The past few weeks, we've reached out to some of our alumni from Sustainable Campus to find out what they have been up to, their favorite parts about working with Sustainable Campus, and how they integrate sustainability into their current work. This week, we'll be hearing from Alvaro Gabaldon, who works for the Planning Commission of Hillsborough County!

Tell us about yourself, your pronouns, what you do for work/are currently studying, and when you became interested in sustainability.

My name is Alvaro Gabaldon, my pronouns are he/him, and I am an Urban Planner for Hillsborough County, Florida. Growing up in Florida made me very conscious of sustainability and environmental issues, and I think taking AP Environmental Science in high school definitely pushed me in the direction of wanting to be more directly involved in coming up with solutions. Sustainable Campus was a place that opened my eyes to how I could apply skills and lessons I was learning in class to contribute to the sustainability-related challenges in my surrounding environment.

What was your role while working with FSU Sustainable Campus?

I was a Communications Graduate Fellow!

What were the most important things you learned at Sustainable Campus?

That thinking "sustainably" is not something reserved just for environmental scientists or engineers. Prioritizing sustainable thinking, empathy, and goals is a mindset that can be brought to any career path you find yourself in.

How do you get to practice sustainability in your current position?

I currently work for the Planning Commission of Hillsborough County. My agency manages long range comprehensive urban planning, meaning we write policy that spans transportation to coastal area management. I specifically work on the housing section of these comprehensive plans, which can speak to sustainability in both how housing is built and where it is located and how it can mitigate the effects human inhabitation has on land.

Sustainable Campus would like to thank Alvaro for sharing his Sustainability Journey with us, and you can follow him on Instagram @alvaro.gabaldon. Have an interest or career in sustainability? We'd love to hear from you! Email our Communications Coordinator Abby Wright (ajwright@fsu.edu) with the subject line: Sustainability Journeys.