San Bernardino, October 29, 2024 – Dr. Kimberly Collins, executive director of the Leonard Transportation Center, welcomed students and panelists with an excited smile. For the first time ever, the Leonard Transportation Center and the Institute for Watershed Resiliency, directed by Dr. Jennifer Alford, collaborated to bring the Sustainability and Workforce Symposium to CSUSB.
The symposium was a blend of many different resources that are meant to benefit the students that attended. From networking opportunities, a Q & A session, to presentations, students were able to learn more about the variety of careers in sustainability and how they are able to make a difference. The symposium focused on building a networking community with students and professionals in order to build a bridge between students and careers they might have not known existed.
The event began with a thirty minute networking session, over coffee and pastries, as panelists and students registered. Shortly after, the buzzing group filed into the room as they were handed the events agenda.The panel started with an enthusiastic Dr. Timothy Akers, an Associate Provost, as he asked the audience various thought provoking questions like, “What does community mean to you?” and “What does resilience mean to you?”
As Acker ended his opening remark, Dr. Collins introduced the next five. The conference was packed with notable panelists, including one of our very own CSUSB peers. One by one they were all introduced up to the table.
Sat across from the packed rows of students was: Elizabeth Christy, a Sustainability Program Manager, Denis Charbonneau, a Land Steward, Fortino Morales III, a Sustainability Manager for the city of Riverside, Kelly Malloy, a Strategic Communications Manager, and Joelle Lock, a Sustainability Coordinator at CSUSB.
Each of the speakers were given a chance to give a brief introduction to their backgrounds, noting their work in Sustainability and new job/intern opportunities many of these companies are offered. They highlighted and offered many important skills that are looked for within these organizations. Hunger was one of these traits to have, with Malloy emphasizing “willingness to try and willingness to fail”. They spoke on the hardships of networking and gave tips on how to overcome introverted tendencies, giving such advice as “Prepare and put yourself out there,” with Dr. Collins reminding students to be confident, saying “This is who I am and this is what I do.”
Not long after, students were able to stand and ask any questions they had. Questions ranged from many different topics, such as upcoming elections, to job opportunities specified for students, as well as technology & communications and their impact on Sustainability. Kelly Malloy ended the Q and A session speaking on the importance of Sustainability and being mindful of our natural resources, stating “Sustainability is worth of discomfort.”
Towards the end of the symposium, students gathered back into the networking room where they were greeted with lunch and presentations from different non profit organizations. Panelists also had tables where they were able to speak to students personally and give more specific information about their work. The tables included freebies as well as presentation posters breaking down research done, including topics such as house affordability and transportation efficiency, water resources and implications for community health disparities.
In the end, this symposium provided students with a chance to see different paths of careers and futures, careers that can make a difference in our world. Dr. Collins and Dr. Alford hoped to reach out and help students keep their horizons open as the opportunities are endless.
