Many students hesitate to seek out clubs or events on campus, staying under the radar until they quietly graduate. This usually wards off the disconcerting feeling of being out of your comfort zone, but it also wards off personal growth.
My first semester at USF St. Petersburg was fall 2010. I felt a little hesitant after hearing about a renewable energy conference at my first Student Environmental Awareness meeting. The conference was in Athens, Ga. I wasn’t really sure about what to expect, but I signed up to go.
It was a bit scary being new to campus and signing up to go on a trip with people I had only met at one meeting, but today I’m glad I did. The experience empowered me. It made me feel like I was capable of making a difference in any aspect of my life, on campus or in my community.
At the Southeast Student Renewable Energy Conference, which is on its eighth year, students from the southern states come together to collaborate and learn from each other.
The conference is three days of inspiring speakers, panels and workshops with topics about how we get our energy and how to build leadership skills.
Arriving at the conference on a Friday night, I saw people from all over the southeast hugging friends they hadn’t seen since the last conference. Tables of non-profits were lined up leading into the entrance hall offering internships, information and freebies. While waiting for the evening speakers to start, I looked around the room of 300 students and felt excited to be there.
Workshops covered mountaintop coal removal, the Katrina disaster in New Orleans and how to lobby an elected official. Other interesting workshops overlapped. Meals and breaks let students update each other about what they missed. In the evenings, I talked to a lot of students about things they do on their campuses. It’s really interesting to get different perspectives, and sometimes it offers solutions to your problems back home.
By Sunday I realized how much information and connections I had made. I found out the many retreats, trainings and conferences to attend throughout the year where I could see my new friends again and learn more about the sustainability movement and leadership. These conferences have given me the opportunity to travel to new cities and create new experiences that have made me stronger and have been unforgettable.
You don’t have to be a die-hard environmentalist to enjoy an environmental conference. You don’t have to already be involved on campus.
Don’t hesitate to get involved with something new. Even if it’s a less-than good experience, it’s an experience.
Lauren Reilly is a senor majoring in environmental science and policy and director of Student Sustainability Initiatives. On Oct. 5, a group from USFSP is going to the Southeast Student Renewable Energy Conference. Interested students can email her at lmreilly.mail.usf.edu.
