Hans Alarcon · Sustainability, Innovation & Business Podcaster · Hispanophone & International Projects · Harvard

I grew up in different cities along the coast of Peru with access to the Pacific Ocean. In recent years, I've also had the chance to visit other places near the ocean such as Guadeloupe in the Caribbean and Raja Ampat in Indonesia. All of those experiences have made me appreciate the ocean and its flora and fauna. Unfortunately, many of our actions, with the consequences of climate change and pollution, are affecting sea life negatively in various ways.

My personal sustainability pledge is to take action by working with others to transform the way businesses operate; transitioning away from traditional business models that ignore social and environmental factors. I hope in the future when countries and communities think of "the economy" it will be a sustainable economy.   

I am currently working on a global initiative that provides financial and advisory support to partnership projects developing innovative business models to solve issues linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (including energy, food and agriculture, water, cities, and circular economy). I will be completing my masters in Sustainability in Spring 2021 after finishing my final project working with a sustainability consulting firm on its strategy to move the automotive industry in Mexico towards more sustainable operations.   

Storytelling has the power to engage people and move them into action in topics that they would have otherwise found difficult to understand. I think a creative approach to all our activities is important so as to remain curious and ask questions that can help find solutions to complex problems. Being part of The Creative Process and the One Planet Podcast is an opportunity for me to share stories about people, their work, and ideas in the intersection of sustainability, innovation, and business.  

Concetta Froio · Arts & Sustainability Podcaster · Italy

I often find that being in nature is an experienced tinted with nostalgia. When I think of memories in nature, I think of middle school fieldtrips, and family trips to beaches. The nostalgia is now often couple with anxiety and fear, of how bad the consequences of our mindless, wasteful actions truly are. I want to preserve the peaceful, childish state of mind that nature allows me to experience. I also want to really transform the paralyzing anxiety about the imminent future of our natural environment into concrete action. I think the most effective tool to care for the natural world is to be conscious when making decisions. Popularizing sustainable attitudes and trends will make them progressively less expensive and accessible to all, and accessibility is the key to action.

During the Fall '20 semester I had the incredible opportunity to work with the theater department at Wesleyan University, as the cinematographer and editor for our version of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. It was one of the most challenging, yet fulfilling, experiences at Wesleyan so far. Because of COVID-19 restrictions, we were unable to have a live audience, so I felt an immense responsibility when I took on the role of cinematographer and editor of the show. I was overjoyed to find out that over 1,000 virtual tickets to see the show. I also worked as a producer and assistant director on two senior film thesis at Wesleyan. I really enjoyed experiencing the logistical and organizational aspect of student filmmaking. In the future, I hope to find more opportunities to collaborate with student filmmakers, and to be able to edit student shorts or projects. I am also planning on writing a Film Criticism thesis my senior year.

I have always struggled to believe that I am a creative person. Ever since I was in middle school, the thought of having any assignment that required creativity, writing a creative paper, or making an art project, has felt so daunting. Gradually, I realized that creativity is free from constraints, it has no right or wrong way to exist. Believing that I am a creative person, in my own unique ways, gave me so much confidence and allowed me to try new opportunities that I used to fear. I took a screenwriting course on adaptations last Fall semester, and I was terrified that I would not be creative or talented enough to be there. Having confidence in my creative and storytelling abilities was an arduous task, but necessary to my personal growth. By collaborating with The Creative Process, I am expanding my creative outlets, while promoting the work of creators who are creative in wonderful, unique ways.

A published article I wrote for the campus film magazine.

