Journal 1: Introduction, Pre-Conceptions and Sense of Place

Hello! ☺

(Photo: Tara Lukasik)

My name is Lauren Lukasik.

(Photo: Lauren Lukasik)

I was born & raised in Cape Coral, FL.

(However, this photo was taken at Fort Myers Beach...)

(Photo: Amy He)

I'm a junior Environmental Engineering student.

(Photo: Lauren Lukasik)

My little sister & my dog are my best friends.

(Photo: Lauren Lukasik)

This is Cue, my dog.

(Cue is short for Rescue)

(Photo: Lauren Lukasik)

I don't know anyone who takes better pictures of sunsets.

What do I already know about Colloquium?

     Like most people, I know Colloquium = field trips.  It's probably the only class at FGCU that you're guaranteed to get out of the classroom and visit what you're actually learning about.  It's not just looking at pictures of trees and swamps, but really visiting the unique Florida environment we're lucky enough with which to be surrounded.  Colloquium is one of the few things every single FGCU student has in common; it brings together all different kinds of people in an effort to get us to connect.

(Photo: Lauren Lukasik)

What do I expect to learn from this class?

    I expect to learn that I am fortunate enough to have grown up where I have.  The picture perfect beaches and mysterious wetlands are right in our backyard here in SWFL.  Not only do we have the privilege to experience these wonders, but we have the responsibility to care for them.  What good are these destinations if our generation is the last to experience them?  I hope to learn how to better care for what I have and preserve it for others.  (And as an engineer, make a little bit of money doing so...)

(Photo: Lauren Lukasik)

How do I connect this learning and outcomes with my own self, my college major and my sense of place?

    While I believe that no matter what major one is studying, we are all in some way connected to the environment and our surroundings; however, some are a little more direct than others.  As an environmental engineer, I hope to take the knowledge I gain from this course to solidify that my work will be more than just crunching numbers.  As cliche as it sounds, I hope to make a real difference in my generation that is sometimes looked down upon as the ignorant, wasteful and unappreciative bunch.  I want to prove those people wrong and be the generation that fixes so many of our environmental issues and really solidifies a wholehearted path to sustainability.  While I believe my sense of place is outdoors, hiking, waterskiing, adventuring, getting sunburned and covered in dirt, I hope to help everyone I meet find a little personal sense of place somewhere outside in such a big, beautiful world.

(Photo: Lauren Lukasik)