Hey y’all! My name is Elana Zabar (she/her/hers) and I am a senior studying Community and Environmental Planning with a dual major in Sustainability and a minor in Political Science. While I have been happy to call Durham home for the last four years, I am excited to return to my small coastal hometown of Swampscott, MA after I graduate.
My college experience has been enriched through my former position as a Resident Assistant in the Upper Quad and as the current Assistant Hall Director of Williamson Hall. Beyond Residential Life, my involvement spans to the Treat Fellowship through the Carsey School of Public Policy, serving as the Secretary for Xi Sigma Pi Forestry National Honor Society, and my role as an editor for UNH HerCampus.
My mother raised me to appreciate nature and act as a caretaker for the Earth. I grew up alongside the Atlantic Ocean and its accompanying marshes and so I’ve always felt a deep connection to nature. Deep down, I think I've always known my future career would somehow be connected to sustainability. Originally, I thought this would come from a policy standpoint and I enrolled at UNH as a Political Science Major.
During first-year orientation, I found SUST 401 in the course catalog which introduced me to the Sustainability Dual Major (SDM). This course helped me realize how passionate I was about in sustainability and also social equity. About a week into the course I learned about the Sustainability Dual Major and tried to declare it. Unfortunately, as a first-semester student, I did not have a GPA on record yet and was rejected from the program. I declared the SDM the day my GPA was posted.
The SDM helped me realize I didn't want to be a Political Science major. I found Community and Environmental Planning, my primary major, on a whim. My combined majors and minor have allowed me to explore my interests in sustainable development and social justice. I hope to work with municipalities to create more sustainable social and physical infrastructure using what I’ve learned from my time at UNH. My SDM, specifically, has allowed me to better explore the connection between equity, the economy, and the environment.
Read all about my Sustainability journey below:
SUST 401
SUST 501
Elective 1: NR 425H
Elective 2: ESCI 405
SUST 750
Career/Next Steps