Megan Luff · Environmental Education Podcaster · UK

One of my favourite places in Boston is the third, lesser known campus of Boston College. It hosts various offices and performing art studios, but what matters to me is the huge field located just underneath the college’s art museum. Due to the pandemic, I never moved away from my senior year apartment located just up the street from this field, where I live with my boyfriend and dog. And I take my dog to this field every, single day. He is the most adaptable dog I have ever met. If you want to lounge around on a lazy Sunday morning, he will lounge around right there with you. But if you want to go hiking for two hours, he will beat you to the top of the mountain. He is small, speedy, and very mischievous. He does not like most dogs, so cannot visit dog hotspots unleashed without getting into trouble. But he loves to run as fast as can, and chase birds and squirrels, and any person that will give him attention. Since this field is not a dog park or home to any college classrooms, it is barely used by anyone else, and so we often have the whole place to ourselves. The field itself is situated on a slope, and you enter at the top. My absolute favorite thing to do in this field is to bring my dog, let him off the lead at the top of the slope, and race him down to the bottom. It only lasts about 15 seconds, but I never feel more free than in those moments; I don’t think I have once run down this hill without a huge smile stretching across my face. I love it because my dog loves it, and because I get the chance to feel like a kid again, running wild with the wind brushing through my hair. But I also love this field because it can be whatever you need it to be. If you want a moment of solitude, come to the field. If you want a good spot to hang out with friends, come to the field. If you want to run around and play with the dog, come to the field. And that is my favourite element about this field and the outdoor world: the freedom to be or do whatever you want. I talk out loud to my dog at the field. I wear whatever clothes are comfy, even if not aesthetically pleasing. I run like a child with bear feet and arms flying around me. Not only does the natural world refrain from judging me, but it actively embraces me by keeping those spaces that I feel most comfortable alive and thriving. It has no ulterior motives or self-interested goals. It lets me be me.

I have several sustainability pledges to keep the natural world better than how I found it. One, to become an environmental educator. If I can convince other people that the planet matters, and get them to care and behave in more sustainable ways, I know I will leave the world a better place. Two, I am trying to live a waste-free life, to the best of my abilities. I hate seeing litter or trash covering my field. Whenever my dog tries to eat it, I remember the other wildlife the trash could harm, and I am more motivated to cut down on my own personal waste. And three, I am beginning to grow my own food in a way that uses the local ecosystem as a support rather than barrier to overcome. You cannot get more local or package free than self-grown food. In time, I hope the number of pledges I make expands indefinitely, and that I can encourage others to do the same.

I am particularly proud of the Tree Map app that I designed for Boston College, which gives users a detailed view of the campus’s trees. Each tree is labelled on a campus map, and users can click on individual trees to see that tree’s carbon offset, that offset equivalent in car miles driven, and the amount of stormwater that tree intercepts in any given year. Users can search for different species of trees, and look up species-specific information such as whether that species is deciduous or coniferous, or where it is originally from . I sourced all of the information on trees, and designed the layout of the app and how information should be presented to users. My coding friend then brought the idea to life, and Boston College loves it and hopes to publish the app soon! I have attached some screenshots below.

