Angela Jiang is a two-time Sustainable Food Fair participant and a graduate of the Environmental Science 4+1 BS program. During her time as the fair assistant, HerCampus writer Tameka Pierre-Jean interviewed her about her involvement in Emory's sustainability scene. Here are the highlights abridged from the piece.
(Angela's the one doing the thumbs-up)
Tameka: When did you discover your passion for sustainability?
Angela:
I truly think my involvement with organizing the sustainable food fair kicked off a major decision of mine to change from being a business major and scholarship recipient to changing out of that scholarship program to study environmental sciences and, back then, interdisciplinary studies.
Through my work with the Food Fair I started to see connections amongst vendors I would invite to fair, and by the time we threw the event, I realized that our fair was bringing together a thriving community that was interdependent and growing.
From a student's point of view, I saw how much these vendors were committed and so passionate about their work and business, and saw how I could be entrepreneurial in pursuing my concern about climate change, and decided I didn't necessarily need to study business in order to have an entrepreneurial mindset. I just had to work on an interest I would eventually come to love and own.
I wanted my studies and my work at Emory to contribute to the Atlanta sustainability movement, and so I ceaselessly started to sit in on more student sustainability groups, looked up classes that would further my interests, and ended up withdrawing from several business classes that I realized just weren't the way I wanted to spend my limited and critical time here at Emory. And here I am in my second year of being the Fair Assistant for the 12th Annual Emory Sustainable Food Fair!
T: Tell us a little bit more about the upcoming Emory Sustainable Food Fair.
A:
This year, the Emory Sustainable Food Fair class is very proud to host the 12th Annual celebration of the Emory Sustainable Food Fair! The Fair that will be thrown next Friday has been completely student +1 professor organized with the immense help of Emory Dining and OSI. We draw together a community of more than 1000 visitors every year--our fair folk sample delicious sustainably crafted samples from vendors, gain awareness in a fun setting about sustainable food topics and issues, and learn about how they can make simple and delicious choices about their eating habits that can truly make a difference.
T: What advice would you give to the readers out there about getting involved with sustainability initiatives on campus?
A:
Bring up sustainability amongst your friends and with your professors--have a simple conversation. I find that those conversations are the most enlightening ways to help you discover what specific interests you may have regarding sustainability, while also forming meaningful connections with others who will help you pursue those passions that you didn't even know exist.
Challenge the way things are handled on campus, in our city, and in society--and more often than not, once you start thinking critically in this manner about how things can always improve, you will find yourself in some way involved with the sustainability community. And of course, please feel free to reach out to anyone at the Office of Sustainability Initiatives at Emory to get started with those conversations if you need a place to start!