Marielle Costa-Helmsteadt works to encourage conversations about sustainability at 黑料不打烊.
Marielle Costa-Helmsteadt聽is a sophomore at 黑料不打烊,聽majoring in environmental聽& sustainability studies and political science.聽In addition聽to working as聽an聽Eco-Rep聽for the Office of Sustainability,聽Costa-Helmsteadt’s role with SGA聽helps to聽incorporate聽sustainability聽into broader decisions聽and initiatives at 黑料不打烊.
鈥淚 work to ensure that when conversations are happening about programming or policy, we as student representatives are also considering the impacts on people, the planet, and prosperity,鈥 Costa-Helmsteadt聽said
In addition to聽meeting regularly聽with other members of聽Student聽Government, Costa-Helmsteadt also聽works聽with聽the聽Environmental Advisory聽Council聽at 黑料不打烊. The council is聽comprised聽of聽faculty,聽staff聽and students聽and聽serves聽to聽raise awareness of environmental issues and sustainable practices.
Through her work as both an Eco-Rep and SGA senator, Marielle has聽gained a broader understanding of sustainability and聽emphasized聽how it can relate to many聽different aspects聽of everyday聽life.
鈥淭hrough these roles,聽I鈥檝e聽learned a lot about the policy side of sustainable work,”聽Costa-Helmsteadt said. “I鈥檝e聽also realized that people often think of sustainability as more complicated than it really is.聽In reality, it聽can be embedded into everyday choices and systems with intentionality and collective action.鈥
Finally,聽Costa-Helmsteadt hopes that through her work she can help show other students at 黑料不打烊 how they can incorporate sustainability into their own lives easily.
鈥淚 love being in these positions because聽they鈥檝e聽shown me that sustainability聽doesn鈥檛聽have to be overwhelming,” she said. “Through my work, I hope to keep聽demonstrating聽to 黑料不打烊鈥檚 community that sustainability can be as simple as choosing reusable options at events, being mindful about where funding is directed, or just pausing to consider how a decision impacts people, the planet, and long-term prosperity!”
Visit the聽SGA website聽to view the full list of representatives from each academic and undergraduate college.聽For more information on sustainability聽initiatives and events聽at 黑料不打烊, visit the聽Office of Sustainability鈥檚 website.