Cassandra Carver
Degree, Program, and date of graduation: Bachelor of Science in Environmental Policy and Planning, with minors in Political Science and Women’s Studies, May 2014
Dates of working with the WGD Program: January 22, 2013- May 7, 2014
What work did you do with the WGD program?
"As an intern and through 2 independent studies I made learning modules on women and climate change and women and biodiversity, researched general information and funding opportunities for agriculture and nutrition, created a module on gender and nutrition, mapped the gendered impact pathways of Trichoderma in Bangladesh, wrote a proposal to have a speaker come for women's month, researched best practices for homestead gardening projects, and performed a number of other miscellaneous tasks."
Most exciting experience, interesting discovery, or connections made:
"The most exciting part of working in this office was having the opportunity to learn about things I actually care about. Many of the classes offered in my major did not seem to give me the freedom to go in the direction I wanted with my education, but through an internship and 2 independent studies I was able to tailor my education to my interests. In doing research for the climate change, biodiversity, and nutrition modules on gender I discovered how overlooked gendered impacts are around the world. The overwhelming connection between environment and gender, one that I previously was very unaware of, was also an important discovery made during my time with WGD. In this position I was also exposed to a great deal of agriculture work, a field I hated before coming to the office, and gained a totally new perspective on it. I loved hearing stories about the projects people were doing all around the world and discovered that I would love doing work like that for a living. I really enjoyed relating what I was learning in class to my work in the office and found that the research I did with the WGD program allowed me to explore issues I was passionate about in a meaningful way. The connections I have made in the past two years have been extremely worthwhile, both personally and academically. Working on a team of individuals who are passionate about gender and who have immense amounts of knowledge and experience on the subject pushed me to work hard and ask lots of questions. I learned a lot from every person on the team and find that my experience at WGD has been invaluable."
After-graduation plans:
"In the fall I will be attending Indiana University's School of Public and Environmental Affairs where I will be pursuing a Master's in Public Administration with a concentration in International Development. I am currently applying for their Master's International Program and hope to serve in the Peace Corps as part of my Master's program."
How has the WGD program influenced your future?
"Working in this office has opened my eyes to the world of development and has showed me that there are a lot of opportunities to work with development, women, and the environment at the same time. This connection isn't talked about much in any of my classes, so I am really glad I was able to explore these possibilities in my time with WGD. I will be pursuing international development as a career and plan to use the knowledge and skills gained in the WGD program as I transition to graduate school in the Fall."
