capstone members
Students from the Environmental Studies 2022 Capstone who are sharing their voices and perspectives through storytelling
Aaron Urquidez (he/him)
I am originally from Phoenix, Arizona and have deep roots in the Desert Southwest. I am also Chicano of Yaqui descent. My academic and career interests focus on the intersections of renewable energy and the built environment and how this might affect social equity issues like food access and affordable housing. I am particularly interested in the role of culturally informed sustainable developments to build community resilience in marginalized communities, especially Native American communities.
When I am not using my little noggin I love to go for runs and bask in the sun. Every morning I take my three dogs for a walk and enjoy the pitter-patter of puny paws on the pavement. My favorite show to watch is SpongeBob and I am currently listening to Crown the Empire and Stray Kids.
Alec White (he/him)
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Alec is an Environmental Studies Major and Chemistry Minor from San Diego, California. He is a member of the nationally ranked Swarthmore Men’s Basketball team which he was a captain for this season. Alec has loved working in the intersections of sustainability and athletics on campus during his time at Swarthmore both as a President’s Sustainability Research Fellow (PSRF) and as a member of the leadership board of Garnet Go Green (G^3). After graduation he is seeking environmental postgraduate research before returning to school.
Alicia Contrera (she/her)
Alicia is an Environmental Studies and Economics double major with interest in Sustainable Development, Policy, and Climate Change. She was born and raised in Paraguay and is particularly interested in advocating her work for South America. After graduating from Swarthmore, she wants to continue her work on Climate Advocacy through Climate Policy and Social Development projects.
Bethany Bronkema
Bethany is an Engineering major and an Environmental Studies minor. She is from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania or “about an hour west of here.” While at Swarthmore, Bethany has developed an interest in environmental modeling and is excited to continue in this field through research at Reykjavik University next year.
Chantal Reyes
Chantal is a prospective law student for the class of 2025 focusing on environmental law, immigration, and civil rights. She is an Environmental Studies Major with Spanish and Linguistics minors. She is originally from Portland, Oregon but takes pride in her Oaxacan heritage. You can connect with Chantal through her LinkedIn.
Juliana Lin (she/her)
Hi, I’m Juliana and have called Chicago, IL my home for most of my life. It is where I was born and where my nurtured families are. The city lives on the traditional unceded homelands of the Anishinaabek and Niswi-mishkodewin: the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi Nations. Though I barely remember my 3 months there, I still feel inclined to call Taishan, Guangdong another home of mine through the memories of my parents. I am double majoring in Environmental Studies and Psychology, and my interests lie in the intersection of these two fields. I am passionate about community resilience and truly believe that building trust and fostering relationships in community-centric ways is essential to every element of our lives and especially so in prioritizing justice in environmentalism.
Other things about me are that I love the smell of rain. I am also fascinated by photography as an art and as a form of storytelling. If you know me in person, you’ve probably witnessed me lay on the floor or sit in a puddle to snap a photo. My plant-babies are my kids; I’m happiest when seeing them thrive!
Karinna Papke
Karinna is a double major in Environmental Studies and Political Science. She is from Alexandria, Virginia, though she often tells people she is from Washington, DC. She is interested in pursuing a career advocating for legislation to address the on-going climate crisis and create a more equitable future.
Kyra Hall (she/her)
Kyra is an Environmental Studies major whose focus is in climate change science and mitigation with minors in Global Studies and Psychology. She is from Princeton, NJ and loves spending time with her family and friends. She played lacrosse all four years at Swarthmore, in addition to having a very active role in the Office of Sustainability. She plans to work in the environmental consulting field to engage with the science and research path of environmental work before returning to school
Sammy Burchell (she/her)
Sammy (or Samantha if you’re the government) is an Environmental Studies major and Biology minor. She hopes to pursue a career in environmental education in order to utilize her skills in science communication, as well as her passion for the environment and connecting with all kinds of people, especially younger generations. She is originally from Lincoln, Nebraska and intends to return after graduation with a newfound appreciation for the people and landscape that she grew up with. She has no specific plans for the future other than to be an environmental educator in the Midwest and adopt multiple cats over her lifetime so that she can name them after burrito ingredients and one day have a complete burrito, starting with her current cat, Beans.
Sidhika Tripathee (she/her)
Sidhika is an Environmental Studies and Computer Science double major. She was born and raised in Kathmandu, Nepal but now lives in Falls Church, VA (or as she often tells others, “the DC area”). She is passionate about the connection between land and healing, and the importance of learning about the politics of technological tools.
Susannah Broun (she/her)
Susannah is a History major and is minoring in Environmental Studies and Film & Media Studies. She is from Chapel Hill, North Carolina and will happily talk about how much she loves her hometown. Throughout college, Susannah has focused on using her film and media background to promote accessible, engaging, and informative means of storytelling.
Theo Grayer (he/him)
Theo is a double major in Environmental Studies and Political Science focusing on environmental policy, politics, and advocacy. He is originally from Maplewood, New Jersey but when people ask he just tells them he is from outside of New York City. Next year he will be working as an outdoor educator in Fairlee, Vermont.
Able to share time and space with the members of the cohort to guide ideas and facilitate conversation.
Adrienne Benally (she/her)
Adrienne Benally is an assistant professor of Environmental Studies at Swarthmore College. She is Diné (Navajo) and comes from Shiprock, New Mexico, a small community on the Navajo Nation. Her research and teaching focuses on cultural sustainability and environmental and climate change issues in Indigenous communities from an Indigenous-centered lens. She received her Ph.D. in Cultural Studies from Claremont Graduate University.
Oswaldo Morales Solorzano (he/him)
Oswaldo graduated from Swarthmore in 2021, with a double major in Engineering and Environmental Studies, focused in Indigenous and Decolonial Studies. He now works for the Office of Sustainability at Swarthmore as a Sustainability & Engages Scholarship Fellow, a fancy title that just means he spends time working with students on cool projects. He participated in his own Capstone last year, and joined this year to offer context and support for the growth of these projects. Oswaldo was born in Mexico, grew up in Nevada, and now lives in Philadelphia. Interests include warm drinks, hot soups, and the obnoxiously bright yellows.
