During my time at SIUE and in CODES I have learned an indescribable amount about myself.
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When I first came to college I had no idea what to do with myself. Nothing had gone as I had planned, I was so sure I would end up at UW Madison or UNC Ashville and study something related to mortuary sciences or biology but neither ended up being in the cards. When I decided on SIUE I felt defeated, while I was interested in the CODES program I felt that I’d never be able to find my home in Southern Illinois. I was majoring in geography only because I was so unsure what else to do and joining an experimental program only because I was scared I couldn’t afford college otherwise. When we started working with NGRREC I was excited to focus on environmental science but worried that I may have made the wrong choice. While my changes and acceptances were slow and often tiresome I now realize I can’t imagine sitting here in my third year of college without them
Through CODES I learned…
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- How to tell my story and the stories of others effectively
- How to express myself through digital forms
- How to utilize tools like websites and videos to enhance my storytelling
- How to lead a group and step back to watch others shine
- How to set an example and be proud of learning from others
- How to present in a formal setting
Through NGRREC, I learned…
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- Why we should care about environmental education
- Why our history still defines the reality of our communities
- Why environmental disasters like floods continue to get worse
- Why we need to preserve our wetlands
- Why scientists should care
- Why it’s so hard to get science into policy
- Why internships are so essential to experience
- Why is it a privilege to know all of this
Through classes, I learned
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- The importance of seeing a world through the lens of our intersectionalities
- The importance of advocacy for underrepresented groups
- The importance of ethical urban planning
- The importance of historically racist housing practices
- The importance of art when presenting political arguments
- The importance of Geography and map-making when visualizing the world
- The importance of education
- The importance of empathy
- The importance of humanity
Through these past 3 years, I have learned…
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- I want to pursue a career in Urban Planning to advocate for the creation of mixed-income communities.
- I want to advocate for the fight for green space that organizations like 10-Minute Walk have started.
- I want to point out how continued injustices shape our communities of color.
- I want to show organizations the fallacies they continue to push.
- I want to prove there is a better way.
- I want to fight for those who feel hopeless
- I want to educate future generations
- I need to make a difference, no matter how small, even if I can only light someone else’s spark.
- I need to help bring a change
Closing Words
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One thing I can say about CODES is that it never has been and never will be what I expected, and I have loved every minute of it. During my time in CODES, I have pushed my boundaries and been met with both shame and success. I feel I have met lifelong friends and mentors. I have had sleepless nights and joyful days. But most importantly I feel that I have made something out of my college career. CODES has presented me with opportunities I may have never been able to find at other universities. CODES may not have been what I wanted when looking at colleges, but I the end I think it was what I needed.