I'd like to start off by thanking everyone for responding so well to my last post. I received nothing but positivity and support, and it made me feel incredibly loved. Some people could personally relate to my experiences or had friends who did. I know now that I am certainly not alone. None of us are.
Sharing experiences and working with other people is a major part of life. It gives us confidence and helps us to move forward together. Recently, I was privileged enough to work with other students at my university to take the first step toward making a big change on campus.
As one of the leaders of Students for an Environmentally Active Campus (SEAC), the environmental club at Marquette, I've been working on an initiative to get the university to stop selling disposable plastic water bottles (since they're bad for our health, our wallets, and our planet--more on that here). SEAC has been working hard to raise awareness and collect signatures to show support for the Take Back the Tap campaign.
As part of the campaign, we've been working on getting water bottle refilling stations installed around campus to encourage the use of reusable personal water bottles. At first, progress was slow and I began to feel discouraged, but the other SEAC members energized me with their fresh ideas and passion.
We came into contact with some of the senators in student government and started a partnership to get legislation for refilling stations to pass. It was an intense few weeks and both SEAC members and the senators worked extremely hard. After countless hours of researching, sending emails, writing, and practicing, I was one of four SEAC representatives to present to the entire student senate. After watching the debate the followed, I got to witness the voting process as well as the result: the bill passed at a vote of 26-4.
I was never prouder to be a member of SEAC (which I've been involved in for three years) than at that moment. The collaboration, mutual support, and reaching out beyond our own members resulted in something that will hopefully outlast the current students at Marquette. It was exciting to work together toward a common goal, because our collective voice was much stronger than any of us would have been alone.
Recognizing the talents in yourself is extremely important, but it's also beneficial to recognize the talents in others. Building relationships to accomplish things elevates each individual and creates something new. Why not go out and make a few friends?
