Growing Up in and Growing Out of Florida

Just less than a year ago, my days consisted of finishing up high school, working a part-time job, and spending weekends with my friends at the place I’ve always called home, the beach. One stretch of sand in particular, has held a special place in my heart for most of my teenage life, because it is where my best friend and I would always go together. We loved it so much because it was just far enough away where we wouldn’t run into anyone, and just secluded enough that there weren’t too many tourists. We spent many days there swimming in the blue-green water, drying off in the sand with a book, eventually going to sit on the boardwalk under the trees when it got too hot, and then doing it all over again. So, one day after my shift at the ice cream shop, we decided to meet at our beach to have a photoshoot at sunset. As I drove down the twisting one-lane road lined with luxurious beach houses and condos, I almost missed the turn into the small shell parking lot of the beach access. Something was off. The lush wooded area that blocked the view of the ocean had been torn down and replaced with a construction site. I was devastated. Do they really need to build more houses? Who is this helping? Why do they keep destroying our home?

Florida is a unique place to grow up. My childhood home is 20 minutes away from the famous white sand beaches of the gulf coast and about a 30 minute drive to the wetlands of Myakka River State Park. In middle school I was in an advanced program where we took field trips to kayak with manatees, researched the development of red tide, and went camping near natural springs. On one specific trip I remember we went canoeing where alligators were just casually sunbathing on the shore about 15 feet away from us. Most kids probably would’ve been scared, but as a true Floridian, I knew that they won’t mess with us if we don’t mess with them. 

My high school experience consisted of helping my parents out with their boat broker business, doing beach cleanups with the business club at my school, and getting a job at one of the ice cream shops in the touristy part of town where people from all over the world came to get a treat after overheating on the beach. My school even has a river running right behind it and a massive marine science center we called the “Aquadome”. Marine science was offered as an elective to every student and was highly encouraged to take. I only dipped my toe into the program taking the introductory class my freshman year, during which I also realized that science was not my strong suit. There were so many opportunities for me to learn and through these experiences I was able to begin shaping my sustainable literacy.

However, living in this place, I observed changes that allowed me to expand my knowledge even more. I watched the fields that I drove by on my way to elementary school that were once filled with cows and tall grass turn into developed neighborhoods now filled with cookie-cutter houses and a community pool. I saw hotels and shopping centers get built near every highway exit as the highway itself doubled in lanes to accommodate the worsening traffic. I saw the beaches I played in the sand at as a child and went to watch the sunset at in adolescence being contaminated with more and more litter over the years. Meanwhile, I saw dead fish washed up on the shore due to the chemicals being dumped in the water causing red tide to bloom more and more intensely. And even more impactful, I witnessed my community being hurt by all of these things and more.

The devastation I felt from these occurrences is ultimately what led to my interest in a business oriented career. I didn’t know what exact job I wanted to have but I did know that everything is rooted in business and that it was the best route for me to make an impact. So, I became involved in the chapter of Future Business Leaders of America at my school, joined the International Baccalaureate Career Program with a focus in international business, and started paying more attention to how my parents run their company. As I began learning about business systems and practices, I continued to view the changes going on around me and understood further how people were affecting it. Through the sponsors accessible to me, my parents, teachers, club leaders, and peers, I familiarized myself with sustainability. From the amazing opportunities I have been able to be involved with to the unfortunate circumstances I witnessed, living in this environment taught me so many lessons in sustainability.

Now, at the College of Charleston, I have found myself at my new home away from home. I am continuing to grow my consciousness by pursuing a degree in international business and getting involved on campus. I have become a committed member of the outdoors club, which allows me to explore the parks and landscapes in and around South Carolina that I’m not familiar with and take in how they too are affected by the ecology, economy, and equity of our world. I’ve made connections with new people from across the country and learned from them as well. Yet, just as my 15 year-old self suspected, I still don’t have a defined path for my future because I am constantly absorbing and adapting just as the rest of society is due to the changes happening. I hope to continue to be aware and use myself as a catalyst for change. From time to time I may be embarrassed of growing up in Florida or swearing that I’ll never go back, but I will forever be grateful for what it had to offer me and how it shaped me in my pursuit of education and sustainability.