During her four years at Wake Forest, Abby Rise became a well-rounded Demon Deacon. She was involved with Delta Xi Phi Multicultural Sorority, the Office of Sustainability, the French Studies department and with the Spirit of the Old Gold & Black marching band as the drumline co-captain. Her passions, whether music, the environment, language or giving back, could be seen all across campus.
Rise found her love for environmental and sustainability studies by spending time outdoors. She is from Pennington, N.J., but her family spent a lot of time traveling to national parks on the West Coast. However, it wasn’t until her junior year of high school that Rise realized loving nature could become a career path.
“My dad would take us on family road trips to national parks, and I’ve always appreciated being outside,” Rise said. “So majoring in environmental studies just felt natural.”
Rise was grateful for all of the opportunities the department gave her, including the ability to make the major her own. She took the basic environmental classes like earth science, but was also privileged to take history, biology and literature.
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“When I think of environmental studies, I don’t think about books, but I took a class called Literature of the Environment,” Rise said. “It was really cool being able to take a break from all of the scientific papers and read people’s firsthand accounts.”
She was also influenced by Dr. Stephen Smith’s class adventures. She has fond memories of a kayaking trip in his water resources course. He reciprocates appreciation.
“What I believe is most notable is her enthusiasm for learning,” Smith said of Rise. “Her curiosity for the subject matter and dedication to becoming more skilled and knowledgeable always made her a valuable contributor to my class.”
Additionally, the department helped Rise get an invaluable internship experience. She worked for Friends of Big Elkin Creek, a non-profit organization dedicated to clean water and environmental education.
“I do ground work mainly,” Rise explained. “I help them with community engagement and making the data about the water and the creek more accessible to the public.”
Through her major, Rise didn’t just learn about the environment, but also about herself.
“I would describe myself as an introverted person, but studying the environment and how people relate to their environment, I’ve learned that I do really appreciate being in community with people, and maybe I’m not as introverted as I thought I was,” Rise explained.
In the last few weeks before graduation, Rise hopes to learn more about herself. She hopes to do this through a senior year bucket list.
“I hope in the last couple weeks I get to do what I haven’t had the time to,” Rise said. “I have a senior year bucket list that I’ve been currently working through. I have yet to try food from the vegan station. I’ve always wanted to.”
After her graduation, Rise plans to return to New Jersey and pursue environmental education. She hopes to help people realize that everyone has a responsibility to be environmentally conscious.
“Taking care of the planet impacts everyone—it impacts you individually in ways that you don’t expect,” Rise explained. “Treating the planet with care is like treating a friend with care. It’s something that gives back to us. I do think everyone has a responsibility, especially people who have the most power and access in the world, to take care of the environment.”
