Diamond Roberts is a senior pursuing a degree in Early Childhood Education at Georgia Southern University. Diamond is passionate about her career field because she “believes that education is a part of the foundation for success, within our personal lives and our society”. With this degree, she plans to teach students and communities about topics including but not limited to, ecology, sustainable food production, all within a historical framework and narrative that is inclusive and accurate. Educating people about the relationship between society and the environment is critical towards helping increase humanity’s awareness of the challenges we face both globally and locally. Diamond’s work is a vitally important contribution towards establishing the necessary space for people to better create the solutions necessary to overcome problems of our time. For Diamond, education becomes a catalyst to empowerment, which then creates a ripple effect that brings about lasting change. 

 

Diamond was a participant in Dr. Dugo's 2021 face to face "Summer Sustainability Camp” hosted by Johnson C. Smith University. Through participation in the summer program, Diamond  “discovered a level of strength, perseverance, and awareness that I did not know existed until that moment. In addition to the challenges that helped to build my character, I was able to walk away with skills, resources, and a deeper understanding of the world around me that I can take with me into my classroom. The program itself was well balanced, providing me with an even mixture of knowledge and experience, which helped to retain the information taught. Even though the program ended months ago, the knowledge that I gained continues to be an integral part of my life in connection with my degree”.  

She is continuing to work with Dr. Dugo across the academic calendar, year-round on a research project that emphasizes the equitable quality of greenspaces, and is exploring people’s perceptions about the functional benefits of greenways. This project is regionally focused on the Southeastern United States, and CRES is enthused for Diamond as she prepares to engage the community about greenspaces and the ecosystem services they provide.
 

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