In the End I Am Still Whole

   Its hard to process my time in college is coming to an end. I spent five years at HSU, coming out a completely different person than when I started. Like many people coming to a university I had no idea about what path to take in life. How can we select just one emphasis when there is so much knowledge in this place? I settled on Environmental Studies because both my parents were back in the day, figuring it would be a good start if I wanted to change majors. The next five years I was able to gain a variety of different perspectives and aspects of environmental stewardship, deconstructing both problems and society as a whole. Very quickly I realized I had a small understanding of the world, being only fresh out of high school in the bay area suburbs.
   Environmental Studies has numerous applications throughout the world; the flexibility being one of the appealing things for me. Instead of being taught one way to see the world we are told to expand our understanding and think about the many aspects to a problem, recognizing the hidden regimes of truth that create a peaceful and functioning society. If we don't question our reality how are we supposed to change it? Viewing the world through power and privilege highlights how problems of accessibility and influence stem from money and socioeconomic status. Being a white male from a lower mostly middle class background lessons like these weren't as easily found in my life. Recognizing privilege shows how our system became how it is and how best to address problems in a realistic and effective way. Overall this major taught how to create change in society and understand the power of community and connectedness while still being strong and healthy individuals.    
   One thing I appreciated about this field was the recognition and understanding of self care. This major made me more aware of both local and global news. Recent political events have made the news take a larger toll on our minds, but recognizing self care and fostering resilience makes for a better, stronger individual able to work on improving without getting to heavily burdened by the content. Change happens slow, sometimes painfully slow, but practicing self care and fostering support with your community ensures it will come. Actions speak louder than words and keeping hope in others makes them able to continue their actions without burning out.
   Change comes through education. Many people want to help the world but don't realize they can do more than just recycling plastic and riding a bike. When we change small behaviors, some that have been institutionalized in our societal norms, we create positive habits that are part of making change. One example is reusing bags and containers to create less excess waste. Especially in developed countries waste is a major problem we have the power to change. My media production emphasis educates and informs the public on problems and possible solutions through videos and recordings so they have tangible images and content they remember and are impacted from. I know they are the only ones who decide their behaviors, but with more education and understanding public knowledge and positive behaviors will improve and sustain an impact on society.
   Overall, the knowledge I gained in HSU studying Environmental Studies I feel was some of the most important and useful tools I could have learned in the institution. The classes taught and the people I worked with were some of the nicest and most understanding people I have met, each with their unique personalities and energies brought to discussions and lectures. Part of the content was sharing and understanding their experiences and thoughts in life and made me feel better about my own actions I do to make a difference. Though I learned so much in college I am still functioning, still sane, and still helping make the world better than when I found it. The potential for change is endless and it is up to us to help usher it in in a positive way. College is ending. I am still whole, and ready for the next step of the journey.