Student Sustainability Ambassador program pioneer leaves her mark at CWU

When Hannah Campbell looks back on her time Central Washington University, she believes she left a lasting legacy.

The recent geography graduate arrived on campus as a bit of a “wallflower,” by her own admission. But after two years of getting involved in everything she possibly could, Campbell developed a genuine passion for environmental sustainability that she poured into her work every day.

“Being from Ellensburg and having already spent a couple years on campus as a Running Start student, I wasn’t all that excited about putting myself out there,” she said. “But then I took an intro to sustainability class with Dr. Susan Kaspari, and my whole perspective changed.”

With her professor’s encouragement, Campbell followed her newfound interest in campus-focused sustainability initiatives and pursued the Senator for Sustainability position with ASCWU. She also took on a leadership position with the Environmental Club and, later, the Geography Club.

Along the way, she became a Student Sustainability Ambassador — a position she helped create as part of her Sustainability 301 class with Kaspari.

“That class was really amazing because we got to propose a campus-wide project for something that had the power to create positive change,” Campbell said. “Our group wanted to do something that would have a real impact on students, and we came up with this idea for a peer-to-peer education program that would allow students to teach other students about sustainability, land stewardship, and other ways to get involved on campus.”

Campbell proposed a program that would employ students to work as sustainability ambassadors. She took that concept with her into her next sustainability course and found a way to implement it, resulting in a new student position in the CWU Sustainability Office that she proudly held for the next six quarters.

“I pretty much created my own job, which feels pretty cool to say,” said Campbell, who worked alongside fellow graduates Brooke Cruz and Caydence Hesch since 2024. “It felt really awesome to work with the Sustainability Office to get the program off the ground and build some real momentum. We are proud that we were able to leave such a lasting impact.”

Campbell thanked Sustainability Director Jeff Bousson and Sustainability Coordinator Jordan Spradlin for their guidance in helping her launch the ambassador program, and she believes the incoming student team will find a way to keep it going far into the future.

“I feel like we have already done so much important work, and we have seen the world of sustainability evolve tenfold on campus in just the past two years,” said Campbell, who received two CWU sustainability awards this year and delivered a keynote speech at SOURCE. “I’m excited to see where the next group takes it.”

Now that she has completed her degree, Campbell is eyeing a career in natural resources management, which was her specialization en route to a geography degree.

For the second straight summer, she is working as a Bull Trout Task Force technician with Mid-Columbia Fisheries, performing fish rescues, conducting spawning surveys, and contributing to various conservation projects across Central Washington.

Due to the seasonal nature of the work, she is exploring her options for year-round employment, including potential opportunities with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and other state agencies. She would also be open to working for Mid-Columbia Fisheries and other environment-focused nonprofits.

“I have developed a real affinity for freshwater wildlife conservation, and I could see myself doing this kind of work year-round,” Campbell said. “But I also like helping people, so I have started applying for volunteer positions with AmeriCorps. But nothing too far away — hopefully something in Washington.”

No matter where she ends up, she is eager to put into practice all the knowledge and expertise she gained at CWU. She feels well-prepared and thanked her many CWU mentors, including Professor Jennifer Lipton, for helping her reach her personal and academic potential.

“I remember Professor Lipton telling me early on, ‘You’re a thinker, you’re a doer, and you have good ideas. Please continue that,’” Campbell said. “She was one of the first people to ever believe in me at an institutional level, and that was instrumental in my progress as a student.”