Sinet Kroch is a recent graduate from Bucknell University, double majoring in Environmental Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies. Inspired by her farming background and experience working with organizations that promote environmentally friendly practices, while addressing the exclusivity of marginalized communities in important decision-making processes, Sinet aspires to become an environmental management specialist, specifically in tackling the global issue of climate crisis and helping at-risk communities adapt to life in a changing climate. Sinet’s commitment and passion is to work on programs that center on the voices of marginalized groups and divert resources to meet their needs. Currently, Sinet works as a Climate Adaptation Resident with both the Nature Conservancy in Maine and the Maine Environmental Education Association (MEEA). Through her work, Sinet engages with communities to encourage the use of Nature-Based Solutions in climate adaptation projects, works to advance aligned strategies within the Maine Climate Action Plan, and assists the Climate Adaptation Team with advancing social and environmental justice in climate adaptation.
To put what she has learned in classes to practice, Sinet worked as a Sustainability Community Intern and a Renewable Energy Scholar at Bucknell, where she designed a zero-waste manual for the Office of Sustainability. She was a Historic Archives Intern with the Walnut Acres Foundation, where she interviewed both professors and students on their involvement with the Walnut Acres Farm and wrote a book chapter on the Bucknell and Walnut Acres long lasting connection. Sinet also interned with the Pesticide Action Network North America (PANNA), an organization that works to ensure a transition to a just and viable food system for all. PANNA and its international networks work together to challenge the global proliferation of pesticides and defend basic rights to health and environmental quality. Through this internship, Sinet gained experience in conducting research on the impacts of major transnational pesticide corporations on national policy, and their products’ impact on public, environmental, and ecosystem health.
Her passion for environmental work doesn’t only take place on college campus, through her classes and on campus job, but is shown through her off campus internships and current job. As a first-generation college graduate, Sinet believes that nothing is impossible with the right support and resources. Sinet lives by this saying, “Unclip my wings, I will show how high I can fly.”
