Student Spotlight Part 2: Sustainability Award Winners Reflect on Their College Careers
THE Undergraduate Program in Sustainable Development is proud to celebrate the hard work and exceptional dedication of its recent graduates. Six students from the class of 2023 obtained departmental distinctions: Divya Agarwala, Clio Dakolias, Heidi Lichtl, Kiara Ordóñez Olazábal, Justas Pakašius and Maris Welch.
Departmental distinctions in sustainable development are awarded to students who have obtained a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.7 in their major courses and at least a B+ in the two courses of the graduation thesis seminar.
In this spotlight, we met Kiara, Justas and Maris. Read our previous interviews with Divya, Clio, Heidi here, and stay tuned for the next spotlight on other student sustainability winners!
Q&A with Kiara Ordóñez Olazabal
What advice do you have for students wishing to complete the Sustainable Development program?
Take as many skills/actions courses as you can and apply for internship and research opportunities offered by the Climate School!
What are your plans after graduating from the program?
I will continue to work at the Center for International Earth Science Information Network at Columbia (CIESIN).
What attracted you to the Sustainable Development major or specialization?
I have been an environmental activist since I was 16 and thought the sustainability program would be an ideal step in my education to continue working for better environmental and energy policy.
What was your favorite class in the Sustainable Development program and why?
I enjoyed “Science for Sustainable Development” because it gave me more clarity on the physical systems behind climate change, natural disasters, water scarcity, and biodiversity loss, among other issues.
What was your greatest achievement at Columbia?
Completing my thesis on the economic and environmental impacts of mining on local communities in Peru. It was a lot of work but I’m happy with the result.
Q&A with Justas Pakašius
What advice do you have for students wishing to complete the Sustainable Development program?
As in any other area of life, the key is to always be curious and interested in the material. Faculty in the sustainability program in particular and Columbia in general are always open to meeting with students, whether it’s for coffee or office hours, and everyone really should take this opportunity. Reading, following the news, and talking with other students is also a great way to stay academically engaged. Personally, I also liked writing my undergraduate thesis. While by no means easy, the process of producing your own groundwork is extremely rewarding personally and professionally.
What are your plans after graduating from the program?
I intend to work in finance in London for a while before pursuing post-graduate studies in political science.
What was your favorite class in the Sustainable Development program and why?
It’s hard to pinpoint just one class because they all brought something new to the table, but if I had to choose, ‘Disasters and Development’ by Sonali Deraniyagala and John Mutter is probably my favorite class in the sustainability curriculum. . The course merged the science behind disasters, such as earthquakes, and their short- and long-term economic impacts. I found this interdisciplinary approach incredibly unique and very engaging.
How has the program shaped your understanding of sustainability?
It helped me understand that sustainability is not a goal but rather an arduous journey, full of compromises, difficult policymaking and setbacks.
What was your greatest achievement at Columbia?
Alongside my friends and teammates Daniel LaFata, Lu Xi, Romain Cabanes and educational advisor Jenik Radon, we won second place out of 27 in the Schuman Challenge, an annual political competition organized by the EU representative in the United States . This year, the theme was on climate and security. Our team focused on how climate change is driving increased interest in Antarctic minerals and simultaneously making them easier to access. We specifically focused on growing Russian and Chinese interests and belligerence in the region.
Beyond the classroom, what extracurricular activities have you participated in?
While studying at Columbia, I worked with historian and journalist Paul Ham, whom I met at SciencesPo Paris, helping him research his next book. During the summer, between the first and last year, I did an internship at the Warsaw office of Goldman Sachs.
Q&A with Maris Welch
What advice do you have for students wishing to complete the Sustainable Development program?
It’s an interdisciplinary program, so look into it! Explore systems-level thinking and big picture ideas – these are amazing skills that generalists bring to the table on top of any specialist skills you might learn in the program.
What are your plans after graduating from the program?
I will be working as a climate change researcher for ICF, a consulting firm in the DC area.
What attracted you to the Sustainable Development major or specialization?
I was interested in environmental and climate issues, but had a background in political science from the dual degree program. I thought Sustainable Development was a great opportunity to combine these interests.
What was your favorite class in the Sustainable Development program and why?
“GIS for Sustainable Development”! Coming into the program, I was so intimidated by the STEM aspects of this degree, and they ended up being my favorite part. Learning to think spatially about data has totally transformed the way I think about data visualization and problem solving.
How has the program shaped your understanding of sustainability?
The program really highlights the fact that you can never solve a problem in isolation. As much as we like to think of ourselves as separate from nature, humans also exist within larger ecosystems, including the social and economic ecosystems we have built. You need to understand how the systems interact in order to target solutions to some of our most pressing problems.
What was your greatest achievement at Columbia?
Finish my thesis! I’m so glad I chose to write one, but it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I highly recommend it to people who might have a niche interest they want to explore but aren’t really offered through a course here.
Beyond the classroom, what extracurricular activities have you participated in?
My passion for climate issues is driven by my love for the outdoors. I was a member of the Columbia Rock Climbing Club, worked as an outdoor science educator, and even worked as a sawyer on a trail crew for the Forest Service. And I used all my breaks to pursue my own climbing and hiking adventures!
For more information on the program and upcoming events, please visit Undergraduate Sustainability Program website.
