With March being Women’s History Month, I wanted to take the time to highlight one of the female student leaders on campus! Lore Nix is one of the co-presidents of FSU’s Environmental Service Program (ESP). ESP is a decades-old student organization, with pillars of political activism, education, social involvement, and of course, service.
As one of the main leaders of the club, Nix has many important responsibilities to make sure everything runs smoothly. She not only communicates with the other officers of ESP for activism opportunities, service initiatives, and more, but also communicates with speakers to educate club members about their area of expertise every week.
“My goal is to create enriching experiences for students to participate in workshops, service events, socials, and engagement with the wider Tallahassee community,” Nix says. “When possible, I collaborate with other organizations on campus to spread awareness and advocate for meaningful change in environmental policy and education!”
ESP has had an immensely positive impact on Nix throughout her years of membership. “My friend kept inviting me [to ESP] and I finally went and have stayed ever since,” Nix says. “The passion of the officers and the message of the club was unlike any other community I had ever been a part of. I had never been in a space with such positive energy before, and everyone was just as excited as me to learn about the environment. Beyond that, it felt like I was finally doing something meaningful.”
ESP has also affected Nix’s future plans. She hopes to use her influence in the club in the coming years to help make the world a greener, greater place. “ESP fundamentally changed my career aspirations,” Nix says. “I am now planning on getting a doctorate in botany […] It is also a passion project of mine that has brought me the utmost joy. While others may see it as a club, I see it as a way to make my corner of the world a little better and create a positive community.”
Nix is not just a leader in ESP, but also across the city, being heavily involved in other environmental projects on and off campus. “I am an Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) leader and teach research initiatives and professionalism in the environmental colloquium,” Nix says. “I am also an intern for the Robert K. Godfrey Herbarium on campus and help with data entry and general management of the specimens.”
Nix is also a member of the Garnet and Gold Honor Society and the student representative for the Magnolia chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society. Many of her personal environmental education projects tie in both ESP and the greater Tallahassee area. Her current educational project with Dr. Amal Ibourk is in conjunction with ESP. She is crafting a Tallahassee-specific guide to creating native community gardens for local schools with little to no budget.
“I have been working with a Title 1 school for several months to develop a plan for a sustainable, native plant garden-based curriculum focused on ethnobotany and connecting elementary students to nature,” says Nix. “I [work] to establish strong ties to local elementary schools by bringing other ESP members with me to teach on the importance of connecting with the land.” The group is set to plant on March 29.
“I adore interacting with all the members of ESP and making memories,” Nix says. “I appreciate being able to make a difference in someone’s day by hosting the GBMs and all the other activities. I am also very proud of my officers. I can honestly say they make the club what it is, and it has been wonderful getting to know them better.”
Nix’s infectious positivity and passion for education and the environment make it easy to realize why she is in the position she is in.
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