| Baylor > Environmental Science > Student Spotlight > Austin Cook-Lindsay |
Austin's favorite part of Baylor is the friendly and supportive environment. He loves the fact that he gets help from both professors and peers, and that his professors take the extra step to get to know him. "The willingness of professors to assist undergraduates has blown me away," he says. "The faculty at Baylor have far surpassed [my] expectation and truly make the difference in the lives of students here."
Journey and a Destination
Although Austin already has a definite goal in mind for post-graduation, he is "enjoying [his] multi-faceted journey to get there." He has taken a wide array of classes ranging from Great Texts to Russian. In addition, he will be studying abroad in Baylor's Maastricht Program in Fall 2009.
Austin is not just passionate about the environment; he also loves to swing dance. As a member of Baylor's Swing Dance Society, Austin has made many friends while having the time of his life. Austin's favorite part of swing dancing is the camaraderie. "I have truly forged bonds with people I otherwise may not have known," he notes.
Changing the World
Like many college students, Austin Cook-Lindsay wants to make the world a better place to live. But he is not waiting until he graduates to start. Austin is a part of the University Sustainability Committee, which is working to increase recycling and reduce waste on campus. He is also a co-chair of the 2009 Recycle Mania Committee, which is pushing Baylor students to recycle in hopes of making Baylor the greenest campus in the Big 12. By encouraging people to make small changes, like recycling their food and drink containers at athletic events, Austin is hoping to make a big difference.
After graduation, Austin plans to attend law school so that he may practice environmental law. "I believe that this career field will provide me the ability to enact positive social change in the realm of sustainability," he states. With the work he has done here at Baylor, Austin is already well on his way to effecting that change.
Recent EPA Award
Austin has recently been selected for a Greater Research Opportunities (GRO) Fellowship with the US Environmental Protection Agency. He will spend his summer of 2010 interning at an EPA facility, which will put him contact with some of the top environmental scientists in the country.
