HUMANS OF SECS: SOHINEE OSWAL

It's time for this semester's first Humans of SECS post! Today, we're introducing you to Sohinee Oswal, who is one of our Sustainable Business co-chairs. Sohinee is a junior studying Environmental Economics and Policy, and she has been an active member of SECS since January 2015. This is her second year as a Sustainable Business co-chair, and is currently very busy leading the campus Skip the Bag campaign. Last year she and Sustainable Business led UIUC to first place in the nationwide Kill the Cup campaign, which is one of her proudest accomplishments in SECS.

"I first realized I wanted to dedicate my life to the environment when I was 10. I was watching An Inconvenient Truth, and learning that plants and animals were losing their habitats due to anthropogenic causes completely devastated me. Immediately, I started recycling, turning off lights, and telling everyone around me to do the same. My 10-year-old-self was so passionate about this that I proceeded to make signs and tape them to my room door telling my family to recycle, go solar, conserve water, and care about the environment. Since then, I’ve been eager to learn and do as much as I can to protect the environment. Continuing to learn about the devastating impacts of climate change/several other environmental problems as well as the importance of environmental services always solidifies my resolve to protect the environment."

Photographs by Maggie Golden