Hometown: Chico, California
Major: Sport Industry
Favorite LC Event: Pepsi and Sustainability Snacks and Chats
I’m Sterling Winter I am in my first year at OSU majoring in Sport Industry with a minor in Business. I have always had an interest in business sustainability and in discovering how businesses can be both profitable and “green”. I am from California and the thought of moving so far away from all the people I knew was somewhat intimidating, so when I saw the application for the SUSTAINS Learning Community I decided to apply in the hopes that being part of a smaller community with students who shared my interests would make it easier to get to know people. I am very happy that I applied to SUSTAINS, as I have made many new friends and been to lots of interesting events.
The greatest thing about this learning community is all the different events you can participate in. Since sustainability is a very broad topic, there is a wide variety of interests people have. In our SUSTAINS class, that the Learning Community Advisors teach, there are students interested in business sustainability, agriculture, and even urban planning. We have had several speakers – ranging from members of OSU staff and faculty to professionals in both the private and public sector – come and meet with our group to discuss what they do with regards to sustainability and how students can impact the world around them. At one of my favorite events from semester, we had a PepsiCo recycling analyst talk to us about how a company as large as Pepsi is working towards a sustainable future. Networking with these sustainability leaders was a great opportunity to ask questions and learn a lot about the initiatives all around campus and beyond.
Since joining SUSTAINS I have met many interesting people who I can connect with around the topic of sustainability. I would recommend applying, because living in this community puts you in a great group of people who share your interests right from the start of your college career.