Student Perspective: Sara Hafyane

Hello, My name is Sara Hafyane. I am a graduate student in the O’Neill accelerated program track. I am majoring in environmental policy and sustainable management. I was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana so I am very much so a Hoosier. I moved around a lot as a kid and rarely stayed in a school longer than two years. I saw different parts of Indiana which add to why I’m a part of the small group of people that does not hate living here. One of the questions that’s always presented is “What do you want to do when you grow up?” or “What do you plan on doing after you get a degree”? even now I find that question a bit difficult to answer. What I do know is that I am very passionate about the outdoors and I know how important education plays a role.  Jobs such as an interpretive park ranger or a wildlife educator would be most ideal.

Sustainability does not exist on its own, this is because it is inclusive of all aspects of life.  The traditional model of sustainability consists of social, environmental, and economic aspects. Utilizing only two of the three aspects does not make something sustainable.  In order for something to be sustainable, it needs to involve all three aspects. Many classes have equipped me with the knowledge that I now own which has helped me form my opinions. Particularly, an introductory class titled “Principles of Sustainability”. It was the first time I found out there was a word attributed to what I have always cared about. Another class that helped me a lot was “Natural Resources and Environmental Policy”. It helped me understand the past and current environmental regulations. By knowing how they work it lets you know how to navigate them in an efficient manner that is impactful.

My role with the IUPUI Office of Sustainability is as the Urban Garden Assistant. I have worked for two years and counting and I have learned a lot about sustainable gardening. Working in the garden has allowed me to see sustainability in action. Community involvement shows me how important the social aspect of sustainability is. What we grow goes to the on-campus produce market and contributes to the local economy. Volunteers get to take home fresh organic produce which limits their carbon footprint.

A project that I am proud to have worked on was a research project with one of my favorite professors, Dr. Cali Curley. We looked over climate action plans that several states in the United States created. We looked deep inside the plans to see where collaboration was occurring. We were trying to find out what departments involved themselves in the process. It was helpful to see who was taking initiative and advocating to combat climate change. There is a quote that’s often said in the zero waste community that applies to sustainability as a whole. “We don’t need people doing zero-waste perfectly but we do need many people doing it imperfectly”. We can only do our best and there is that hopefulness that’s important to have in this industry. It is easy to feel helpless but knowing that you are doing whatever you can and so are others is reassuring.