Whilst in my master’s program, I have been taught that stories are effective educational tools, yet I never understood this concept until watching Netflix’s nature documentary, My Octopus Teacher. It was one of those winter nights in Boston where the sun sets before you have even finished the work day, and I was tired and looking for something to distract me from the cold, outside world. Cocooned in a blanket on the couch, the lights dimmed, I aimlessly scrolled through Netflix until I came across a nature documentary named My Octopus Teacher. Although nature documentaries had never inspired me before, this title intrigued me. Whatever, I thought. I’ll give it a go. The TV screen glared at my face as I was introduced to one of the main characters, Craig Foster. He began by explaining that he had been looking for a change in his life, something to re-energise and motivate him, and so had decided to start free diving in the icy waters off the tip of Africa. Noticing the icicles that had begun to form outside of my apartment window, I did not understand Craig at all. His diving grounds however consisted of these beautiful kelp forests that shimmered in the sunlight and danced like a group of perfectly coordinated ballerinas in the ocean currents. Perhaps I understood Craig’s desire to dive here a little better now. Whilst exploring through the kelp jungle, with fish and sharks jumping out from every corner, Craig came across a young octopus hiding itself behind a handmade wall of shells, and was compelled by its peculiar behaviour. He was so compelled in fact that he decided to come visit this creature every day for the remainder of it’s short life, and to film his experiences, allowing viewers to join in on the journey. And so the adventure began, as I watched Craig slowly befriend this little octopus, and watched the octopus in return slowly reveal more and more of its hidden world to Craig. I was hooked. At one point in the documentary, I audibly gasped as the octopus reached out one of her delicate tentacles and touched Craig’s hand. I didn’t realise that it was the storytelling in this documentary that was captivating me until said story took a dramatic turn for the worse. One of those dreaded sharks was hunting for prey, and octopus was on its menu. Having now researched octopi extensively, Craig knew immediately that his octopus friend had to hide. But she was too slow. The shark looms over her relatively tiny body, and lunges for her at top speed. Despite having come into her life every day for nearly a year, this is the time that Craig decides he should not interfere with nature. I was fuming. Craig, you are her friend, help her! Please! I nearly screamed at the TV. The octopus barely survives as the shark makes away with two of her legs. Whilst I have felt sad, and often conflicted, during prey-predator scenes of other documentaries, I had never felt so attached to one of the characters before. I had never felt the need to jump in myself and do something. The documentary ends with the octopus reaching the end of her life cycle as she mates with another octopus, gives birth, and dies peacefully in her sleep a few days later. Tears stream down my face as I realise how attached I am to this octopus that I have never met.

As emotional as this documentary was for me, I now remember this octopus, and I remember what the kelp forests look like, and I don’t eat fish or other sea creatures anymore. Had this documentary just showed me the same clips of this octopus without the story, without the relationship, I do not think I would have been moved to change my attitudes towards sea creatures or to change my eating habits. And many others are the same. Knowledge about something does not mean one will begin to care and take action, as it only affects the mind; stories affect the heart. Climate change is a perfect example of this. Many people have become educated on the dangers of climate change, and even have the knowledge on what to do to help prevent permanent damage, but they don’t. Since science is not convincing enough, perhaps we should try storytelling.

Through The Creative Process, not only am I excited to help produce the podcast and practice eliciting stories from various environmental leaders, but I would be particularly excited to work on community or educational projects or initiatives. I love to actively engage others on environmental issues, especially in non-formal settings. I enjoy helping educate people of all age groups, not just young children. The podcast itself is a form of environmental education, hence why I am so excited by the chance to work here. I would appreciate the opportunity to practice interviewing people, and to practice listening for snippets of information that one could probe further into. Overall, I enjoy connecting with other people on topics that matter greatly to me, that impact how I live my life and who I am as a person.

Adam Janicki · Climate Change, Environmental Justice & Sustainability Podcaster

I like to think of my relationship with the environment, or natural world, like the nature around us. From the moment I first entered this world, someone or something planted a passion for the environment within me. From that moment forward, I have tended to and cared for that passion, providing it with what it needs to not only survive, but thrive. Today, I like to think of that passion as having grown into a small tree. It can only grow higher from this point forward.

As the prior paragraph suggests, my adoration for the natural world has lived within me for as long as I can remember. Preserving the natural world, making cities more sustainable for both nature and humans — these are not only professional aspirations, but also personal ones that are the very reason I chose to pursue a career in environmental science. So, I will identify a few of the most memorable and impactful moments in my life that I believe have helped prepare for a career in which I preserve the ecological services and biodiversity of nature; including its relationship with humanity.

Prior to my collegiate career, I spent countless hours with my family exploring National Parks, nature centers, forest preserves, zoos, and aquariums. From cross-country family vacations to local destinations, I always made it my goal to immerse myself within the natural environment around me. This initial passion ultimately led to a volunteer opportunity at the Brookfield Zoo (Chicago Zoological Society). Throughout high school, I volunteered over 360 hours as a King Conservation and Science Scholar at this local zoo. As a Scholar, I spent much of my time interpreting exhibits of endangered species and informing visitors of climate change and conservation practices. For the past 6 years I have taken summer trips to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) wilderness. My admiration for these pristine lakes and serene landscape continues to grow. Trips to this wilderness have truly played an integral role in my passion and motivation towards preserving large nature areas. I find that the simplest things in life, I appreciate the most. Nature is simple, yet also complex. It’s provides me with a sense of calmness and collectiveness. Knowing that humanity has put tremendous pressure on the natural world, it is hard for me not to feel responsible.

