When I say I am an Environmental Analysis major it doesn’t really mean much until I explain what track I am and that is kind of the beauty of being an EA major, everyone molds it to their personal interests and goals. When applying to colleges I knew I wanted to major in something related to Environmental Analysis or Environmental Sciences. Once I arrived at Scripps, I knew I would be majoring in EA, but I had to select which track I wanted: STEM, Society, Policy or Sustainability in the Built Environment.
Right off the bat I knew I was not going into the STEM track because I never enjoyed science, and I am not very good at it either. The Sustainability in the Built Environment seemed interesting, and I did consider it for a while, but it required too many art classes, and I have never felt confident in that field. I was intrigued in both the society and policy tracks though since I am interested in exploring the way in which cultures play a role in how we interact with our ecosystems and am also considering Law School.
After taking my first EA class, EA10: Introduction to Environmental Analysis, I was sure that the Society track was the right one for me, but I still wanted to incorporate some policy aspects into it. I soon found myself in fall semester of my sophomore year and realized that I would have to declare my majors that next semester and I still did not have a major advisor for EA. Since I was not doing the STEM track my EA major was an off-campus major, so not only did I have to find a major advisor but also choose whether to major via Pomona or Pitzer.
That fall I would be taking my EA20 class called “Nature, Culture, Society” with professor Char Miller at Pomona and I decided to ask him if he would be willing to be my major advisor and he was happy to do so! Since then, he has allowed me to really mold my major into my unique concentration withing the limits of the Society and Policy tracks. I have decided to focus on indigenous communities in Latin America, their human and land rights as well as representation in state positions and the decision-making process of countries especially regarding the concept of plurinational states.
I have multiple friends majoring in Environmental Analysis and it is so interesting to learn about the reasons for which they chose the major but also their specific tracks and what they hope to achieve after graduation in different fields. Another reason I love my major is because it is an interdisciplinary field, so I am bringing in the perspective of multiple different field into the conversation and looking at environmental and social issues in a holistic way.
Environmental Analysis is not the only major that has multiple tracks and is interdisciplinary. I think that is the beauty of a liberal arts education, you have the ability to make your major and your academic interest your own. In the case of Scripps students, we also get to share our passion for our majors through our senior theses on Capstone Day at the end of senior year. If you are ever interested in learning more about the Environmental Analysis major at Scripps don’t hesitate to reach out!