those projects gave me the drive to get involved in my own community-led projects.

What would you say (or do you say) to other students about CESP and the Nelson Institute? If a classmate or fellow student asked me about CESP or the Nelson Institute, I would tell them to join if they have any interest in sustainability or helping the community at all. CESP has opened my eyes to the importance of learning other people’s stories, and working in a community that is not your own is the best way to learn about other perspectives and ways of life. CESP has helped me think about my future plans after graduation, along with opportunities for jobs, seminars to attend, and professionals to talk to. The Nelson Institute and CESP provide many resources, whether that be for getting involved in the environment, leadership opportunities, or just fun events with passionate people.

Something few people know about you: Something interesting about me that not many people know is that I love making art, but I change mediums often. This summer I crocheted a top, wrote poetry, painted, and made jewelry for myself and friends.

Anything else? In high school I was surrounded by agriculture and nature, so I always knew I would be doing something with natural resources or sustainability, but ever since I took public health in college, I realized how broad environmentalism really is and how it has to do with everything around us, including neighborhoods, the distribution of goods and resources, and so many other important things that would not primarily be put in the topic of the environment. CESP also broadened my eyes to this, reiterating the importance of the diversity that is environmentalism and sustainability.