I aspire towards enhancing the quality of life and resilience of communities burdened by climate change. With so many communities facing increasing environmental injustices and climate- related hazards, there will be many opportunities for improvement in these regions. I hope to lead these communities and regions down a more sustainable path where both the environment and society are harmonious. As an urban planner or landscape consultant, I can support the

creation of sustainable infrastructure projects that benefit both the environment and society. Through understanding and applying the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, cities around the world can address an array of issues and holistically upgrade the quality of life.

In my fall semester of 2020, I served as the leader for my capstone course project team. We spent months researching, conducting interviews, presenting, and formulating our report. Our final product was a 39-page report titled, “Zoning for Sustainable Buildings” which was tailored toward and presented to a municipal city council. In my environmental policy analysis course this spring, my project groupmates and I are were tasked with creating a policy for enhancing pollinator habitats in a lower-income community in Minneapolis – facing many environmental injustices. Our policy would establish a payment for ecological service system in an effort to incentivize the construction and maintenance of pollinator habitat. Another goal of ours is to create an advocacy coalition including community participants, city council members, and pollinator advocacy organizations. We have been conducting research daily, meeting with key informants/political actors, and developing presentations. From October 2020 to present, I have served as an Impact Consultant through Net Impact at the University of Minnesota. My team and I continue conducting research, interviewing partners, and creating recommendations for a sustainable social benefit corporation - NETZRO. Our project’s focused on conveying the significance of upcycling spent grain and developing marketing strategies (social crowdfunding campaigns) for attracting investors.

Since returning from my study abroad in Denmark (spring 2020) and after growing ever closer to completing my undergraduate degree (Environmental Science, Policy, and Management), I have found myself eager to address climate change and support the creation of sustainable cities. Visiting some of the most sustainable cities in the world opened my eyes to the profound opportunities for solving economic, social, and environmental issues. When in Copenhagen, I truly felt as if I was living in a Utopian society where there is little waste, circular economies, renewable energy, green roofs on city buildings, sustainable policies, pedestrian-oriented infrastructure, and so more much more. While I found it difficult coming back to the US, I saw so much potential for change.

My aspiration to work in the sustainable development field as a sustainable urban planner, ecological restorationist, natural resource manager, or environmental consultant — like the nature around us – has only evolved because of all of these experiences and educational opportunities, and I would like nothing more than to begin my professional career in this field.

Both storytelling and creativity have shared a profound impact on the evolution of humanity. They both provide an outlet for sharing diverse perspectives, creating cultures, and understanding history. As humans, we share enjoyment through art; it creates richness within cultures and allows humans to explore reality. Creativity allows us to express ourselves in unique fashions, thus adding a richness to our lives. Without creativity, life would simply be dull. Innovative technologies that led to multimedia platforms, such as social media, have paved new paths in demonstrating creativity. Throughout our lives, including my own, creating stories has played an integral role in personal development.

Fortunately, throughout my life I have accumulated tremendous experiences that have shaped both my personal and professional development. These experiences not only allow for great storytelling but also present opportunities for sharing knowledge and perspectives. My friendships and family have shaped many of these experiences. My passion for preserving the natural world grew from my childhood memories exploring nature. Studying sustainable development abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark really opened my eyes to the potential future of the United States. I also would love to connect others with nature, whether in urban or rural settings, by sharing my environmental awareness, passion, travel experience, and stewardship experience. Collaborating with The Creative Process allows me to facilitate important and relevant environmental discussions with diverse professionals. I hope to partake in these unique interviewing opportunities not just in the United States, but around the globe. I am eager to gain new cross-cultural perspectives on environmental issues and movements. Through this position I will gain valuable project management experience. Acquiring a project management certificate is a goal of mine this summer. While the pandemic has restricted social interactions for quite some time, I am excited to collaborate with my project team virtually and in-person. There are many opportunities to share my passion for the environment, build new skills, expand my network, and produce a high-quality creative product that can be shared with others.

