It is our pleasure to introduce Serena, the most recent addition to Living Future Europe’s team for this summer! Serena is a senior at Drexel University studying Environmental Science and Product Design. Check out our latest new article about Serena’s background and her experience with LFE.
What drew you to work with LFE?
In my professional and undergraduate career, I have drawn inspiration from the Living Future regenerative design frameworks; my minor in Sustainability in the Built Environment has familiarized me with the thoughtful footprint of this organization in their work to reshape how we problem-solve around environmental degradation.
The Environmental Science portion of my degree has taught me that complex problems require solutions from diverse lenses. My coursework in Product Design and Design Research complimented my background in science by showing me how I can search for, document, and translate proposed solutions from diverse perspectives. As a result, I describe my academic journey as transdisciplinary: I integrate frameworks, processes, and tools from multiple disciplines, such as environmental science and design, to problem-solve around sustainability issues.
Considering my educational background, I am fascinated by how regenerative design uses systems thinking to address environmental issues; this is how we can effectively address a climate crisis so intimately intertwined with political, social, and economic systems. I was incredibly excited to learn that LFE was open to curating an internship position this summer; where else could I better broaden my knowledge of regenerative frameworks, than with the organization working to achieve a Regenerative Europe?
What have you been doing in your spare time in Bolzano?
LFE’s office has an incredible book collection. The most recent additions to my reading roster from the office are Regenerative Life by Carol Sanford and How to Make the World Add Up by Tim Harford. I will often take a book to read at the park or in the city center.
My next favorite thing to do is experience the outdoors! Bolzano is nestled in the foothills of the Dolomites, and I like to spend my weekends hiking or going on bike rides along the river. You can see some of the photos I have taken on my excursions below.
Learning about the local culture here has also been incredibly rewarding. Just by walking through Bolzano, you can pinpoint cultural blends in this cozy city near the Austrian border. For instance, listening to local dialects marrying German and Italian is very interesting, especially as I am in the process of improving my skills in both languages.
How has your experience been at LFE so far?
Wonderful! I’ve had the incredible opportunity to learn from how LFE leadership aligns around their goals to bring services and events to life. I really enjoy my role as a strategist, designing ways to scale organizational impact within and beyond LFE’s network in Europe.
