Hi everyone! We're really happy to present to you our full board for the year 2022/2023. We have some exciting stuff planned!
Read our short introductions to get to know the board better!
Love,
Yours Sustainably,
Pangea
Jaya, Chair
Hi y'all! I'm Jaya (she/her), Pangea’s chair for this coming year. I'm a 3rd year science student following the environmental science track and some biology. I’m especially interested in doing field work and studying the methods that can mitigate climate change and all its drivers. As a child and in my teenage years, I quickly became invested in fighting climate change, raising awareness and removing the stigma that this topic brings. I was shocked about how little some people know on this topic, and received a lot of judgment for going vegan, buying little to no plastic and only buying second hand. I find it important that AUC students continue to be immersed in the mind-set where fighting for the health of the planet is not an embarrassing thing to do. I joined Pangea because I was losing touch with my past enthusiasm on the topic because it was too normalized. I've found that it's really easy to forget the urgency of the situation when we’re stuck in the comfort of the AUC bubble. I love that Pangea can bring people together and provides an opportunity to reconnect with this “forgotten topic” and learn more on the subject. We're really excited to give activism a larger role in Pangea and we hope you read our blog <3
John, Secretary
Hello all, I’m John (he/him), a third year science major in the Earth Sciences track here at AUC… and I am this year’s Secretary for Pangea! Before moving to Amsterdam I lived in the UK in a lovely little place called Taunton. Sustainability and broader issues such as climate change were not really topics that came up in my social circles or at home, rather they were refined to the classroom. While being educated about these topics is important, there is no point having knowledge if you cannot transform it into helpful, sustainable practices. Since coming here, I have learnt so much more about sustainability and the impact even everyday things have on the world, and by joining Pangea I get to work with amazing, wholesome people to spread awareness and show people what they can do to lead a more sustainable, environmentally conscious lifestyle. I also see Pangea as an opportunity for myself, to continue learning more and get more involved with initiatives here at AUC as well as in the wider Amsterdam community. I am very excited for everything we have planned for this year, and can’t wait to see you all at our upcoming events and workshops!
Freya, Treasurer
Hi everyone! My name is Freya (she/her), I am a third year mostly studying biomed. This is my second year on the board, this year taking on the role of Treasurer :$ :p :*
I am from New Zealand originally, but spent half my life in Germany as well. Neighboring a national park in NZ and living on the edge of a forest in a town in Germany, I have grown up feeling at home in the outdoors. I haven’t been as immersed in nature since living in the Netherlands, but I hope to explore more national parks and get outside more even when I’m super busy!
I first became interested in sustainability after becoming vegan back in 2016. Once I realized the impact that the animal agricultural industry has on our planet, I became a passionate advocate for animal rights and sustainability. This fiery passion burned for a few years, after which I was pretty exhausted of constantly battled those around me, trying to educate them and change their minds. At a certain point, for the sake of some of my relationships, and with a bit of added maturity, I decided to just try to set a good example for those around me rather than shove my ideas about how we should act to protect our environment, down their throats. Joining Pangea in my second year at AUC gave me an opportunity to set this good example on a bit of a larger scale and facilitate events where people can learn a bit more about sustainability and how easy it can be to implement it into their everyday lives [not to say that evil corporations are not largely responsible for climate destruction].
Maja, PR
Hello everyone!
I’m Maja (she/her), a second year focusing on a mixture of neurobiology and urban planning. I grew up in Krakow, Poland which is a beautiful old city with a lot of nature around. This sparked my interest
in sustainable urban planning, which I am exploring at the moment regarding a fair treatment of nature parts incorporated in the city scape. Krakow is also very close to the polish mountains, which have a special place in my heart. I love long hikes, exploring the nature and getting lost in its beauty, peace and simplicity it brings to human life (my favourite so far was a 4 day hike in Norway and a 3 week hike in the French Pyrenees). I also feel strongly about the crazy consumption patterns that people have developed and their impact on nature. This is why I joined Pangea, to engage with promoting events about sustainability through being a PR manager and also contribute to the work of the board. I am excited for what is to come and to see how together we can contribute to making our lifes greener!
