Day One: An Introduction to My Cohort

Today marks the beginning of my two-year course of study in Lesley University’s Urban Environmental Leadership master’s program. Recognizing my own learning style(s), I have decided to keep a blog reflecting on my progress and experiences in the hopes that I will not only synthesize my ideas through writing, but also receive critical feedback and ideas from my peers.

SO. To start with, I’d love to describe my cohort. I don’t want to make it seem as though I’m putting my peers (and self) into little boxes, but I DO recognize that diversity of perspective and experience matter a great deal in a collaborative course of study, particularly when studying a field including the word “urban.” As we think about the human role in urban ecology (e.g., looking at humans as part of the ecosystem, paying attention to cultural connections to the environment in an urban setting, etc.), I think it will be essential to look at the variances between different humans. Things like race, socioeconomic background, education, location, and more really do play a role, and recognizing what the different members of our cohort can bring to the table (at least at first glance) is an important thought exercise.

Thus, some basic stats which may (or may not) be relevant in my future reflections on this course:

• Number of students in cohort = 11
• Male : female ratio = 1:10
• Age breakdown = 22, 23, 26, 29, 31, 33, 40, 40, 44, 46, 56 (How awesome is that?!)
• Self-identified “home”towns = Chicago, IL; Somerville, MA (by way of Oregon); Providence, RI; Cambridge, MA; Kalamazoo, MI; Charlotte, NC; Cambridge, MA; Chelmsford, MA (by way of Calastoga, CA); Topsfield, MA; Worcester, MA; Portsmith, New Hampshire (by way of Pennsylvania)
• Race/ethnicity (by appearance) = WHITE

I am extremely impressed by the passion, interests, and motivation exhibited by the group, and I truly believe that we have a lot to learn from each other. We did a very useful activity in which we introduced ourselves to one another through 10-15 minute worldview presentations, and I think that has laid the framework for us to speak openly and honestly with one another. There is a certain level of comfort amongst the group.

That said, I do think we will need to incorporate some additional thoughts/worldviews into our experience through guest speakers, readings, and more. For example, we don’t really have much diversity with regards to gender and race. While we have representation from many parts of the country, the Southwest is under-represented. We are all (at least) college graduates. There’s no way to make the cohort as diverse “as it could be” (what does that even mean?), but we can challenge ourselves to recognize that there are other voices to be heard and, where appropriate, either seek them out or at least reflect on their absence (and the corresponding hole in our knowledge base).

Overall, though, I’m SO excited. This was a great first day that I think foretells of an exciting and challenging couple of years.