12.8.16
I grew up on my family’s oyster farm in Westport, Wa. Spending the first 18 years of my life in the small fishing community was interesting to say the least. The great part of graduating in a class 40 people is that I had many opportunities to shine with a supportive, close-knit community right behind me. Another great aspect of growing up in the middle of nowhere is that I developed a strong sense of self in music and in nature. Westport has always been about a decade behind Seattle in technology, music, fashion, etc. While at the time I did not appreciate it, growing up in Westport’s slow paced, small town culture allowed me to develop a unique and close relationship to my surroundings. I spent countless hours playing piano, listening to my parent’s music, exploring the forest that surrounds my house, running on the beach and through the dunes, biking on all the paths I could find because that is all there is to do. Needless to say, by the time I graduated I was more than ready to plunge into the big city, college life in Seattle.
When I graduated high school, I had my heart set on being an engineer. That is what everyone told me I should be, so that is what I decided was right for me. Since I am passionate about the environment and cities, I figured that I would be a civil environmental engineer so that eventually I could be an engineer for the City of Seattle. I did not really consider or know anything about other majors. When I started taking the science and math classes in college, I felt lost in them. I started to realize that maybe engineering was not the major for me, but I had no idea what else I could do. I was helpless so I continued to take the classes because I thought maybe my attitude toward engineering would change eventually.
I have changed significantly since coming to UW. I came in thinking that I was interested in math and science, thinking of myself as a left-brained sort of person. Throughout my college experience, I have come to realize that I am not limited to the direction that I previously planned for myself. I am now a more well-rounded and holistic person as a result of exploring my different interests. This process of self-realization is not complete.
I remember I was in my chemistry lab my freshman winter quarter and I was chatting with my lab partner when she mentioned that her friend was a Community, Environment and Planning major. Immediately after the lab, I went home and looked up CEP. After looking at the website, I called my mom and told her that I was no longer interested in pursuing an engineering degree. I signed up for URBDP 200 “Intro to Urbanization” that spring quarter because the website suggested it as a good class for prospective CEP students. I loved it. It was the first class that I found genuinely interesting. I had never considered how cities began and how they have changed over time. I actually liked the readings and studying for the tests because the material fascinated me. After learning about gentrification, walkability, transportation, ecological urbanism and new urbanism, the way I looked at cities was completely changed. Seattle in particular is a city where there are so many aspects of urbanization happening around us.
With two years left in my college career, I still have much to learn. My first two years have been full of diversity and self-discovery but now I need to focus on the path that I have chosen for myself. I am excited to dive deeper into community, environment and planning. I want to develop my understanding of civic engagement, urban design, sustainability, environmental conservation and geography. I need to be intentional in the courses I take, I need to network with professionals in the fields I am interested in and I need to gain relevant experience through internships, jobs and volunteering.
College provides me a chance to find my professional direction and provides me with the connections I need to pursue my own path. Inspiration, advice, encouragement are facilitated by the educated, high achieving people that fill a college campus. Many of the skills I need to survive in college are the same skills that I need to thrive in the workforce. It is stereotypical but it is true. Realistically, an important element of the value of higher education is simply getting a degree to be taken seriously by employers.
With that in mind, I intend on pursuing a career in planning. A professional planner must be effective at analyzing situations to develop innovative and resourceful solutions. I think that it is important to be flexible and creative while also understanding the realities and logistics to acquire tangible results. Organization, efficiency and communication are all important attributes of successful planning as well. Within the diverse world of professional planning, I want to work in the environmental and/or city planning sectors. In particular, shoreline planning or sustainability/conservation planning interest me. I want a career that will allow me to incorporate my love of the outdoors with my passion for planning.
When I graduated high school, I had my heart set on being an engineer. That is what everyone told me I should be, so that is what I decided was right for me. Since I am passionate about the environment and cities, I figured that I would be a civil environmental engineer so that eventually I could be an engineer for the City of Seattle. I did not really consider or know anything about other majors. When I started taking the science and math classes in college, I felt lost in them. I started to realize that maybe engineering was not the major for me, but I had no idea what else I could do. I was helpless so I continued to take the classes because I thought maybe my attitude toward engineering would change eventually.
I have changed significantly since coming to UW. I came in thinking that I was interested in math and science, thinking of myself as a left-brained sort of person. Throughout my college experience, I have come to realize that I am not limited to the direction that I previously planned for myself. I am now a more well-rounded and holistic person as a result of exploring my different interests. This process of self-realization is not complete.
I remember I was in my chemistry lab my freshman winter quarter and I was chatting with my lab partner when she mentioned that her friend was a Community, Environment and Planning major. Immediately after the lab, I went home and looked up CEP. After looking at the website, I called my mom and told her that I was no longer interested in pursuing an engineering degree. I signed up for URBDP 200 “Intro to Urbanization” that spring quarter because the website suggested it as a good class for prospective CEP students. I loved it. It was the first class that I found genuinely interesting. I had never considered how cities began and how they have changed over time. I actually liked the readings and studying for the tests because the material fascinated me. After learning about gentrification, walkability, transportation, ecological urbanism and new urbanism, the way I looked at cities was completely changed. Seattle in particular is a city where there are so many aspects of urbanization happening around us.
With two years left in my college career, I still have much to learn. My first two years have been full of diversity and self-discovery but now I need to focus on the path that I have chosen for myself. I am excited to dive deeper into community, environment and planning. I want to develop my understanding of civic engagement, urban design, sustainability, environmental conservation and geography. I need to be intentional in the courses I take, I need to network with professionals in the fields I am interested in and I need to gain relevant experience through internships, jobs and volunteering.
College provides me a chance to find my professional direction and provides me with the connections I need to pursue my own path. Inspiration, advice, encouragement are facilitated by the educated, high achieving people that fill a college campus. Many of the skills I need to survive in college are the same skills that I need to thrive in the workforce. It is stereotypical but it is true. Realistically, an important element of the value of higher education is simply getting a degree to be taken seriously by employers.
With that in mind, I intend on pursuing a career in planning. A professional planner must be effective at analyzing situations to develop innovative and resourceful solutions. I think that it is important to be flexible and creative while also understanding the realities and logistics to acquire tangible results. Organization, efficiency and communication are all important attributes of successful planning as well. Within the diverse world of professional planning, I want to work in the environmental and/or city planning sectors. In particular, shoreline planning or sustainability/conservation planning interest me. I want a career that will allow me to incorporate my love of the outdoors with my passion for planning.