I have had a lifelong interest in sustainability and helping the environment, and it’s actually one of the reasons I chose to enroll at UC Davis. As a student, I was drawn to the campus’ focus on sustainability issues, from the annual competition against food waste at the Dining Commons to our work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve carbon neutrality.
In October of my junior year, I started looking for ways to become more involved in student organizations on campus and fell in love with Zero Waste and Sustainability Club after attending their first meeting of the academic year. I applied to become an officer and am happy to say I was able to contribute to this amazing organization despite the barriers we have faced in the past year.
I am grateful for the relationships I’ve formed with officers and general members and I’m proud of my small contribution to the club as we’ve transitioned to a fully virtual presence this year. Through our weekly articles and newsletters as well as our larger campaigns, I believe we have truly made a difference on campus since the organization was founded in 2018.
I am particularly proud of the work we have done on social media and through general meetings to inform the Davis community about environmental policy and the importance of political participation. As we settle into the new presidential administration, there is certainly more work to be done, but I am starting to regain hope in our collective efforts to curb climate change.
As we (hopefully) return to in-person instruction in the fall, I am excited to see how the club’s impact grows and continue to follow the in-person events the group hosts to educate the community about zero waste and sustainability issues. My time as an officer allowed me to tackle a diverse set of projects and leave a small mark on the larger sustainability-focused community I am so happy to belong to at Davis.
Thank you for everything,
Lauren Zaren
Communications Coordinator & Politics and Current Events Specialist
#thankyou #reflection #sustainability #zerowastelifestyle #zerowaste #zwandsustainability #zerowasteucdavis #ucdavis