Terrain V01 - Journal - Page 6
4 | Sterling College
The Sterling
Community
Fall ‘21
Ruth Gardinet
I was born in New York City. I got to see
how it was for myself growing up, getting my life changed by counselors. I
picked Outdoor Education because I
want to run a camp for myself and other
girls, to help them out in the near future.
Nobody can tell you it’s going to be easy.
But if you have the community backing
you up, it’ll make it a little easier for you
because you will know that you have a
support system behind you. I can end on
a good note and leave my name here at
Sterling; to advocate for people of color and make things better for them, for
them to be able to feel welcomed and
feel comfortable. It’s not going to be
perfect, but if we all work together, we
can make it there.
Photos: Mark Washburn
Photos: Rick Thomas (WBFP)
Oliver D’Orazio
Emma Engelman
It is so cool to come here and actually
have people know my name right away,
knowing where I came from, and a little
bit of my background. I’m from Denver,
Colorado, and I just checked into Sterling
College to finish my undergraduate degree. I’m 30 years old. The last ten years
have been a journey. I think I have finally
found a place that is incredibly welcoming and working towards the values that
I find for myself, keep for myself.
I had always known that I wanted to
move back home; my parents have had
this beautiful farm my entire life and
that was always the goal but I didn’t
know how to get from where I was
to being on the farm and it being my
life and my income and my purpose.
The Wendell Berry Farming Program is
giving me all the tools I need to make it
work. I’m excited to keep learning. It is
great and comforting to know that people know you and know your story and
know where you come from and will
have your back. It is also really wonderful to be in a place where you have community with people and you are giving as
much as you are receiving.
Yun Zaw
Sterling and my country are two totally
different worlds. Since I joined an environmental cause, I found out that my
passion is to study the environment
and interactions with humans. People
are different because they have different cultures. Community means how
to co-exist peacefully and I believe humans and nature can co-exist peacefully. Through environmental humanities
I want to be part of the change, for my
people. I found Sterling and I think this
place is where I belong.
Jack Sawyer
Community to me is love for one’s neighbor, supporting the people around you
by sharing food, growing food, and creating together. I’m really looking forward
to this sense of community while I’m
here at Sterling.