2024-2025 R.S.C Student Stewards 

I'm Jaden Adams, a fourth-year Architecture student at Tuskegee University from Clinton, Mississippi. I am the 2024-2025 RSC Action Fund Outreach Coordinator. I was also the 2023-24 American Institute of Architecture Students Treasurer for the Tuskegee chapter. My hobbies include listening to music, chilling, and drawing in my free time. My interest in becoming an architect came from open-house Sundays with my mom after church. I fell in love with design for the freedom of creativity during the concept phase at the beginning of a project. What resilience means to me is when faced with adversity, instead of feeling defeated, you take the situation and turn it into a positive learning opportunity.

I am Medara Udoekong. I am a 19-year-old British Nigerian, I was born in Nigeria. I love nature, watching documentaries, travelling and learning about other cultures and playing chess, soccer and other sports. My passion is to help solve some of the world’s problems and helping people, using sustainable design, and designing systems that are just, equitable and sustainable. To me, resilience means the ability for something or someone to withstand strains and difficulty, that threaten, test or seek to harm the person or thing.

My name is Karl Klingeberg, I am an exchange student from the Hochschule für Nachhaltige Entwicklung Eberswalde, currently spending a semester at the Western Colorado University. I've been fascinated by nature in many ways since I was young. On the one hand I enjoy learning more about it with an academic scope and, on the other, comprehending it through experiences in the outdoors. Right now, I see our environment suffering under diverse stresses having their roots in how we perceive and treat our environment. Wanting to change that, as well as my love for nature is what keeps me going. Resilience to me, is the ability of ecosystems and people to come out of stresses even stronger, being able to adapt and grow continuously at various levels. My definition of resilience is the ability to maintain balance and a state of persistence through disturbance and adversity. The readiness to accept and take in change, adapt to new circumstances, and emerge stronger from challenges are equally essential to resilience.

My name is Sebastian Welter, and I am a junior at Kansas Wesleyan University studying Biomedical Chemistry. My hobbies include lifting, hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, and playing with my two tortoiseshell cats, Miso, and Nori. Throughout my life, I have always found it quite interesting to utilize the knowledge I have learned in my classes and apply them to everyday actions and observations while exploring the real world! I believe that being able to converse with others about my thoughts, now with a focus on resilience, will be an enriching and important experience in my life. Resilience, to me, is defined as being able to leave a positive mark on the ecological environment and see the benefits and effects of sustainable practices in the community around me.

My name is Kristina Gillespie and I am a Chicago native. I am a senior majoring in sustainability studies with a minor in environmental science. I enjoy reading and gardening and a new hobby I started is practicing calligraphy. My intention is to use the information and connections that I acquired from my time at Roosevelt to address and rectify past sustainability mishaps, such as land pollution, commercial farming, and city planning and also help provide and execute sustainable plans and ideas for future human growth and development. I am very excited to hear all the ideas that will emerge from RSC

My name is Maria Atristain and I am a junior at The Evergreen State College studying Art education. I am the coordinator for La Familia which is the Latinx student group. We host cultural events along with social justice events. Volunteering at our campus food bank is one of my favorite things I do--every other week I get to help provide food to our community and help connect people at the same time! I enjoy spending time with my friends, writing, and creating. I believe in joy and love as the strongest form of resilience.

My name is Ehud Enagbare, and I am from Lowell, Massachusetts. I belong to a large Nigerian family. Currently, I'm a senior at Paul Quinn College, majoring in Business Administration. In 2024-2025, I serve as the RSC's Social Media Manager. Additionally, I hold the position of Co-President in our Campus Sustainability Initiative, known as the "Green Team." My aspirations include building generational wealth for my family's legacy.

Hello, I am Olivia Nau. I am a second-year student at Western Colorado University. I have undertaken a dual major in Business Administration and Environmental Sustainability with an emphasis on Climate Action Planning and an Energy Management minor. As an active campus member, I participate in the sustainability, solar energy, energy management and Christian student clubs. In addition to my club memberships, I write and edit the RSC Newsletter. I am passionate about resiliency and our need for climate friendly solutions on large and small scales. Being able to keep going despite all the challenges and hardships life throws at you. That is a quality we all need, now and even more so in the future.

My name is Megan Fortier, I’m a senior at Western Colorado University studying Environment and Sustainability with an emphasis in Climate Action Planning. Outside of school, I love hiking, skiing, gluten free baking and cooking, reading, and nature writing. I’ve had the opportunity to serve as Western’s Climate Justice Intern and am on the school’s sustainability team. I think RSC is a great opportunity for education and innovation across campuses with similar visions for resilience! Resilience to me is the ability of a group to come together and be prepared for change, adapt to challenges, and strengthen their community.

My name is Diego Schillaci. I am a senior at Paul Smith’s College Pursuing a BS in Integrative studies of Environmental Science & Sustainability (Graduating Spring 2025). Throughout my life I have been taught to connect with and value nature and I try to hold those values in everything I do. I am currently working on an undergraduate project surrounding Fire Adapted Ecosystems and how fire connects people to the land. I am a competitive cross-country skier, trail runner and cyclist and endurance sports have a very prominent role in my life. I love learning about people and hearing their unique stories as we all navigate through life. I strive to be resilient on all scales from running up a mountain, to fighting for what I believe in.