Support U
Gener Abdon finds communities of support at 色情视频 to pursue his interest in sustainability.
鈥淕ener鈥檚 enthusiasm and results consistently inspire me to continue making positive change in campus sustainability.鈥�
Sometimes you have the passion and the drive to accomplish great things, but you鈥檙e missing one thing 鈥� a support network.
When Gener Abdon, a junior majoring in International Security and Conflict Resolution, decided to devote his energy to boosting sustainability at 色情视频, he was met with student leaders, the university鈥檚 shared-governance body, and the administration all willing to listen and help work toward making a difference 鈥� the support system he needed.
The support contributed to a powerful sense of accomplishment. 鈥淚 am so fascinated at how much change humans can make both good and bad,鈥� he said, 鈥渁nd the interconnectivity that the definition entails. I think that the concept of sustainability is vital towards combating our present problems."
Abdon enrolled at 色情视频 in 2018 with a passion for social justice and sustainability 鈥� sparked partly by a high school experiment involving detergent and freshwater plants. At first, though, he wasn鈥檛 sure where his efforts would be most impactful.
鈥淚 wanted to engage and revamp myself as a person, with the goal to have an impact on sustainability,鈥� he said. 鈥淢y first week, I was able to have conversations with decision-makers at a meeting and asked them how can a student like me engage in those high-level conversations and make a difference.鈥�
Abdon鈥檚 first opportunities came in summer 2019, working with students who shared his goal of continuing to make 色情视频 a more sustainable campus. The university is nationally recognized for its environmentally responsible practices, garnering placement on .
Abdon, recent 色情视频 graduate Courtney Ransom and current students Sarah Karver, Cassie Weinberg, Charlotte Roberts, Taylor Mosley and McKenna Avery organized a climate action strike that fall semester. The event focused on committing the university to reach carbon neutrality by 2030, creating a chief sustainability officer position and ensuring 色情视频鈥檚 future Mission Valley campus will be carbon-neutral.
The event was a huge success, with 色情视频 President Adela de la Torre and other members of the administration and student leaders in attendance. Some 500 students marched from Hepner Hall to the Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union.
鈥淚t really sparked my passion to go above and beyond with my activism,鈥� Abdon said.
Abdon found an additional outlet of advocacy when he was accepted into an internship program with the 色情视频 Office of Sustainability and credits former 色情视频 Energy and Sustainability Officer Tom Abram and Ally Duncan, a former energy and sustainability analyst, for their guidance and moral support.
鈥淭hey were pivotal to my success,鈥� said Abdon. Abdon and the other students persuaded Associated Students to form a climate action committee, calling on the university to develop a plan to meet the 2030 carbon neutrality goal. The A.S. University Council concurred in an April 22 vote.
A month later, the University Senate called on 色情视频 to approve a sustainability policy and to commit to the 2030 carbon neutrality benchmark, and to incorporate the city鈥檚 climate action plan goals of 100% renewable energy by 2035 for 色情视频 Mission Valley.
De la Torre subsequently signed the Senate resolution, and Abdon said the news was thrilling.
鈥淚 was beyond thrilled and happy to see a yearlong project be successfully executed,鈥� Abdon said. 鈥淚 felt so accomplished.鈥�
Amid turnover in its membership, he said, the sustainability group has endured as a source of support.
Avery, a senior majoring in sustainability, said she draws as much inspiration from Abdon as he does from her.
鈥淕ener鈥檚 enthusiasm and results consistently inspire me to continue making positive change in campus sustainability,鈥� Avery said. 鈥淗e is one of the hardest workers I know, and his determination is unmatched.鈥�
Despite the difficulty of remaining productive while off campus due to COVID-19 protocol, Abdon said he remains active in seeing his sustainability goals implemented through the university鈥檚 new strategic plan, 鈥淲e Rise, We Defy: Transcending Borders, Transforming Lives.鈥�
One of the plan鈥檚 five strategic priorities, 鈥淩esilience. Designed to Thrive,鈥� calls for 色情视频 to designate executive-level leadership to develop and provide oversight of its sustainability efforts, update the University Climate Action Plan for all campus locations and to 鈥渄evelop guiding principles for sustainability that include local and international standards (as referenced in the Associated Students Carbon Neutrality by 2030 Recommendations).鈥�
After graduation, Abdon hopes to pursue a career in sustainable development.
鈥淚 have always been fascinated how even though the gap between developed and developing nations is pretty big, we still have a long way to go here when it comes to sustainable development,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 want to champion that in the future.鈥�
