Prodigal Return

This is my second time at Appalachian. The first was thirteen years ago. For a lot of reasons I never completed my undergraduate degree at that time. Now I've returned in order to complete my degree. Rather than simply finish the degree I started years ago, I chose to pursue an interdisciplinary studies degree with a concentration in sustainable development.

The reasons for this switch are two fold. Switching my course of study was a pragmatic decision because it allowed me to reestablish my academic credentials to prospective graduate schools. The switch also allowed me to spend my time back in school exploring some of the issues I have developed a passsion for.

I’ve always had an interest in social change movements. I’m fascinated with the ability of ordinary and often disenfranchised peoples to overcome their circumstances and to, as Marx said, ‘make their own history.’ This is reinforced by my belief that since we are, individually and collectively, responsible for our material and social condition, we have an obligation to take responsibility for these conditions and pursue an existence dedicated to changing these conditions for the better, whether those conditions are social injustice or environmental degradation.

After seven years as a professional organizer I have a strong interest in the real world practice of achieving sustainability and have attempted to focus my studies on the methods and strategies for accomplishing sustainability, especially at the community and grassroots level.

Prior to my return to Appalachian I'd spent the previous seven years as a grassroots organizer and nonprofit administrator working for a clean and healthful environment, strong consumer protections, and an open and accountable government. As the Executive Director of the Montana Public Interest Research Group I worked with university students to research and develop public policy initiatives on a range of issues from renewable energy to citizen participation in government. I cut my teeth on these issues as a citizen outreach director for the Fund for Public Interest Research where I oversaw door-to-door grassroots public education, fundraising, and membership development campaigns in five locations across the country.

I have been strongly influenced by the courses I've taken with Dr. Jana Carp, Sustainable Community Development and Rural Commuity Development. These classes have helped me recognize that my concerns about ecological health and social justice are largely questions about the vitality of local place based communities. In this regard I find myself identifying with authors such as Wendell Berry and Kirkpatrick Sale.

My future plans include enrolling in Appalachian's Masters of Public Administration Program in the fall and getting married this summer.