My name is Blakely Browne, and I am currently a student at the University of British Columbia. Born and raised in a small, german-themed town in the heart of the Cascades in Washington State, I was instilled with a deep appreciation for the natural world, growing up skiing, biking, and running my way through the mountains. I came to UBC really unsure of what I was wanting to do with my life, as many first years do, but have recently figured out what I think I’m doing here. With my passion for being outside, a deep respect for nature, and an ecological perspective on the world, I have decided to pursue a bachelors degree in geography, honing in on the environment and sustainability stream, while minoring in Spanish. A large reason for my interest in geography, and the environment and sustainability stream in specific, is because I have strong interests in both the social and natural science aspects of the discipline. I find interest in things like geomorphology, atmospheric, and ocean sciences, but also am greatly invested in the social side, with a curiosity to see how and in what ways social structures lead to, and in turn can be changed to combat the global environmental issues we face. My minor, Spanish, interests me because I find that learning a new language, in ways, allows me to suddenly think in new ways, and I would one day like to potentially travel to Spanish speaking countries to do environmental work. Looking to the future, I am invested in somehow making a positive change within our complex, complicated, and conflicted society. I would like to increase awareness about environmental issues, such as climate change, ocean acidification, and loss of biodiversity, while contributing to the increasing body of ideas regarding ways in which we can make structural shifts within our society to function more efficiently and in unison with the natural world.
UBC Geography Student