Rooted in Community
When my father was a young boy, he looked at the empty piece of land behind his home and decided to create something special. He planted water spinach (rau muống) and jute leaves (rau đay), staple crops in Vietnamese culture that grow year-round. My father tended to this garden everyday after school, investing in a space that not only nourished the ground beneath him, but also provided abundantly for his community. This small act of care bridged the gap between himself and the world around him, and later he would go on to sow seeds far beyond his home.
His story reminds me that every journey begins somewhere small.
This past year, I’ve had the privilege of joining a beautiful community, FSU Sustainable Campus, hidden in the heart of our university. Here, I served as a Graduate Assistant, bridging the gap between students and our programs—whether that is spreading the word at community events, supporting our student coordinators, or reimagining the student resources we provide. My time here has not only transformed the way I see this campus, but how I understand myself and others who, like me, call FSU home for a brief time.
Anna and volunteers at the Seminole Organic Garden
I know Florida State University the way many do—a place full of spirit, bursting with students on their way to class, with its iconic red brick in every direction I look. But through my time here, I’ve gotten an even deeper understanding of this place.
I see the students who line up outside the Food For Thought Pantry to get access to their weekly groceries, I see litter in the crevices of our green spaces, I speak with students who struggle to get to and from campus, and I resonate with the weight of feeling disconnected from the world around you. Yet, what continues to resonate with me the most is the resilience I’ve witnessed in the face of these hardships. Students take time to clean up our campus, to water and care for our Organic Garden, to work on sustainability projects with community partners, and so much more.
Anna tabling at Market Wednesday
These experiences reveal something deeper about sustainability. The reality that these inequalities affect all of us—food insecurity, transportation barriers, environmental degradation, and access to resources all shape the student experience and the health of our communities. Noticing our peers who are impacted and recognizing what stirs within ourselves is just the beginning.
Change truly starts small, whether that’s a feeling of longing, of hope, or a quiet desire to be closer to others and the environment. I believe these are powerful messages that signal what matters to us, a glimpse into what we need from others and equally, what they need from us. I’ve spoken with students who have led sustainable efforts in high school to those just getting started on this journey to creating change on campus. Something simple I started incorporating was more walking into my routine, which not only benefits our environment, but has in turn, improved my physical and mental health. No matter where we come from or where we begin, we belong and bring something valuable to this space.
Anna finding top recyclers at Garnet and Gold Goes Green tailgates
My time with Sustainable Campus has shown me how powerful those connections can be. Within our office alone, students carry connections to places like Peru, Albania, and the Dominican Republic. These diverse stories and backgrounds shape the work we do and enrich the community we’re building together. It’s been a joy collaborating and exchanging ideas with my peers who are so different from me, and seeing how our strengths and weaknesses balance each other out. This interplay of identities, majors, and experiences enable us to support one another and capitalize on the unique skillset each of us bring, whether this is working together on an event, filming content to reach students on social media, or doing stormwater outreach. This role has given me the privilege of meeting people, hearing their stories, and contributing to efforts that will continue long after I leave this place.
The roots that live within each of us—our cultures, our communities, our values—run deeper than we sometimes realize, and they remind us that sustainability is ultimately about embracing our shared humanity. When we deepen our connection to the world around us, we begin to better understand not only ourselves, but the responsibility we all carry to care for one another and for the Earth we share.