environmental and sustainability studies

Outstanding Graduating Student: Zoe Hannah Vozick

rstaffo2 — Fri, 17 May 2024 17:15:50 +0000

Outstanding Graduating Student: Zoe Hannah Vozick rstaffo2 Fri, 05/17/2024 - 13:15

Each semester, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences recognizes some of their most outstanding graduating students. Honors College Spring 2024 graduate Zoe Hannah Vozick was nominated by the School of Integrative Studies for her academic achievements and contributions.

What was the most impactful class you took at George Mason?

The most impactful course that I took at George Mason was HNRS 360, Grand Challenges. In this course we connected with faculty experts from across the university to consider the greatest grand challenges that the world is currently facing. I thoroughly enjoyed this course because I was able to connect with numerous people in the Mason community all dedicated to make the world a more just and sustainable place for everyone. The course most impactful in my major was EVPP 480, Sustainability in Action. I enjoyed the experiential learning piece that this course focused on as we worked in interdisciplinary teams to identify and work to solve a sustainability-related problem on the GMU campus and Northern Virginia at Large. My group refounded the GMU chapter of the Food Recovery Network, which addresses the parallel issue of extensive food waste and food insecurity by packaging excess food from the GMU dining halls and donating it to local community partners who feed community members most in need. The Integrative Studies course that was most impactful was INTS 304, Social Movements and Community Activism. Once again, I enjoyed this course for the experiential learning focus as we formed groups to simulate developing and managing a movement. My group created a social movement called ReFOCUS the EcoWar which stands for the Revolution of Fashion and Consumerism Until Slowed. We addressed the fast fashion industry to better protect the environment through staging a protest wave, boycotts, and picketing events, as well as producing a randomized online Likert scale survey to then present to legislators.

What activities were you involved in during your time at Mason that impacted you?

I am a member of GMU's NCAA Division 1 softball team. I am the Co-Founder and President of the Food Recovery Network at George Mason University, which establishes a formal collaborative program that recycles GMU’s food waste from SODEXO-approved restaurants, catering events, and food service venues via donations back to students and community members to minimize food waste and fight food insecurity. I am a member of GMU's Honors College. I am a member of GMU's Crux Rock Climbing Club. In the summer of 2023, I participated in GMU's study abroad program in Granada Spain where I studied Spanish and culture through an immersion program. This program consisted of courses taught by the Centro de Lenguas Modernas, homestays, guided field trips and walking tours, and additional assignments from George Mason University. For class credit I interned as the Communication Assistant for Women for Conservation, a non-profit organization dedicated to sustainable livelihoods, nature conservation, and women's empowerment in Colombia. I marketed programs run by Women for Conservation including fauna protection, family planning, environmental education, and sustainable livelihoods through social media accounts including Facebook and Instagram. Additionally, I expanded Women for Conservation’s media presence through effective hashtags and other marketing techniques, as well as wrote various organizational materials including news articles, a Wikipedia page, a donor report, and a needs section for a grant. Furthermore, I designed videos for website and social media publication including Spanish to English translation and the placing of subtitles on videos. Lastly, I created infographics and visual aids to enhance written materials.

What is your most memorable “Mason moment?”

My two most memorable moments at Mason have been officially restarting GMU's chapter of the Food Recovery Network and winning the A10 Softball Championship in 2023. Both of these memories invoke such pride within me because they are a culmination of all of my hard work in and out of the classroom. The former represents my passion for helping others and striving to create an equitable world where no one has to suffer from food insecurity, while the latter represents my tenacity and commitment to being a contributing member of a team, which helped to bring home this first ever award to Mason.

As you are reflecting on your time at Mason, what is one piece of advice you would give a student who is just starting off on their Mason journey?

I would encourage students to engage in as many opportunities and clubs as possible. Once they find their passion, I would urge them to engage with faculty experts on this issue to find and create solutions to this cause on the campus of GMU.

What is your next step after graduation? What are your future plans?

My main goals in life are to live in my van and pet a bear! Once I graduate, I will be going to Switzerland for four months to continue my softball career, while getting to engage with and learn from new cultures in Europe. Once my time in Switzerland ends, I will be returning to Colorado to work as an intern with the Range Department at the Bureau of Land Management in Silt, Colorado.

Topics

Athletics

environmental and sustainability studies

Honors College

Outstanding Graduating Student: Katelyn Moore

rstaffo2 — Fri, 17 May 2024 17:13:58 +0000

Outstanding Graduating Student: Katelyn Moore rstaffo2 Fri, 05/17/2024 - 13:13

Each semester, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences recognizes some of their most outstanding graduating students. Honors College Spring 2024 graduate Katelyn Moore was nominated by the School of Integrative Studies for her academic achievements and contributions.

What was the most impactful class you took in your major?

The most impactful class that I have taken in my major is INTS 337: Social Justice Consciousness with Dr. Aoi Yamanaka. I have spent much of my academic career examining how systems of power marginalize folks, but assignments in this course force you to dig deeper into your own privilege and biases, listen to classmates’ stories of microaggressions and vulnerabilities as well as share one of your own, and develop a course activism and advocacy project with a randomized small group of classmates. This course makes everything I have learned about in my other classes that much more personal, which has shaped the way that I see my relationship with social justice.

What activities were you involved in during your time at Mason that impacted you?

During my time at Mason, I served several roles on the Alpha Kappa Chi Executive Board. Alpha Kappa Chi (AKX) is a fraternity that brings together students that care about the environment for community-building in terms of activism, service, networking, and friendships, and while in the organization, I helped to coordinate professional opportunities, clean-ups on and off campus, and team building. I was also a part of Patriot Public Interest Research Group (PIRG), where I had worked with an amazing team on research about food insecurity on campus. I currently work as the Lead Program Advisor, primarily focusing on social media management and outreach event coordination, at the Women and Gender Studies Center, which allows me to bring together my passions for activism and community.

What is your most memorable “Mason moment?”

My most memorable moment at Mason inside or outside of the classroom is picking figs from the trees at the Potomac Heights Organic Vegetable Garden. University Sustainability and the Greenhouse and Gardens Program have played a huge role in my Mason experience. As part of a few of my course classes, we are required to volunteer a certain number of hours, and I always chose to volunteer at the Hydroponic Greenhouse and at the Vegetable Garden. In fact, as part of my EVPP 480: Sustainability in Action course project, my group planted a pollinator garden at the Potomac Heights Organic Vegetable Garden because that location just had so much meaning for myself and my team members. I find so much joy and value in being able to see food grow, garden with others, and even pick some of the fruits and vegetables myself!

As you are reflecting on your time at Mason, what is one piece of advice you would give a student who is just starting off on their Mason journey?

One piece of advice I would give to a student just starting off on their Mason journey is to not be afraid to get yourself out there! I would generally describe myself as pretty shy, and I am so grateful to have been able to join on-campus organizations during my first semester for the support system and satisfaction that clubs can provide. Do your best to attend any and all events that you’re interested in. For me, that meant taking advantage of free student tickets for student theater productions and going to Visiting Filmmakers Series events whenever I could. I also love attending guest lectures, especially since working at the Women and Gender Studies Center because often, I know a lot of the professors who are speaking or have an opportunity to speak with them afterwards!

What is your next step after graduation? What are your future plans?

My next step after graduation is to find a community-oriented job in Richmond, VA. I love the area, and there is so much opportunity there for people like myself who are interested in community engagement and environmental preservation. I am not sure exactly what the future holds, but I will always be grateful for my experience at Mason and the doors it has opened for me.

Topics

Honors College

environmental and sustainability studies