Chloe, Head of Activism
Hiya everyone, I'm Chloé (she/they). I’m originally from France, although I’ve spent most of my life living abroad in Sweden and the United States. I feel that this has drastically impacted my approach to environmentalism today. As a child, I always felt strongly connected to the rich and beautiful nature surrounding me in Sweden. I became vegetarian quite early on, and admired the respectful tendencies of the environment I lived in. Once I moved to a smaller town in North Carolina, my interest grew in climate justice and the intersection between environmental degradation and numerous socioeconomic factors. Today, I’m well aware that many of us realize that international corporations play a massive role in the climate crisis, as opposed to individuals. However, I don’t think we should let apathy overcome our advocacy, and instead that we should educate ourselves and work as a community towards living in greater respects of each other and our environment. I’m currently in my first year at AUC, hoping to pursue the environmental sciences, biology and mathematics tracks. I hope that an interdisciplinary education will allow me to eventually work with a holistic approach to sustainable development. In my free time I’ve been trying to engage in more creative hobbies, so I enjoy writing and drawing quite a bit. I also feel really passionate about music, and I’m always open to discovering new bands (my current favorites being Pink Floyd, a Giant Dog, The Skallywags and The Doors). As unoriginal as it may seem, I could talk about music for hours, whether it be my favorite sub genres of rock or the manner in which a classic band has affected all subsequent artists. In nature I love to hike, learn about the history of landscapes and have picnics with my friends. Anyways, I’m genuinely so excited to be the Head of Activism for Pangea this year and I hope we’ll accomplish a lot for the AUC community. Thank you!!
Xander, Head of Gardening
Hi, my name is Xander (they/them), and I am Pangea’s head of garden. I am a second year studying biology and environmental science. I am French/American and was born and raised in Hawaii. Growing up there, I was always in nature. As I got older this, along with the realization of how humans are impacting the environment, brought me down the path to my current studies. Being from an island, I also experienced the importance of knowing where your food is coming from, because it is often not close to home. I luckily had access to some form of garden, from my mom’s workplace to my own backyard, letting me both know where my food is, and furthering my love of plants. My favorite reason for working in the garden is the physical reward of seeing plants grow thanks to your own help. Now that I’m working in a producing garden I’ve learned the feeling of eating something you planted yourself is extremely gratifying. I love getting my hands dirty, and am usually in the garden on Monday afternoons, so come say hi! And join the gardening group chat if you want more information!
Panka, Head of Food
Hey! I’m Panka (she/her), I am the Head of Food aka the host of the Down to Earth Dinners. I’m a second-year Humanities student from Budapest, Hungary. My main interest within the Humanities is art history, theatre, and culture. I love going to galleries, watching plays, dancing, cooking and exploring delish vegan recipes with my friends and family. Such as through all kinds of art, through food too, I believe we can connect with each other. This is what has been interesting to me for a while; how eating is a ritual. I am not talking only about the Last Supper kind of ritual but every level when we exchange something through food. Like when you came here and tasted the first stroopwafel and pancake with some hagelslag. Or when your grandma finally teaches you that dish that you have been eating every Sunday since you were 3. Finding a restaurant or cafe that becomes “yours”, where the waiters know your order. And of course, when we can share some lovely vegan dishes, prepared by our peers, in a sloppy common room filled with munching, chatting, and sustainable hedonism, that is the real ritual, our magical ritual.
As a Head of Food I would like to continue and expand this ritual. I hope you are down for some earthly magic! ;))
Bindi, General Board Member
My name is Bindi (she/her) and I am studying Earth and Environment as a first year. I am German and American and was born and raised in Miami, Florida. Despite the reality that Miami is a busy and crowded city, I have always been able to find little pockets of nature. Being surrounded by water and having access to the Everglades really solidified my love for the outdoors. I love to go backpacking, camping, kayaking, swimming in the ocean, and gardening. In recent years, I have aimed to turn this love of the outdoors into a more active role in the community.Within our day to day lives it is very easy to brush aside the climate crisis or believe that it is not “our problem”, this is not the mindset that I would like myself and others to have and I hope that by being a part of Pangea, I can inspire action. By becoming the general board member I am excited to be able to help with all the positions on our committee and deliver some exciting events to you guys. I am so excited to be working with such wonderful people all working towards a more sustainable and green future!
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