Hometown: Pickerington, Ohio
Major: Industrial Systems Engineering
Minor: Humanitarian Engineering
Favorite SUSTAINS Events: DC/ Baltimore Trip

Hi, my name is Jessica Griffin and I’m a freshman engineer from right outside Columbus. I have loved being a SUSTAINS student and I am so glad that I applied! I knew that I wanted to be in SUSTAINS, because I have always been interested in applying my passion for sustainability to my engineering career. I found out about SUSTAINS through my older brother who was in it his freshman and sophomore years. Hearing about all the great events that SUSTAINS puts on, and the chance to further my understanding of sustainability encouraged me to apply as soon as I was accepted to OSU.

I have so many great memories thanks to SUSTAINS, but my favorite memory must be the DC/Baltimore trip. I would recommend every SUSTAINS member go, especially the freshman! Not only is it a great professional development trip where we learn so much about sustainability, but there is also lots of fun too. It’s the perfect balance of learning and free time. We spoke with professionals and government officials making huge strides to improve our nation’s capital and the surrounding communities. In between activities we went to museums, found the best (college student priced) restaurant for dinner, and relaxed at the pool.

SUSTAINS is a great opportunity to make friends with people of similar interests and learn things you never thought would interest you prior. I love all the opportunities to make connections with sustainability leaders in Ohio and further my learning in areas I am passionate about. The dinner and dialogue events focus on learning sustainability from professionals, making connections, and getting free food, and are a great way to learn about opportunities around Columbus. I highly recommend participating in every activity you can, whether it immediately interests you or not. You never know what amazing things you will learn in SUSTAINS!

Hometown: Powell, Ohio
Major: Environment, Economy, Development and Sustainability (EEDS)
Favorite SUSTAINS Events: Maple Tree Sugaring Tour

Hi! My name is Sravya Patibandla and I am a first-year Environment, Economy, Development and Sustainability major specializing in Business and Sustainability. I joined SUSTAINS because I wanted to find a community of people who cared about protecting the environment as much as I do, and I wanted to get involved with promoting sustainability on campus.

I can say, without a doubt, that SUSTAINS has helped me find a group of people with similar interests to mine and has given me opportunities to get involved in making OSU’s campus more sustainable. Although we all share a passion for sustainability, SUSTAINS represents a wide variety of majors, from engineering to business to public health. Because of this, the learning community brings in professionals from a variety of career fields, giving us the unique opportunity to learn how sustainability can be applied in a variety of industries and careers.

My favorite SUSTAINS event so far has been the maple tree sugaring tour. We went to the Stratford Ecological Center, learned how maple syrup is made, and even got to try some fresh maple syrup! While we were there, we got to see lambs that were only a week old and try herbs straight from the garden!

Sludging around in mud while wearing rainboots that aren’t mine, surrounded by my friends, is what I think of when I think of SUSTAINS. Being a part of this learning community has given me opportunities and experiences I wouldn’t have had otherwise. From traveling to Washington, DC to helping create a community garden, being in SUSTAINS offers so many opportunities and I would recommend applying to anyone looking to find their niche within The Ohio State University.