Kamryn Kubose
Hi! My name is Kamryn, and I'm a proud hapa from Fresno, California. I graduated from UCLA with a B.S. in Environmental Science and I had the wonderful opportunity to work closely with the Chief Sustainability Officers on a couple of campus-wide projects. I became interested in green building design, which led me to an internship at Studio One Eleven, a Long Beach architecture firm. From there, I moved back to Fresno to be closer to my family, and I worked at the CSU Fresno's Office of Community and Economic Development as an AmeriCorps fellow.
Being back in Fresno as an adult and educated with a sustainability lens allowed me to create connections with local environmental groups. I saw the need for more collaboration in the central valley and started a nonprofit to start tackling region-wide EJ issues. During these gap years before returning to school, I also worked with the CA Product Stewardship Council (CPSC). At CPSC, I learned so much about management, policy advocacy, and the differences between EPR and product stewardship.
Outside of school and work, I like to create new designs for my Etsy shop, spoil my cats, and spend time with my family!
What has been your favorite class?
Choosing just one class is difficult, so it's going to have to be a tie between Prof. Eric Post's ENV 200A course and Prof. Eric Chu's CRD 245 course. I enjoyed the fun group exercises in ENV 200A. The exercises pushed us to develop our communication and teamwork skills. CRD 245 opened my mind to topics I hadn't studied before, such as neoliberalization and globalization. I took a lot away from that class and recommend this as a great elective.
What are you working on for your practicum?
I'm currently working at the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) as the Long Range Planning Intern. My capstone project includes a memo and work plan related to my research on best practices for implementing TRPA's Sustainability Action Plan. I get to dive deep into the regional code and prioritize code amendments on topics including energy conservation, ZEVs, waste diversion, sustainable construction, and more. My research and suggestions will have a direct impact on how TRPA moves forward in their sustainability efforts, which is very exciting and rewarding!
What has been your favorite part of EPM?
The people! The professors and staff of EPM are absolutely amazing. It's inspiring to be surrounded by people who are dedicated to work that can be daunting at times, but is so needed. We have the common goal of tackling climate change, and everyone in EPM is tackling it from their angle, their expertise.
Do you have any advice for new/prospective students?
I often heard during my undergrad that connections are key, but it's actually very true when it comes to your career. My cold-emailing for informational interviews led me to meet some wonderful professionals who were happy to share their experiences and advice with me. And some of those connections led to job opportunities later on!
Please share a fun fact about yourself!
My brother and I are working on an indie 2D point-and-click mystery computer game in the sound department. We are recording the foley sounds for the game, so it's been fun figuring out how to create realistic sound effects.