Capstone course project “Zoning for Sustainable Buildings”.

“Zoning for Sustainable Buildings” report.

Best-of-SNO award-winning HS newspaper article “Contaminating the ECOnomics”.

Patrick Johnston · Environment, Trade & Migration Podcaster

I grew up in beautiful Washington the “Evergreen State.” With its lush forests literally everywhere, wedged between two mountain ranges, and in the presence of an awe inspiring yet terrifying volcano Mt. Rainer; it is a haven of natural beauty. I remembered my first time taking the ferry to Seattle, bald eagles flew by as we departed the pier. Harbor seals lounged upon the buoys. Wind whipping around my head as I breathed in the salty sea air of the Puget Sound. Probably my happiest memories growing up have something to do with exploring the great outdoors of the Pacific Northwest. I have changed my career from cook to politics and governments to act and help advocate for policies that preserve not just where I grew up, but all around the world. 

Currently, I am a graduate student pursuing a master’s in international Affairs: Global Government, Security, and Politics. I have been so busy recently, so I do not have any recent projects to speak of. I am quite proud of the projects I have submitted thus far in my continuing journey through higher education. I have completed project on social justice, globalization, homelessness, and many other prevalent political and social topics. 

I am a creative through and through. I was born to be a creative, or at least I was raised to be. My father was a comic book illustrator back in the 90’s. He would guide my hand and explain the key things to pay attention to I drew. Not to put your head too close to the paper, lean back and try to relax, and take your time. Years, later when I joined the Navy, I choose to be a cook. In my galley under the ocean waves, I stirred kettles filled with the savoriest of soups you will ever set your eyes on. Baked butter dinner roles that you could smell throughout the ship. Served dishes that your taste buds wild. Even now when I am studying about international relations, I will always try to take a more creative to a subject. For me I cannot just do what everyone else does and follow the guidelines. For me to be engaged I need to be creative, and when I am creative, I am passionate. With The Creative Process I am improving my interviewing skills, meet experts in my field and gain insights from them.

Samantha Tolar · Sustainability & Business Podcaster

As a native Virginian, one of the things I have enjoyed most about living here is the stark change in seasons and the differences between each of them. I typically enjoy spending my time hiking whenever the weather permits, but some of the things that are hard to ignore while traipsing through the forest is the ever present sound of cars whirring by or the stray Dorito bag floating past you, carried by a gust of wind. We as a society have begun poisoning our own home, and I am passionate about the preservation of our environment through protecting areas which are rich in wildlife and natural resources.

As someone who is planning to major in economics and minor in data analytics, I find there is not much time for me to have any creative outlet, which is honestly why I was interested in this internship to begin with. I am currently a part of the Women’s Business Forum here at UVA as well as Blueprint Leadership where I am implementing my idea of creating an app using QR codes to show which study spaces are occupied and am leading a group of my peers to help me in this effort. I hope that if I am able to participate in the Creative Process I will be able to enjoy the creative aspects of myself.

When I was a child, my mom would read me stories every night. And when I say every night, I mean it. There was no escaping this nightly event, but honestly I didn't want to. And as I progressed from being read the short stories of Dr.Seuss I began to explore

longer and more complex stories of my own like Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings series. Sure, these stories may have had no discernible applications to the real world but when you look deeper there is plenty of importance in reading stories like that. These stories give you strong characters that you aspire to be like, they teach you that dreaming big is okay, and they allow you to empathize with people that aren't even real. Through the Creative Process, I hope to be able to share and learn about all different types of experiences that all different types of people have been through. I hope to be able to have a creative outlet in which I can explore stories that interest me and help get those stories out to anyone who might want to listen.

