Elisa McMillan, a Colorado native and sustainable planning & urban design major, loved the integration of beauty and function that came from environmental design.
I had so much fun laughing, crying and drinking Ozo coffee with you.
What inspired you to come to ENVD?
I transferred from art and sciences, I went from molecular biology to classics and ended here because I loved the integration of beauty and function that came from the degree.
What is one of the greatest experiences or lessons from your time at CU Boulder that you'll carry with you into the next chapter of your life?
No matter who you meet you will always have something in common with them, so always work to be understanding and empathetic.
Based on what you know now, what is your best piece of advice for other students?
My instructor was right–"Any project will take you three times as long as you think it will."
Favorite memory?
My group did not want to procrastinate for our project, so we were going to stay in the ENVD building to work on it one night. But we ended up just watching a docuseries on a missing person, eating cosmos and bags of chips until we called it a night. We went home with not a single thing finished.
What does graduating from college represent for you?
It represents the beginning of my life. It is the first time, where I have the ability to do anything in the world. I have never had so many options and it is scary and exciting all in one.
What are your plans beyond graduation?
I am looking for internships right now to be able to work with communities and figure out what route I want to go towards with the degree. Hopefully, in a year or two attend graduate school to further my education!