鈥業t鈥檚 everyone鈥檚 earth鈥�: Erin No毛l 鈥�22 awarded Udall Scholarship for work on sustainability, environmental justice
Ask Erin No毛l what her passions are, and she鈥檒l tell you two things.
鈥� "We all have this earth and we all should be out here enjoying it." 鈥�
First, there鈥檚 her love for the environment. In her fourth and final year as an environmental studies major, she has already travelled around the country researching the impacts of climate change. In her free time outside of her work, she鈥檚 also an avid hiker and kayaker.
Secondly, No毛l is passionate about inclusion, specifically its importance in the outdoors, for people of color to be represented and encouraged to be in spaces that for a long time they have been underrepresented in.
鈥淚t鈥檚 everyone鈥檚 earth,鈥� she says adamantly.
It鈥檚 her enthusiasm for each that recently won her the prestigious , awarded by the Udall Foundation to one student from each state and territory every year who does exemplary work in tribal policy, native health care, or the environment.
Her research portfolio includes time at Stanford University studying the effects of climate change on human conflict, specifically whether increasingly hotter weather in regions closer to the equator contributes to increased levels of unrest. She has also spent two past summers as a Doris Duke Conservation Scholar at the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability, she researched how farmers markets can bridge gaps in food instability, and how they can become more equitable spaces.
In addition to her academic credentials, she鈥檒l tell you that it was her unwavering advocacy for environmental justice that made the difference when she applied.
No毛l recalled one sentence that she included in her scholarship application that summed it up well.
鈥淚 said that you never see a person like me in a Patagonia catalog,鈥� she said, paraphrasing her own words. 鈥淎nd that鈥檚 wrong, because we all have this earth and we all should be out here enjoying it, like all of the people in the Patagonia catalog.鈥�
It鈥檚 an anecdotal example, but one that she relives every time she goes on a hike or hops in a kayak 鈥� the outdoors tends to be a white space where people of color are underrepresented. It鈥檚 an issue that鈥檚 made headlines in the past, such as when the National Parks Service showing that just 23% of visitors to their parks were people of color, despite minorities making up 42% of the population.
No毛l, who is of Haitian heritage, is quick to note the irony and injustice when it comes to such statistics, given that caring for the planet is something that her ancestors have been focused on long before it became a global priority.
鈥淲e were sustainable before sustainability was a trend,鈥� No毛l said with a smile. 鈥淣ature has a lot of significance in my culture 鈥� [you] grow up taking care of the earth because that鈥檚 what you have. You don鈥檛 necessarily have money; you only have your crops and the animals that you take care of.鈥�
With tradition, representation, and her love for being outside in mind, No毛l has her sights set on a career built around protecting the planet and making it a more inclusive place. She鈥檚 planning to pursue a dual PhD and J.D. program, knowing that becoming both a doctor and a lawyer will better position her to drive real progress in environmental justice.
鈥淚t鈥檚 following my passions,鈥� she said. 鈥淕etting my law degree is something that I never saw myself not doing.鈥�
It鈥檚 a high bar, but one that she notes is particularly meaningful because of the sacrifices that others made so that she could get there.
鈥淢y parents came here with nothing, and they became something, and for their child to be a doctor and a lawyer, that鈥檚 a lot in one generation 鈥� it memorializes their struggles, and everything they gave up for me to have a better opportunity.鈥