Manifesto, Nick Gil, class of 2020

When I think about what a social change agent is, I imagine a powerful, influential and inspiring individual or representative from a group who has a skill set that allows them to create the change they want to see in the world. This is something that I never imagined I would be able to even aspire to become, but with the knowledge I have gained in my time as an Environmental Studies major I have unconsciously been on the path to become a social change agent. How change is obtained can vary from person to person, but the background knowledge and motivation comes from the same place. We have been looking at an assortment of societal issues which ironically can all be looked at as environmental issues. By doing this it becomes clear that the massive entanglement of issues we see at a world scale are interrelated. From the injustices that are born from corporate greed that lead to the deterioration of indigenous lands in developing nations, to the high pollution rates in low income communities that have led to countless children developing health conditions that will forever affect their day to day lives; like asthma. Ever since I realized that not everyone notices or thinks about these topics, I have decided that I want to be an agent of social change. I am naturally a great facilitator of difficult discussions, so I dream to facilitate more of these difficult and sometimes unpleasant conversations with people who need to hear these sad truths with the hope to open the eyes of those I interact with. Once I graduate from this program, I will be going straight to my graduate level studies where I will obtain my masters in International Environmental Policy. Here I aspire to obtain more of the knowledge I need to hold more of these important conversations with some of the most important political figures in the world.