Alon:

• The main thing I learned about while completing this project is about marketing. Marketing is such an important skill and the skills that our group used for marketing helped the farm in many ways. I learned about myself that I am good at running a cohesive marketing campaign however when it comes to any individual piece I am not much help. For example, I can’t design a good flyer from scratch but I can take a flyer and turn it from a design to something that is useful, whether that means printing it out and putting it up, or emailing the right people with the design. I learned that an incredibly large portion of sustainability is about making sure that people know about opportunities and marketing is an important skill because it satisfies that need.

• While working as a team I learned about setting reasonable goals. At the beginning of the project we made a list of all of the pieces that we were going to make and by the end we completed less than half of those pieces. I think we all knew we were never going to get it all done even at the beginning but it was still somewhat of a humbling experience to cross items off the list one by one as we ran out of time to finish them and had to readjust. In the future I think that focusing on a few things as a group and doing them well is a better approach.

• This project benefitted me personally because of what I learned about sustainability, marketing, and the connection between them. I might in the future put the project materials on my resumé as an example of how I can communicate my ideas effectively and work as a group. I have not decided if I will be continuing work on this project afterwards. This will depend on how successful this first round of marketing is for the farm and whether they want to continue. However I will always be open to sustainability projects that I enjoy and that help me learn valuable career skills.

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Anna:

• What I learned about myself, about sustainability, about my campus, about my career interests, etc

  • I learned that sustainability in the field of marketing is a balancing act. We were trying to support sustainability by getting the Agroecology Farm more publicity, but along the way we burned plenty of coal through our use of technology, had to print out a hundred flyers and may the tree that became our plywood rest in peace. This was a very, very small scale operation, so if I continue into the field of marketing, the stakes will likely get higher. Still, getting the word out about a sustainable business is important because it will drive less sustainable competitors to change their ways in order to compete.

• What I learned working as a team, both within my multi-media group and others working on the same service project

  • I am typically a very controlling person when it comes to group projects, but this time I forced myself to be more apart of the team, than simply the “bossy girl” I tend to be. This taught me that working with the group instead of simply telling them what to do is far more efficient and the product is much better. Although it can be hard to compromise, and things aren’t always done exactly how I personally want them, the end result is worth the extra effort I must put into biting my tongue every now and again.

• How this project benefited me personally or professionally (or why it didn’t).

  • This project benefited me professionally because it introduced me to the world of marketing and gave me the opportunity to have first hand experience running a marketing campaign, even if it was very low scale. This project will be great on my resume and will help show potential companies that I have experience and am committed.

• Do you plan on continuing your involvement either with this sustainability issue or Campus Partner? Why or why not?

  • I hope to continue to work with Alison to market the Agroecology farm because it will make me stand out to future employers and because it is a business and a cause I stand for.

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Lawson:

• • What I learned about myself, about sustainability, about my campus, about my career interests, etc

I have learned that sustainability really doesn't have to be as hard as people think to accomplish. State’s campus has started to lead a more sustainable community, but still has a ways to go. I care for the environment and that will never change, so I am glad that I have been able to learn more about what sustainability really means.

• • What I learned working as a team, both within my multi-media group and others working on the same service project

I learned that things are accomplished at a more leisurely pass when working with others.

• • How this project benefited me personally or professionally (or why it didn’t)

I think the idea of creating a kind of PR campaign for the agroecology is beneficial for me personally because my major is communication.

• • Do you plan on continuing your involvement either with this sustainability issue or Campus Partner? Why or why not?

I would like to stay involved in some way just to see how the agroecology farm grows.

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Jasmine:

• • What I learned about myself, about sustainability, about my campus, about my career interests, etc

As a result of this project I learned that sustainability has so many different aspects and looks completely different based on the issue area. I had never really thought about sustainability in terms of marketing and this project really opened my eyes to see that sustainability really truly is a multi layered issue. I also think that I may now have an interest in marketing when it deals with environmental organizations, causes and sustainable issues.

• • What I learned working as a team, both within my multi-media group and others working on the same service project

Working with a team I learned that sometimes you have to keep each other accountable. It is so easy to get distracted or off track when you have so many other things happening such as club meetings, intramurals, homework, different forums etc. but having a team to remind you to get your work done or send your required materials is a great way to make sure that everyone benefits.

• • How this project benefited me personally or professionally (or why it didn’t)

This projected benefited me because I learned so many new skills! I never paint, draw or do anything artistic because I believe that I am not the most artistically talented person. However during this project with the help of Anna we were able to create a beautiful, colorful sign that will be displayed for many people who come to the farm to see. I also created a website which I had never thought about doing before.

• • Do you plan on continuing your involvement either with this sustainability issue or Campus Partner? Why or why not?

I do plan on continuing involvement with the Agroecology Farm! I think that the work that Alison and the entire team does is truly amazing! I plan to volunteer there some Saturdays and hope to be able to possibly work with Alison if she were to need help with any other marketing work.

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