Seri Sanches
What is your major? People-environment geography
Expected graduation: Spring 2027
What inspired your interest in the environment and/or community? I was raised to care deeply about the environment, but my interest in environmental justice really took off after attending the Youth Climate Justice Summit in St. Paul, Minnesota, in ninth grade. There, I learned about the School of Environmental Studies, a public magnet school that I transferred to for my junior and senior years of high school.
As part of the curriculum, we read books like “Braiding Sweetgrass” by Robin Wall Kimmerer, “Ishmael” by Daniel Quinn, and “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe that totally transformed my environmental worldview.
After graduating, I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to be an Environmental Stewardship Institute fellow with an organization called Friends of the Mississippi River, which sparked an interest in community nonprofit work.
As I’ve dug deeper into the fields of geography and environmental studies, I’ve gotten really interested in the intersections between environmental justice and abolition work, which I would love to integrate into a future career in community service.
What would you say to other students who ask about CESP or the Nelson Institute? Both CESP and the Nelson Institute as a whole are really supportive communities that strive to provide students with resources and opportunities to become thoughtful and informed community members and impactful environmental professionals. Engaging with both are amazing ways to get to know other like-minded people and tap into the environmental network on campus.
Something few people know about you: I went to a Spanish immersion elementary school!
Anything else? I work as a sustainability coordinator assistant with University Housing and Dining, and help to coordinate Sustainable Move In and Move Out, the Sustain-a-Bash Showcase, the Resident Sustainability Ambassador program, and other cool sustainability initiatives within University Housing and Dining!