Thoughts on the Future

Well I never made a blog before so... here's my first post. Its crazy being in my last semester of college. Five years I spent at Humboldt State University. Five years of experiences and growth; of hard work and diligence; of constantly reevaluating and assessing a vision of my future. I've spent those years learning about structural problems within human civilization and the different realms of thought that are a part of understanding possible solutions to change them. This has given us Environmental Studies students a more broad and condensed picture of the world and the possible models that can be used for positive and lasting change. Change takes time, and time is something we lack, but if we educate and inspire others to care about nature and the future of our society then we will be able to enact that change much more swiftly and effectively. Howard Zinn points out pessimism comes from the feeling of a lack of change happening in the world, but those breakthroughs go unreported. Though they are kept away from the popular media their actions speak for themselves and those continuous clamor of voices will prevail in the end.

So the question:
"What impact do I hope to gain through my capstone experience?"

I am excited for the service learning aspect of the capstone class. At the moment I am still figuring out what organization to work with. They all sound like enriching experiences. Personally I am gravitating towards places that focus on the human aspect of nature. Instead of building trails for the national park service or managing invasive plant species I am focusing more on organizations that interact with people, either through places that promote workshops and creative expression or who are directly involved with fixing problems within society. It was interesting reading Cress's article about service learning programs and the positive benefits it brings to communities everywhere. After so many years of school I am excited to apply my knowledge and skills to help better these organizations and the community.

The organizations listed for this class all play a small important role in helping the community thrive. I want to replicate these in places where they are needed. I hope to come out of this experience with some new perspectives of how to solve contemporary issues and knowledge of how to start one of my own. I want to be exposed to new opportunities and apply my skills in ways that involve critical thinking and problem solving. I also strive to make strong lasting connections with peers and coworkers and bring a new perspective to the group. I guess I'll just have to wait and see how my future plays out. There is so much work to be done. No time like the present.