This week’s Student Spotlight features Missouri State University junior, Madalyn Behlke-Entwisle. Students featured in the Student Spotlights show characteristics exemplified in each of Missouri State University’s three pillars: Ethical Leadership, Cultural Competence, and Community Engagement. They also exemplify what daily practices of sustainability look like. You can find these students educating, volunteering, and pushing for a more sustainable future. Please read on to see how Madalyn practices the three pillars, sustainability, and what it means to be a bear.
Name: Madalyn Behlke-Entwisle
Hometown: Springfield, MO
Graduation Year: 2019
Major: Environmental Geography
What is your favorite vegetable?
Carrots!
What career options are you thinking about and why?
Water resource management. Access to clean water is necessary for everyone, and it is an issue I am passionate about.
What is your favorite thing to do in your free time?
Go for long hikes with my dog.
If you could travel anywhere in the world where would you go and why?
I would travel to Ireland to see the stunning geologic formations, visit the historic sites, and experience the culture!
When did you first become interested in sustainability? Share the story.
I was raised with a deep appreciation for nature. My family was always going camping, floating, and hiking, and my parents taught me the importance of respecting, protecting, and preserving our natural resources. Sustainability is one of the core values I was raised to have, and I decided at an early age that I wanted a career that would reflect that value.
How are you involved in sustainability on campus and/or in the community?
On campus I am involved with the Eco-Reps and Students for a Sustainable Future, and I volunteer at the Nature Center. I also have a minor in sustainability.
What motivated you to get involved?
The desire to teach other students about the importance of sustainability, what it is, and what they can do to lead a more sustainable lifestyle.
What advice would you give other students who want to live more sustainably?
Be conscious. Living sustainably doesn’t have to mean making huge lifestyle changes. Just think more critically about what you do and how you do it, and be conscious of the way those choices impact the environment, society, and yourself. Through conscious living you can learn to make small changes in your lifestyle and behavior that can make a huge impact.
What is one thing that makes you unique?
I have been a vegetarian my entire life, which, in this culture at least, I feel is quite unique.
What is your favorite quote?
“Only when the last tree has been cut down, the last fish been caught, and the last stream poisoned, will we realize we cannot eat money.”
–Cree Proverb
Anything else you want to share with the world?
We only have one planet. Lets all work together to take care of it!