Stella Frisbie ’25: Taking a grassroots approach to climate action

By Stella Frisbie ’25

Looking back on my time at Furman, some of my most meaningful moments happened not in a classroom, but in conversations—at sustainability tabling events, with peers passionate about change, and eventually, in a meeting with President Davis to discuss the future of Furman’s Climate Action Plan.

The Climate Action Plan (CAP), which is Furman’s commitment to getting to carbon neutrality, has been a big topic at the Shi Institute this year. In 2023, “CAP 2.0” was introduced, shifting Furman’s carbon neutrality goal from its 2026 bicentennial to a more realistic, science-based target of 2040. During the past couple of years, the Shi Institute has been hard at work getting the ball rolling on reducing carbon emissions.

As Eco Rep Fellows, Nabila Wilson ’27 and I have worked towards increasing campus sustainability through peer-to-peer education and bottom-up strategies. This year, we continued this grassroots approach in a postcard campaign to show the administration that students are interested in Furman investing in carbon neutrality. Students signed 201 postcards with responses such as, “I want Furman to support my major and my future career” from a sustainability student and, “I want to be proud of Furman’s choices as an institution.”

Nabila and I, along with Eco Rep and Environmental Action Group volunteers, tabled five times to get the number of postcards written. During this campaign, we explained what the Climate Action Plan was to countless students and were overwhelmed by the amount of support we got.

In late March, Nabila, Virginia St. Clair (the Sustainability Assessment Fellow), and I met with President Davis to present the postcards. She showed genuine interest in student concern about climate change and promised to read all of the postcards. I felt proud to represent the Shi Institute and put the Climate Action Plan on President Davis’ radar. Furthermore, I am hopeful that President Davis will get a glimpse into the student body’s concern for climate action, moving Furman one step closer to prioritizing the Climate Action Plan.

All Shi Fellows attend biweekly meetings together to collaborate with and learn from each other. My favorite meeting this semester was when we met with former Furman president Dr. David Shi. In 2007, he was one of the first signatories of the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment and was the first Furman president to track greenhouse gases emissions on campus. Dr. Shi was incredibly engaging and passionate about sustainability. He wanted to know about all our majors and interests and had witty remarks and interesting stories to tell.

Being a Shi Fellow has given me the opportunity to connect with some of Furman’s most influential leaders, including the man who began the Furman’s climate commitment and the woman who I hope will continue its mission. It has also prepared me to contribute to the university’s legacy as a Furman graduate.

As I begin my career in conservation, I feel confident and well-prepared, thanks to my time at the Shi Institute. I’ve worked in teams to tackle interdisciplinary challenges, grown as a leader and public speaker, and helped plan and implement campus sustainability initiatives. My two years as an Eco Rep Fellow have equipped me with the experience and skills I need to thrive in the conservation field. I am excited to see not only what I will accomplish in my career, but what the Shi Fellows will accomplish in the coming years. I leave inspired by the passion of this community and hopeful for the impact we will continue to make—on campus and far beyond.