Abbie Anderson ’23
Why UNE
51Æ·²èhad the best program for what I was interested in. Most other schools that I toured didn't have a sustainability in business program — it was either just business or just environmental. The fact that 51Æ·²èhad the two combined was a huge factor for me.
What’s nice about my environmental classes is that they are so applied. I get a broad understanding of environmental problems but also how to apply them in a business sense. 51Æ·²èis really setting me up to be able to do whatever I want.
My professors have been awesome so far. My advisor has been amazing as far as helping me with classes and setting me up with other professors that have similar interests as I do. It’s really helpful that he will suggest classes that he thinks I enjoy. I have nothing but positive things to say about the faculty at UNE. I feel like at bigger colleges, you kind of get lost in the numbers, [UNE] feels like a family when I'm there and not just like I'm lost in the crowd.
Beyond the Classroom
During my first year, I was in the Green Learning Community (GLC), which was super cool because I got to meet all of the environmental majors. That experience exposed me to different points of view and the different aspects of the environmental field, which I loved. We went on a lot of retreats and trips, so I got to meet people in the field and go out and see new things.
It’s really nice because you meet people with similar values as you. We all get to go out in the environment together. As I’ve gone through my classes since, I’ve had a lot of the same classmates. It’s nice to be able to grow and learn with the same people. We talk about environmental problems that we’ve discussed in classes. We are able to bounce ideas off each other. We can dream solutions for the future. Making connections like that with like-minded people is so valuable.