By Kendrick Brown
Solana Page, the outreach and communications associate for the University of Maryland’s Office of Sustainability, wants students to work with her to make the campus a better, greener place.
“I think it’s important for all students to see a connection to sustainability in the work that they do, no matter their major, and that they can play a part in bettering the world,” Page said.
Page began her time at UMD in fall 2020 as an animal sciences major. But she quickly realized that the major wasn’t for her and transitioned to sociology.
She still found herself interested in the environment, adding a sustainability minor, and dedicated much of her time outside of classes to organizations focused on environmental work.
“I was co-president of an environmental justice org on campus, “17 for Peace and Justice,” and then I did food justice research for a faculty member on campus,” Page said.
This love for the environment eventually led her to join the Office of Sustainability as the outreach and events intern starting in fall 2023 until she graduated the following spring.
After graduating, Page became the office’s outreach and communications associate in December 2024.
“I appreciate the breadth of sustainability and that individuals can be informed about environmental, social, and economic well-being,” Page said when asked why she’s so passionate about sustainability.
As the outreach and communications associate for the Office of Sustainability, Page is responsible for the office’s student engagement, preparing newsletters and social media content to catch people’s attention.
Page and members of the office also make appearances at the farmer’s market held in front of Tawes Hall every Wednesday, alongside other pop-up appearances around campus, engaging passing by students in activities that help educate them about sustainability.
One of the main initiatives that Page is bringing to the table to boost engagement for the office is the Green Terp Bucket List Challenge.
Green Terp originally started as a program created by Lisa Alexander, the current program manager for sustainability programs and initiatives in the Department of Resident Life at UMD, according to Maryland Today.
Page said the program started as a pledge act system, where people filled out a Google Form agreeing to engage in sustainable activities. They would then submit the form to earn prizes like reusable straws or utensils.
This format was later replaced with the Green Terp Brochure, a document outlining ways to get involved with sustainability initiatives around campus.
Page said when she was hired, she was tasked with finding a way to make the program more interactive.
She reworked Green Terp into a bucket list challenge, inspired by the UMD Alumni Association’s M Book Challenge.
In both challenges, students participate in several activities to receive an additional item to wear during graduation — a Traditions Keeper medallion for the M Book, and a sustainability cord for Green Terp.
According to the challenge’s website, the activities needed to obtain the sustainability cord are divided into four categories: Campus Locations, Campus Events, Climate Anxiety & Wellness and Individual Challenges, each with five tasks to complete.
These tasks, as outlined in a Google Document on the website’s homepage, include going to areas with a heavy amount of greenery, like the Memorial Chapel, or taking pictures of projects that received a Sustainability Fund grant, such as the mass of plants known as Biowalls, found in both the Footnotes Cafe in the McKeldin Library and the Stamp Student Union.
Page said she wants to help students engage with parts of UMD they might otherwise ignore. The campus is so large, she said, that it’s easy for students to miss out on opportunities they might enjoy.
“Whether it’s finding a new hobby or making a new friend that’s also participating in the Bucket List Challenge, I want students to feel at home at UMD while participating in sustainability work,” Page said.
The Green Terp Bucket List is currently active on Canvas, with 376 students enrolled as of Nov. 13, and about 16 to 20 are well on their way to almost completing the program, according to Page.
Page’s engagement with students doesn’t stop at programs and events, as she also serves as supervisor for Michelle Wang, the current outreach and events intern at this university’s Office of Sustainability.
Wang, a junior double-majoring in environmental science and policy and social data science, said she enjoys having Page as her supervisor, admiring her ability to start new initiatives for the office and her motivation and creativity.
“She’s incredibly understanding, accommodating and always takes initiative,” Wang said.
Kemisola Benson, an outreach ambassador for SustainableUMD, a group of student volunteers that works under Page, shares similar sentiments about her boss’s work ethic and character.
“The Office of Sustainability is lucky to have her,” Benson, a sophomore chemical engineering major, said.
Benson described Page as “one of my greatest role models” at this university, finding her easy to talk to and with admirable dedication to making the campus more sustainable.
When asked what she enjoys the most about her position, Page said being able to work with students.
“They’re definitely a great resource, and I love collaborating and working with them and helping them with the sustainability initiatives that they’re interested in,” Page said.
Featured Image: The Footnotes Cafe Biowall located in McKeldin Library on Nov. 1. Photo by Kendrick Brown.