What is the ISP?
The Individualized Study Plan can be considered my "academic road map" for my two years in the CEP major program and simultaneously, for the last two years of my undergraduate education. It is an intentional and reflective document, where the courses I choose, while not set in stone, are chosen not just to meet graduation requirements, but also tailored to fit the education I believe will best serve myself and my ambitions in the future. This includes being conscious of not only the knowledge I will learn, but the skills I develop, the internships I wish to take, my senior project, and any extracurricular activities I plan on participating in.
Visual Course Map
A visual table of my planned course schedule for my junior and senior years at the University of Washington, as of Autumn 2018.
See the requirements for my majors and minors here:
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My ISP (Letter of Introduction)
My interest in environmentalism and sustainability was inspired nearly four years ago along a skinny mountain trail in a forest outside Beijing. Although the trail was one of the main tourist attractions for the nearby village, it still felt remote. The forest was dense, the trail unpaved, and when you reached the crest of the mountain, you could see rolling hills of green in every direction, covering the land as far as the eye could see. It seemed almost surreal, like one of those places you only read about in storybooks, but no longer existed due to the urbanization of the planet.
Yet despite the remote location and the awe-inducing scenery, I found myself upset during the entire hike. The reason: plastic water bottles. They littered the trails like weeds. At the top of the mountain, someone had dig a large pit where subsequent hikers took the liberty of converting into a miniature disposable bottle landfill. Until that moment, I had never realized how much it mattered to me that others treated their natural environment with respect. I also realized that despite the horrible scene before me, it was entirely unintentional. The visitors who had littered had not tossed the bottles in order to deliberately hurt the environment, but because they were likely not educated on the harmful effects of their actions, and not considering the larger picture and the larger impact of their collective actions of littering. From then on, I was determined to work in the environmental field and help create a world where such a scene would no longer exist, where humans and nature were able to truly coexist without detriment to the other.
Entering the University of Washington, it took me a couple years to settle on a major. I knew I wanted to study environmentalism, but I had real idea what “environmentalism” entailed other than supporting recycling and mitigating climate change. Eventually I discovered the Environmental Studies degree and learned to assess and approach environmentalism from a social, human-centric viewpoint. I learned about the concept of sustainability and how it involved not only the natural world, but also its interdependence with our social and economic worlds, how it involved science, but also social justice.
However, one issue still remained. I still did not know exactly what I wanted to do in the environmental field, what career I wanted to pursue, and what kind of change I wanted to make. Unlike my initial sudden inspiration to study environmentalism, it was a slow but steady culmination of taking several courses, participating in different events and programs, and the planning of different projects that I grew to discover that I am interested in sustainability, education, and community development.
In a way, my new goals and aspirations for the future tie back to my original roots of environmentalism. Back then, I was inspired and motivated to pursue environmentalism and change the world around me through the realization that I wanted to help educate and engage others in environmentalism and the importance in respecting the earth. Today, I wish to engage, inspire, and empower individuals and communities to strengthen their communities and environment through sustainability and sustainability-minded approaches and thinking. I also wish to continue to advocate for the environment and sustainability through education.
I discovered CEP in my mid-sophomore year and was immediately drawn to its unique structure, intentional-learning, skill-building, and student leadership. With my interests in the environment and community development, I felt CEP would be the perfect match for me to learn vital skills such as project planning, facilitation, and collaboration. Furthermore, its flexible but intentionality-focused academic structure allowed me to still pursue sustainability and my environmental interests.
In the summer of 2018, I conducted an internship with the National Park Service at the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area’s Urban Outreach Office in Los Angeles. This opportunity increased my interest in environmental education, community development, and improving access and developing others’ connection with nature, particularly with members of communities who have more difficulty accessing green space. In pursuing these interests, I am considering working for the National Park Service, in environmental education, or community development with a focus on sustainability and connecting communities to nature and green space. With this direction in mind, after I returned to the UW after my internship, I continued taking courses in sustainability, but also began to consider more natural science and communication courses.
