Originally, I enrolled in the SDEV 201 class, Solutions to Sustainable Development, to build on what I had learned in the Challenges of Sustainable Development course last year. I heard that the Sustainable Development Solutions class offered students a unique opportunity to work in small groups to problem solve and work through real-life social, economic, health, or other challenges impacting the earth’s sustainability. This seemed like an excellent opportunity to build my creativity and process-oriented skills, which cannot be developed in lectures or by writing papers. Instead, I wanted to work with other students, from various majors, minors, and backgrounds, to open up my eyes to look at real life problems from more angles than just one, and to never stop questioning different ways to go about handling challenges placed before you.

Once I heard that this Sustainable Development course would be paired with the Creative Inquiry course, I was at first overwhelmed by the idea of assisting on an Impact to Inquiry Project, intimidated by the challenges of working on a tangible project on a global scale. Upon deep consideration, however, I grew overwhelmingly excited by the prospect of working on a such a project, and opened my eyes to the tremendous room for personal and professional development that can come from this incredible opportunity. As a junior, I only have so much time left at Lehigh, and believe that getting to work with the GSFs will expose me to new ways of thinking and some of the most passionate work that I will ever take part in. The Plastics in the Philippines Project will be so much more than just a solutions proposal that could be written in any classroom, by any student. Instead, I am both honored and excited to able to participate in work that will impact real lives, including my own. To me, this will allow me to gain so much more than just a degree from Lehigh.

As a finance and economics student, I envision this course will open my eyes to research and educational opportunities which exist in global economics and sustainability. I envision myself coming away with a deeper understanding for the direct link between economic, social, and sustainability factors and their impacts on real lives. Although introductory level marketing and business classes have helped build my foundation as a student, I hope this course will challenge me to think about real-world problems, problems far more important than I will have to face in my lifetime. Having knowledge about how to spark economic growth or how successful Microfinance can be is one thing, but to see tangible impacts and changes be made, there must be real effort and changes made.

I am extremely enthusiastic to build upon my research skills through this course. Recently, I have taken an interest in learning about international economics, and the different issues facing the growth and development in some countries today. In particular, I am fascinated by the direct link between economic and social development, such as how microfinance investments in extremely impoverished women can yield extremely high returns and can be used as an instrument to break social barriers in place. From this course, I will be able to perform real-life research on similar issues for my project in the Philippines, and interpret the sustainability and social issues from an economic and business-driven perspective. The great deal of responsibility and resources that this course entails will build my research and collaboration skills that will be necessary to conduct graduate level research on such issues one day. Beyond this, I hope to undergo my own self-discovery and become personally connected to the project and people that I work with, since this course dives deeper than any text book ever could.

One solution to the vision problem would be bringing in optometrists to not only perform basic, quick eye tests and examinations for mass groups of people, but also to bring education and awareness to this issue. As it stands, the people suffering from vision problems in countries like Kenya have no sources to turn to learn about the impact their vision is having on their lives, or that medical and eyewear solutions exist for such problems. By investing in having some well-trained optometrists who can come in temporarily, to offer inexpensive and very quick eye exams, tests, or other operations, they can solicit members of society to become their mentees, and train them to adapt the basic skills and knowledge needed to perform such tests on their own. Investing in education is one of the most powerful and inexpensive tools that can be offered to society, and there certainly exists the human capital willing to put in the effort if properly trained and challenged. Researchers for larger eyewear and medical companies should research and donate capital to develop less expensive models of their existing high eyewear. Models that would be more suitable for production and sale in the foreign locations open doors for small businesses to operate in these impoverished economies. Beginning with smaller scale developments and education can have exponentially high returns from societies and builds a strong foundation for more people to become interested in studying and investing in working to learn further solutions for eye care, creating a chain-reaction for society.