What started as the PitE Student Advisory Committee in 2008 has now blossomed into a 50+ member student organization. “PitE Club” is comprised of PitE concentrators that work to foster a greater sense of community within PitE and facilitate student involvement. The group serves as a sounding board for the PitE administration when making program changes.
This fall saw the launch of the Building Environmental Awareness and Relationships Mentorship Program (often referred to as “BEAR”). BEAR’s mission is to foster connections and relationships between PitE students and the environmental graduate community to promote generational leadership, career building, and camaraderie.
In October, PitE Club hosted the BEAR Mentorship Kick-off event in the Dana Building. This allowed mentors and potential mentees to get to know each other through interactive activities and food.
After brief introductions, PitE Club Chair Rebecca Guerriero explained the first event, PitE BINGO, where PitE students collected fun facts about the SNRE student mentors.
After the icebreaker, PitE co-chair, Kendall Effinger, and BEAR Liaison, Rebecca Liebschutz, facilitated small group discussions between a SNRE student mentor and 3-4 PitE students to share advice for applying to grad school, navigating the job search, and finding the best hang outs on campus.
The event was filled with laughter, advice, and hummus from Jerusalem Gardens. “Ever since the BEAR kick-off, I have found myself chatting with SNRE students in the Dana commons and feeling more at home in a place that I study in so frequently,” says Rebecca Liebschutz. “I think BEAR gives PitE students a better sense of belonging in the environmental community on campus.”
But this is only the beginning for PitE Club. The rest of the academic year is filled with networking and informal social events, such as “Grab a Grad” coffee sessions, a holiday potluck, and a trip to the Dexter Cider Mill.
“One of the great things about being in PitE club is the sense of community that we've helped develop through our events and most recently, the BEAR mentorship program,” says Rebecca. “Not only have I gotten to know some other people in PitE who are interesting, fun, and passionate people, but I've also been able to see PitE students come to events we've hosted and make connections and networks while having a great time.”
