6
Jake Cockrell ’14
never intended to study off
campus, but when he learned about the Sus-
tainability Semester, something drew him in.
“I knew the context and goal of the program
was undeniably important and could shape my
decision-making and actions (regarding sus-
tainability) in a robust and thoughtful way,” he
says.
Jake was one of eight students to take part in
the inaugural semester in spring 2013. Study-
ing environmental sustainability from a variety
of disciplines felt no different from a semester
on campus, he says. It was the setting, just four
miles from St. Lawrence, and the people that
defined his experience.
“Living and thinking with like-minded and
equally passionate peers really brings out the
power of place,” he says. “We all have a vested
interest in the subject matter and understand
and take seriously the implications such think-
ing and learning can and should have on our
lives.”
Much of what Jake learned is intangible. One
insight that resonated with him is the idea of
intentionality. “Be it planning ahead for cook-
ing or connecting the dots that linked each of
my four classes, being able to think critically
and understand the consequences of actions
or the implications of modes of thinking is
the outlook required to move toward a more
sustainable world,” he says.
John R. “Jeff ” Cook ’70 believes strongly in
the Sustainability Semester – so strongly, in
fact, that he’s helped set up one of its key com-
ponents – a two-week trip to Boston at the end
of the semester. Cook, the founder and former
head of the Environmental Careers Organiza-
tion, puts the program’s students in touch with
sustainability leaders and what he calls “change
agents” – individuals and organizations in the
Boston area who are working on issues such as
locally grown food and open space – to devel-
op field trips, workshops and internships for
Sustainability Semester students.
Cook supports the semester because he believes
it will create a powerful learning experience,
introduce students to sustainability careers and
demonstrate that St. Lawrence alumni can pro-
vide a wide array of resources in fulfilling the
University’s mission. And, he says, it’s “a way to
give back to the University, which has done so
much for my family, my friends and me.”
Jake doesn’t particularly like city living, but
he found the Boston component extremely
valuable because it changed his perspective on
sustainability in action.
“In the city, sustainability seems to grow out
of a need for enriching a community even if
its inhabitants are blind to the existence of the
sustainability problem,” he says. “This is an
important and interesting contrast to sustain-
ability in a rural setting in which community
members come together due to a solidarity they
share that is deeply rooted in held beliefs that
push them to sustainable action.”
Financial support from foundations and alumni
have been instrumental in launching this new
program, but more is essential for operating funds,
endowment and student internships. Other forms
of assistance with internships are also welcome.
For more information, contact Sue Regier at
or 315-229-5915.
of moving toward a more sustainable world
the d
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eam
Jake Cockrell ’14
