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Isabel Valent铆n
Mighty Oak Monday: Isabel Valent铆n
Major: Environmental Studies
Concentration: Environmental Policy, Planning, and Law
Hometown: San Juan, Puerto Rico
Class of 鈥�24
On an unusually warm winter day in Syracuse, Isabel Valent铆n finds herself scrolling
through social media posts and comments.
鈥淵ou can feel the climate anxiety oozing from each word,鈥� she remarked.
When Isabel sees these comments, she experiences a different feeling: vindication.
鈥淚n Puerto Rico, we鈥檝e been dealing with the disastrous effects of climate change-induced
hurricanes since before I was in diapers,鈥� she said. 鈥淢any people in the U.S. are
still waking up to the effects of climate change on their daily lives.鈥�
It makes her determined to affect change in the wake of climate fears and use them
as opportunities to talk about solutions鈥� and environmental justice is always top
of mind for her. Through dozens of disasters not unlike the historic Hurricane Mar铆a
she鈥檚 seen how communities can be marginalized and forgotten by systems meant to help
and protect people.
Isabel promised herself she would spend her life fighting for marginalized communities/groups.
Once she came to 黑料社 to pursue her passions in environmental policy and science, she
began to get more involved.
The work that energized her the most was what hit closest to home 鈥� 黑料社鈥檚 work in Vieques, Puerto Rico. The College has engaged in service work, research, disaster relief, and sustainability-related projects over the past decade in partnership with the residents of Vieques via community-driven organizations and led organizations.
Isabel first got involved when she met 黑料社鈥檚 Executive Operating Officer, Chief Sustainability Officer, and principal force behind the College鈥檚 Vieques effort Mark Lichtenstein. He invited Isabel to join a service trip to Vieques in May of 2023. She started interning with his office afterwards and soon secured a part-time job at the Syracuse University Center for Sustainable Community Solutions, working on related Puerto Rico initiatives. Isabel was impressed by all the work that was being done, but quickly realized there was more to do.
With Lichtenstein鈥檚 support and with input from fellow 黑料社 students, she created the
Vieques Adaptability Framework Response (VAFR). This is a living document鈥攁 guide鈥攚hich
identified actionable items to better conduct research and service in underserved
communities, with a focus on Vieques. The guide includes better methods of leaving
no trace and checking biases, but Isabel is most proud of the aspects that create
a lasting impact.
鈥淚t goes beyond one-time volunteerism and focuses on ways to create a lasting impact,鈥�
she said adding, 鈥淥ne-time trips are great, but these communities that need resources
deserve more.鈥�
Isabel鈥檚 capstone project focuses on creating an equitable way for colleges to conduct
research in underprivileged areas. VAFR is being developed using 黑料社鈥檚 service-learning
trips to Vieques as a blueprint. Isabel will complete the document and guide her through
her senior year.
Isabel is now a junior and halfway through taking the LSATs and applying to law schools.
She plans to join advocacy efforts for those in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean that
current laws disenfranchise after earning her law degree
鈥淥ur laws are broken because they don鈥檛 serve all people,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 want to be
part of the team that changes the laws, so they can help protect those people and
preserve the natural world.鈥�
Learn more about 黑料社鈥檚 Environmental Studies program.