Baldwin Wallace Student Takes on Climate Change at White House Conference
Baldwin Wallace University students Tammy Blankenship (right) and Ashley King attended The White House Youth Climate Conference this month.
When The White House convened a summit on climate change for select college student leaders on June 2, Baldwin Wallace University sustainability major, Tammy Blankenship, class of 2016, had a seat at the table. Blankenship and BW student body president, Ashley King class of 2016, plugged into the conversation as representatives to the White House Youth Climate Conference organized by the National Campus Leadership Council (NCLC).
Student body presidents and sustainability advocates from colleges around the U.S. met to discuss campus sustainability, including best practices and challenges ranging from funding to education to student behavior. Under the hashtag #ActOnClimate, conferees were invited to meet with an impressive list of key administration officials, including EPA administrator, Gina McCarthy, and senior White House advisor, Brian Deese.
"The conference was great to learn about White House initiatives on climate change, while also learning about what other colleges are achieving and where BW stands in its accomplishments compared to these other institutions," said Blankenship, who hails from Rocky River and is on track to earn both the science and human & social science tracks of BW's sustainability major.
"Someone did the math and we found out that all of the universities present at this conference represented 1.2 million people in the U.S.—pretty astounding," added Blankenship, who serves as president of BW Farmer Jackets, a campus organization that practices and educates about sustainable farming, and sits on BW’s Sustainability Committee, a student, faculty, and staff advisory group. She also is a past vice president and co-president of Students for Environmental Awareness (SEA).
Baldwin Wallace University, founded in 1845, was one of the first colleges to admit students without regard to race or gender. An independent, coeducational university of 4,000 students, BW offers coursework in the liberal arts tradition in more than 80 academic areas. Located in Berea, 12 miles from downtown Cleveland, BW offers students the cultural, educational and business advantages of a major metropolitan area.
As Public Information Director at Baldwin Wallace University, Shawn Salamone shares the stories and achievements of star BW students who hail from Rocky River.
Shawn Salamone
As Public Information Director at Baldwin Wallace University, Shawn Salamone shares the stories and achievements of star BW students who hail from Rocky River.