Rachel Weikart ’21

Sustainable Development

Biography

I came to Taylor and the Sustainable Development major to learn more about creation and how our connection to it can impact our relationship with God. Throughout my time at Taylor, I came to realize how important having day-to-day interactions with people boosted my mood and encouraged my work. Through my work with Taylor's Residence Life, I learned how much I loved working outside the typical 9-5 schedule. When I left Taylor, I took a leap of faith and combined many of my passions by entering a one-year environmental education fellowship at Eagle Bluff in Minnesota. I have gotten to see many principles of my major play out in real life. Next, I will soon begin to work a year-round full-time role at Heartland Conference and Retreat Center in Ohio. There I will get to further develop those education skills and work with different projects related to their programming team.

What were some of your most valuable experiences at Taylor?

My most valuable experiences came from living in the intentional residence life community at Taylor (shout out to Second South English). Never in your life will you be surrounded by a community such as this. It gave me opportunities to talk about my studies and learn to communicate my professional desires with those outside my field. It was also a time where I met and developed close friendships with people who I would not have met otherwise. Many of my favorite nights were intentional conversations with milkshakes and a good show playing in the background.

How did your classes or interactions with professors at Taylor impact your growth?

Many of my professors challenged me. They also made it so that projects were always focused on my personal interests. I actually ended up in my current profession through my senior capstone project. My academic advisor supported me through every career path I considered, even though it changed many semesters. Having classes tailor themselves to my personal interests gave me a lot more ownership over my work. I also chose to prioritize classes with heavy public speaking requirements, which has helped me a lot in my current career.

How can Taylor graduates use their unique Taylor education and its liberal arts foundational core as an asset in your discipline?

The foundational core allowed me to study interests I had outside my major. A lot of the foundational core comes with options, so I got to pick the ones that fit me best. It also continued to add variety to my schedule which helped to reduce academic burnout. It also introduced me to electives that I would not have taken otherwise. I have often been surprised how my foundational core classes, along with my major classes, have shaped me as a young professional.

What advice or encouragement could you provide for Taylor students in your vocational discipline?

Trust the process because the path God has in store is better than you can imagine now. Having a liberal arts background also opens many avenues of career choices. In my current job I use both my major and foundational core. You will be more equipped than you think. Don't miss out on the intentional community. It might be easy to take advantage of while at Taylor because it is constant, but you will probably never be in a situation quite like that ever again. Those friendships can truly last a lifetime.