Looking towards the future, in my last year at the UW I began thinking about what I wanted to do after I graduate. I knew I wanted to go into sustainability or education, or a position which was an intersection of both, which at the same time would allow me to interact with and support different and diverse communities. In early Spring Quarter, I was offered a position at the National Park Service by my former internship supervisor. Although the position is not at a National Park, but at a National Historical Site, I have chosen to accept the opportunity. I believe this position will allow me to work with and support local communities as well as build on and develop skills in project management, leadership, community outreach, and event planning and organization. In the future, I plan to eventually pursue a Master’s Degree, as well as transfer to a National Park and work in urban and community outreach, or pursue another position involving community support, education, and the environment.
Yet despite the remote location and the awe-inducing scenery, I found myself upset during the entire hike. The reason: plastic water bottles. They littered the trails like weeds. At the top of the mountain, someone had dig a large pit where subsequent hikers took the liberty of converting into a miniature disposable bottle landfill. Until that moment, I had never realized how much it mattered to me that others treated their natural environment with respect. I also realized that despite the horrible scene before me, it was entirely unintentional. The visitors who had littered had not tossed the bottles in order to deliberately hurt the environment, but because they were likely not educated on the harmful effects of their actions, and not considering the larger picture and the larger impact of their collective actions of littering. From then on, I was determined to work in the environmental field and help create a world where such a scene would no longer exist, where humans and nature were able to truly coexist without detriment to the other.
Entering the University of Washington, it took me a couple years to settle on a major. I knew I wanted to study environmentalism, but I had real idea what “environmentalism” entailed other than supporting recycling and mitigating climate change. Eventually I discovered the Environmental Studies degree and learned to assess and approach environmentalism from a social, human-centric viewpoint. I learned about the concept of sustainability and how it involved not only the natural world, but also its interdependence with our social and economic worlds, how it involved science, but also social justice.
However, one issue still remained. I still did not know exactly what I wanted to do in the environmental field, what career I wanted to pursue, and what kind of change I wanted to make. Unlike my initial sudden inspiration to study environmentalism, it was a slow but steady culmination of taking several courses, participating in different events and programs, and the planning of different projects that I grew to discover that I am interested in sustainability, education, and community development.
In a way, my new goals and aspirations for the future tie back to my original roots of environmentalism. Back then, I was inspired and motivated to pursue environmentalism and change the world around me through the realization that I wanted to help educate and engage others in environmentalism and the importance in respecting the earth. Today, I wish to engage, inspire, and empower individuals and communities to strengthen their communities and environment through sustainability and sustainability-minded approaches and thinking. I also wish to continue to advocate for the environment and sustainability through education.
I discovered CEP in my mid-sophomore year and was immediately drawn to its unique structure, intentional-learning, skill-building, and student leadership. With my interests in the environment and community development, I felt CEP would be the perfect match for me to learn vital skills such as project planning, facilitation, and collaboration. Furthermore, its flexible but intentionality-focused academic structure allowed me to still pursue sustainability and my environmental interests.
In the summer of 2018, I conducted an internship with the National Park Service at the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area’s Urban Outreach Office in Los Angeles. This opportunity increased my interest in environmental education, community development, and improving access and developing others’ connection with nature, particularly with members of communities who have more difficulty accessing green space. In pursuing these interests, I am considering working for the National Park Service, in environmental education, or community development with a focus on sustainability and connecting communities to nature and green space. With this direction in mind, after I returned to the UW after my internship, I continued taking courses in sustainability, but also began to consider more natural science and communication courses.
Looking towards the future, in my last year at the UW I began thinking about what I wanted to do after I graduate. I knew I wanted to go into sustainability or education, or a position which was an intersection of both, which at the same time would allow me to interact with and support different and diverse communities. In early Spring Quarter, I was offered a position at the National Park Service by my former internship supervisor. Although the position is not at a National Park, but at a National Historical Site, I have chosen to accept the opportunity. I believe this position will allow me to work with and support local communities as well as build on and develop skills in project management, leadership, community outreach, and event planning and organization. In the future, I plan to eventually pursue a Master’s Degree, as well as transfer to a National Park and work in urban and community outreach, or pursue another position involving community support, education, and the environment.
View & Download my full ISP:
jasmineleung_isp_spr2019.docx | |
File Size: | 383 kb |
File Type: | docx |