My name is Renne Baldwin and I completed the Colorado Plateau semester in spring 2018. Currently, I’m a Master’s student in Geography at the University of British Columbia where I study environmental history, rivers, and data feminism. When I’m not studying, you can most often find me backpacking, canoeing, or gardening.

I discovered WRFI through a flyer taped to the bricks in a hallway at the University of Minnesota, where I did my undergraduate degree. I had backpacked before and the idea of studying outside appealed to me. Little did I know that the experience I would have at WRFI would be the highlight of my undergraduate experience.

At WRFI, my instructors finally connected the humanities, social sciences, and physical sciences in a way that didn’t happen at my university, where each discipline was in a different department. Concepts like “social-ecological systems” offered real-world implications for uniting the disciplines. On top of the academics, my instructors became my role models and my classmates became life-long friends. WRFI gave me the confidence to pursue my passions, taught me about various career paths, and confirmed that there is a place for people with interests like mine in this world.

Feel free to reach out with questions about my experience at WRFI or about navigating university!