Ellen Hu · Conservation & Climate Change Podcaster

Growing up in Northern California, redwood trees were a large part of my childhood. My parents used to take my sister and I on walks in a local forest where redwoods lined the walkways and birdsongs echoed around us. In fact, redwood trees became a staple in my life and for the longest time I didn’t even consider the fact that the species of tree could be in danger. I am lucky to have some redwood trees in my backyard, however in recent years I have been noticing how many trees have been being cut down for urban development within the area. Not only that, the California wildfires in 2020, exasperated by the effects of climate change, destroyed Big Basin Redwood Park. These magnificent trees are important to the California ecosystem and are something that I couldn’t bear to lose. My personal sustainability pledge is to continually search for alternatives to single-use items in my daily-life. As an avid baker, I have found that silicone baking sheets have been extremely useful in eliminating my waste. I have recently been in the process of eliminating the plastic bottles in my family’s kitchen and bathrooms in favor of bar-form toiletries. I am also continually working to educate myself in environmental science, policy, and justice. I know that there are a lot of areas and topics that I still don’t understand, but which are important.

In my first year of high school, I founded a student publication after realizing that the student body had no creative outlet or vessel for connection. As a want-to-be student journalist, I had no idea what was going to happen and had no idea what work we were going to publish. However, the first piece that I ever worked on hooked me for the next few years.

After finding that many students at my school were working on independent projects for their elective work, I decided to do a feature story covering three of the projects that students at my school were working on. Nervously, I typed up emails to request interviews and waited for responses. It didn’t take long before I got replies, all of them excited to talk to talk to me about the work they were doing. I spent the next few days sitting down with each student and discussing the work that they were doing.  It was amazing to see the passion in their eyes as they explained their work and processed the questions that I asked them. And yet, it was also some of the most fun that I had ever had. It didn’t feel forced at all. Instead, it was more of a conversation where I was able to dive into their world for a little portion or time and grasp at the strings of what they had been tirelessly pouring their hearts into. When I finally sat down to write my article, I knew that it wasn’t a matter of reporting. It was a matter of telling their stories and presenting their passion to my community.

As I’ve continued to write throughout high school and college, this feeling of connection is the one thing that has kept me going. Just as I was able to connect with my interviewees on an individual level, I believe that storytelling is essential in bringing people together while also creating room for celebration or critique of instituted. Creativity feeds into this, acting as a vessel through which storytelling can occur. Additionally, it is creativity which makes a story intriguing and draws the audience into the piece so that reflection can occur. Growing up, I never considered myself to be the most creative person. It has taken me years to figure out what creativity means for me and how to nourish my creativity to a point where I feel comfortable sharing it with the world. Through this process, the one thing I have learned is that you’re never truly done discovering what your creativity is. Collaborating with The Creative Process is helping me further explore this through curiosity and learning how figures within different fields view the world.  I get to be part of thoughtful conversations with people from diverse backgrounds while also developing thoughtful reflecting with fellow learners.

I am a staff writer for the student paper, The Scripps Voice. While I generally cover news stories, I have also written feature stories and in the future, I plan to contribute photos to the publication as well. In addition to my work with this publication, I have also been collaborating with one of my classmates to put together a small conversational podcast documenting our experiences as first-year students at Scripps College. We welcome guests onto the show to discuss different topics with us and recently have been trying to reach out to members of our school community who have experiences that we cannot speak towards. We plan to continue putting together this podcast throughout our time at the school and hope to build it up through the years. Lastly, photography and baking are tremendous creative outlets for me. While the pandemic has halted the number of photoshoots I go on and online school has limited the time I have available to bake, I hope that in the future I will be able to continue some of these. One of my favorite projects is called My Life in Cupcakes where I design, bake, and decorate cupcakes that are inspired by important people, events, and places in my life. It is a small project, but it brings me a lot of joy!

2024 Our Story Podcast

Ending Senior Year in Isolation – A photo essay I put together about one aspect of my experience during the COVID-19 pandemic.