Name: Stella Langat
Year: Sophomore
Major: Environmental Science, minor in Economics
Hometown: Kenya, Africa
Her Campus (HC): Tell me about yourself.
Stella Langat (SL): Born and raised in Kenya, I have nine siblings. I am a guardian to my young brother. I went to an IB school in Italy through a movement known as United World College (UWC). It was an outstanding experience which has made me to be the beautiful person I am today who appreciates everyone’s culture and [is] always able to think an extra mile.
HC: How are you involved on campus?
SL: I am one of the people who never runs out of energy in coming up with ideas and projects towards helping a society. I am very passionate [about] giving back to the society and community where I come from, hence I run two organizations that provide basic needs to children. I am a sustainability representative of Jonsson Tower as well as a member of two clubs: International Students Club as well as [the] upcoming African Heritage Club.
HC: What are you involved with off-campus?
SL: During my free time I like to go to the gym, and I spend a huge amount of time online looking for competitions of any kind.
HC: What really inspired you to get involved?
SL: I really wanted to be an s-rep because I am very passionate with making our campus more sustainable. Therefore with my ability to reach many students through my outgoing spirit I decided to use it as a tool to create awareness [about] sustainability. It is also fun to work in a team of creative students and I have learnt a lot about projects that Skidmore is doing towards the goal of making our campus sustainable.
HC: What goals do you want to have accomplished by the end of your sophomore year?
SL: By the end of this semester, I want to be able to decide what I actually want to do in the future since I will have declared my major. I also want to learn one more foreign language by myself; it’s a challenge I am taking and I know I can do it.
HC: Congratulations on winning the Skidmore College 2014 Davis Projects for Peace! Tell us about your Davis Projects for Peace.
SL: The Davis Projects is a peace project where I am going to share an innovative idea [with] the Madagascar people on how to make ecofriendly carbon (charcoal) as a source of fuel. This carbon is made from farm waste products like rice husks as opposed to other carbon that uses trees, hence with this new idea it means that there will be no more cutting into trees. It’s a 6-week program and I got $10,000 to fund my project, which is sponsored [by] the UWC.
HC: What advice would you give to students who want to start their own projects?
SL: Regarding starting up a project, it takes a few steps, but first passion is needed which drives to an idea. Once you have an idea, write it down and see how realistic it is.
HC: Random fact about yourself?
SL: I speak five languages.