There are seasons in life when change is inevitable, and sometimes, these moments propel private transformation.
For me, one such second was the passing of my mom in 2021. Within the wake of this loss, I made a decision to return to high school to pursue an Govt MBA with a focus in sustainability. It was the proper program. Tuesday evening lessons that match with my household’s schedule, an in-person possibility at a faith-based college, and a two-year dedication. Nevertheless, all of that modified after my summer season programs.
My focus required me to take Ideas of Sustainability and Superior Sustainability Examine in New England. Though, after finishing these programs, I discovered myself unable to shut this chapter of my studying journey.
Each programs ran in parallel. Ideas of Sustainability reviewed the historical past of sustainability and dug into every main apply space: renewable vitality, inexperienced buildings, meals methods, and extra. The superior research course utilized the e book Modifications within the Land by William Cronan, together with curated content material and a week-long group journey expertise led by the founding director of the Institute for Sustainable Follow at Lipscomb College.
The content material, construction, and neighborhood had been the whole lot I wanted, though I got here in with a little bit of a bonus in a single apply space: meals methods. My dad is a farmer, and I’ve been promoting produce at farmers’ markets throughout Tennessee since earlier than I can bear in mind, however there’s at all times extra to study.
The journey to New England was nothing wanting life-changing. We began with a voyage to provide homage to one of many authentic sustainability champions, Henry David Thoreau. Like a dream, we had been greeted by a neighborhood historian dressed and in character — an incredible expertise! After our tour, we ventured down the trail Thoreau possible meandered and took a fast dip in Walden Pond.
Because the week continued, the classroom got here to life as we trekked throughout Vermont and New Hampshire with many hands-on studying experiences. We visited cutting-edge recycling and compost facilities, realized sustainable farming strategies, toured zero-energy properties, hung out in a contemporary design faculty, met with metropolis management, toured a district heating and cooling plant, and even participated in a neighborhood workday at a sustainable dwelling neighborhood, full with composting bathrooms. (When you’re curious, they don’t scent!)
The final day of our journey was all about inexperienced buildings, essentially the most related and impactful to my function at Cisco, the place I lead options and product adoption inside buyer success for hybrid work, together with serving to our prospects use our know-how to show their buildings into good areas. I used to be blown away by one website go to’s sophistication and innovation, and it was my first time seeing a geothermal system with radiant heating and cooling. After which, after we thought it couldn’t get any higher, the journey concluded in the easiest way. In Boston, we toured the town’s most sustainable constructing. We met the property’s Vice President of Sustainability — an trade thought chief — and a number of other structure material consultants. We realized about photo voltaic PV, rainwater harvesting, inexperienced roofs, biophilic dwelling partitions, and machine rooms from the superb crew chargeable for designing and sustaining the buildings.
As excellent because the stops had been, the van rides with my classmates had been the perfect conversations on the journey. We debriefed, shared analysis, and even geeked out in our respective areas of experience — engineers defined the technical features, and non-engineers defined the enterprise and operations. It was the proper mixture of variety for a well-rounded dialogue. I actually have a classmate’s drawing on scrap paper outlining how Nashville Worldwide Airport’s (my residence airport) HVAC system makes use of water from an deserted rock quarry.
Shortly after getting back from the journey, I formally declared a double main: MBA & Masters of Sustainability. This semester, I’ve added Water Administration and Inexperienced Buildings to my MBA course load. In a number of months, I’ll take one other journey — to Austin — for my Sustainable Constructing and Building course.
I sit up for graduating in December and seeing how I can leverage all this studying to assist Cisco do much more for our prospects within the sustainability house. I’m tremendous grateful to Cisco’s emphasis on sustainability, the corporate encouraging us to study and develop our careers, and the tutoring reimbursement to make it attainable. I couldn’t do it with out my crew for supporting me and carrying the calls when “Audrey had class” for the previous two years. It’s been a life-changing journey that I’m excited to proceed!
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