Metamorphosis

Haley Lloyd, 9-22-15, Weekly Blog Week 2

I want to save the world and I want to make it look beautiful. Naturally, I chose to follow my path and pursue my current major in environmental science. Out of many possible careers related to environmental science, I chose one that would satisfy two needs: my love for art and my dream to save the world. With these two needs I developed the idea of working in urban planning and design. I’m also interested in environmental consulting because I think it will compliment work in urban planning.

I don’t have many people to talk to about my professional interest because no one has ever asked me what I want to do with my life. I think that most people in my life think that I have it all under control. The only thing I feel that I have control of is my SIMS computer game. To be honest, I don’t know if I’m following the right path. I’m scared to fail, but just as a caterpillar, I try to take things at a slow pace and skim the horizon as I search for a new direction.

This semester holds many opportunities for me to acquire the skills I need to become familiar with environmental consulting. The monitoring project will be beneficial to me because I will learn how to communicate with other students on a professional assignment. My favorite part to group projects are watching members find their niche. For instance, I’m good at listening and writing effectively, but I tend to have trouble with speaking up because I’m shy. This is why my favorite job is to be the scribe. I’m good at recording notes and relaying information to other group members. Not all groups work cohesively due to conflicting personalities of group members. Environmental consultants must take this into consideration because they work with a variety of people, ranging from policy makers to business owners. This makes it important to be understanding of others’ personalities and to learn how to work through it to meet a project’s goal.

Together, strategic problem-solving and critical thinking make up the backbone to consulting. I don’t think I’m a terrible critical thinker, but I do think that PrepPage assignments will help to develop this core competency even more so. As a consultant, I may have to analyze alternative solutions to problems and there may not always be a correct choice so it will be imperative that I choose the most environmentally conducive option. At times, I may also need to formulate new strategies. My undergraduate knowledge of environmental science won’t be enough to carry me directly into my career which is why I want to continue into graduate school. I need more guidance on strategic problem-solving and I’m hoping that this will stem from the monitoring project as well.

It is crucial that I understand that not everyone cares about the environment to the extent that I do. As the daughter of a logistics business owner, I understand that cost effectiveness is more important than conserving fuel. Otherwise, it would be difficult for most businesses to make money because the most environmentally friendly choices are not always the cheapest. If I consult for a large industry, I want to inform the owners that they can make a difference in the environment, whether it be contributing to less pollution or developing new ideas for waste management.

As for global perspective, not everyone holds the same values. Developing countries don’t always have the resources to do things with an environmental interest in mind. Let’s say that a country has a religious practice where they have to slaughter 500 pigs in order to show their dedication to a God. It wouldn’t be the most conservative plan of action, but one would need to understand that it’s a part of the group’s cultural and religious background. I think that having a global understanding on any issue is important because it helps to prevent conflicts. When groups disagree with each other it’s normally due to a difference in values or ethics.

As an aspect of global understanding, I think that global interconnectedness is the most effective means of promoting conservation. When people around the world connect with each other, ideas are able to spread. If I were to live in China with air pollution and India has developed a solution to air pollution then it would be beneficial to me to have a strong relationship with them.

At this point in my life, I’ve not had much experience with either environmental consulting or urban planning and design so I don’t know if I’ll be good at either job. I hope to acquire skills while I’m in the Smithsonian-Mason Program so that I may transform into a confident candidate, ready to tackle problems that future clients may have in store for me.

#Consulting