This spring, we got connected to Taylor Daugherty, a super-energetic, smart young lady this summer who is one of our new interns. She just finished her sophomore year at Western Michigan University, and juggles pageant competitions with a double major in environmental studies and broadcast journalism.
Her first day on the job was helping out with the May 5 Environmental Summit, which DWEJ partnered with sister organizations and residents to organize. We wanted to expand community engagement on environmental issues for the Detroit Works Project. I asked her to write a little reflection about what she thought about the event for our blog, and wow - here's what she wrote:
"The Environmental Summit was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.
Heading into my junior year of college as an environmental studies major, I thought I knew a pretty good amount of information. The biological aspects of the environment, importance of maintaining ecological equilibrium , the necessity of preserving the ozone ... blah blah blah, so to speak. One thing that was missing from the lectures, labs, field experiments and statistical assessments however, ... was actual application.
So the summit, needless to say, was amazing. As a mere “fly on the wall”, I was able to absorb so much information. Being able to see the passion behind the people’s stories, opinions and ideas, and the fact that they were directly effected by the things I read about in my textbooks everyday, helped me to understand 1. the interconnection among the different aspects of the environmental realm (social, ecological, political) 2. the importance of having a variety of organizations aimed at different sectors of the environmental field and 3. the benefits of simple communication.
All in all, I really enjoyed the summit. I was able to see generations of Detroiters with strong opinions and passionate appeals, speaking up for things they believed in. It was encouraging, it was insightful ... it was ... Bold!
-signed, the new intern."
Heading into my junior year of college as an environmental studies major, I thought I knew a pretty good amount of information. The biological aspects of the environment, importance of maintaining ecological equilibrium , the necessity of preserving the ozone ... blah blah blah, so to speak. One thing that was missing from the lectures, labs, field experiments and statistical assessments however, ... was actual application.
So the summit, needless to say, was amazing. As a mere “fly on the wall”, I was able to absorb so much information. Being able to see the passion behind the people’s stories, opinions and ideas, and the fact that they were directly effected by the things I read about in my textbooks everyday, helped me to understand 1. the interconnection among the different aspects of the environmental realm (social, ecological, political) 2. the importance of having a variety of organizations aimed at different sectors of the environmental field and 3. the benefits of simple communication.
All in all, I really enjoyed the summit. I was able to see generations of Detroiters with strong opinions and passionate appeals, speaking up for things they believed in. It was encouraging, it was insightful ... it was ... Bold!
-signed, the new intern."
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