I transferred into Northland my junior year, and from my first day on campus I knew Northland was what I needed.
My backstory is that my first two years of college were at a large state school where my major was environmental science. I had a really hard time academically there, not because of how difficult the classes were, but from the sheer lack of passion demonstrated by my fellow peers and teachers. Students seemed to just want to pass the class and move on. There was never discourse between students and instructors or people discussing ideas from a multi-dimensional lens. (If you know anything about ecology or are lucky enough to have taken a class from Northland Professor Sarah Johnson, you know that diversity is key and most ecological discussions start with “Well, it depends.”) At this large state school, I remember the classes as straight reading from a textbook, online homework, and a rather flavorless excuse of environmental science. My “advisor” there didn’t know my name, and she regularly missed our scheduled meetings. As a first-generation college student who had a passion for ecology but still needed guidance, I was heartbroken and terrified that this was a glimpse into my future of environmental work.
Until one day, my dad heard Northland geology professor Tom Fitz talk on National Public Radio about asbestos material found in the Penokee Mountain Range and the ramifications of mining activity. I listened and immediately felt the passion. I don’t even know that much about geology, but the depth and excitement was there! The next spring, my parents drove me up to Northland for a visit, and upon arrival our tour guide said, “Hi, Olivia? Welcome!” I started the next fall, and in my first class of the semester, my professor, Jon Martin, said, “Hey! You must be Olivia. We’re going outside today.”
The work for a sustainable future can seem heavy, but there’s hope kindled by those who work tirelessly for a better future—and those are the people of Northland College. I am a graduate of Northland, and today I work as a forestry outreach educator. The knowledge I gained from the Northland community was a seed planted that continues to grow.
