Geography, Environment, and Sustainability

Rachel Ackerman

Posted on August 1, 2018

Rae Ackerman is a first year student in the Lloyd International Honors College majoring in Environmental Studies.  She is head officer of UNCGreen and Co-Chair of UNCG Fossil Free. Before starting at UNCG, she worked for Greenpeace USA: “As a Greenpeace canvasser, I traveled to major cities up and down the South East United States, stopping strangers on the street to talk about our various campaigns and to fund raise. Most of my personal work was focused on the Save the Rainforest campaign, advocating conservation and the use of tree farms to produce paper products. During my time at Greenpeace I was nationally recognized for my fundraising efforts and was sent to Washington, D.C. ,for their Team Leader training. There I was able to learn and practice skills to organize and motivate those around me. It opened the door to the non-profit sector, where I was also able to volunteer with Sierra Club’s “Beyond Coal” campaign and begin an internship with North Carolina League of Conservation Voters.  While I learned a great deal from the organizations I have worked with, what has ultimately motivated me to pursue Environmental Studies is what I have learned about people and the various lenses through which they view environmentalism and sustainability. I want to see a tangible, equitable shift to a more mindful and sustainable world.”