Like most college freshmen, I arrived at Middlebury wide-eyed and looking for inspiration. Coming from Portland, Oregon, and a background in organic farming, environmental awareness, and cultural inquisitiveness, I was full of questions and opinions about the state of humanity. I wanted something to care about, to find my passion. I was idealistic; I wanted to change the world.

I soon found out that it's hard to change the world when you have three books to read before class, Frisbee practice, a work-study at a local day care center and meetings of the Organic Garden Club and the Mountain Club. I loved every minute of my first year at Midd, but it was a bit of a wake-up call. I was interested in so many things, and Middlebury was making it too easy to become passionate about all of them.

One thing they don't tell you in the college handbooks is that it takes a while to find your niche at school, but one of the truly wonderful things about Middlebury is that you have every resource you could imagine to help you find that niche. I found mine in January 2005, when I took Professor Jonathan Isham's winter term class entitled "Building the New Climate Movement."

The incredible energy and effort that Professor Isham put into his teaching was exactly what I needed. Like most of my professors, he was always available to talk and reflect, so dedicated to the issues we were talking about in class that my classmates and I came to joke about his daily 4:30 a.m. e-mails. Through the course, I was able to help create and market an annual prize, as well as read fascinating articles and help organize a successful conference on global warming held at Middlebury (http://www.whatworks-climate.org ). Not bad for a month when most people go skiing every day!

My interest didn't stop with finals, and in the summer of 2005, I'll be an intern with the National Global Warming Coalition in Missoula, Montana, because of connections fostered by the Middlebury community. While I'm still able to explore all of my interests through clubs and activities, I have started to find a source of inspiration and passion for my future.