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Lauren Heyden always did her best thinking out on the trails. So when it came time to ruminate on a career path, it was only natural that her mind rambled toward environmental sustainability.

Before enrolling at �鶹��ý, Heyden spent her time backpacking, hiking, and traveling the Sierra Nevadas, and beyond. She was happiest exploring nature, but felt inclined to do more. She wanted to make a difference.

That’s when Heyden happened upon the at �鶹��ý. The program aligned with her love for nature, and helped her realize that she could have a hand in making real environmental change.

“It’s always been my main motivation, to just be making a positive impact,” explains Heyden. “As an individual, I know I do what I can, but if I can work for a company, or do something that’s on a larger scale, that impact is so much bigger.”

Heyden began her accelerated certification program in the spring of 2020, learning about resource and waste management from professors who are also industry professionals. But when it came time for her to find an internship, there were a few brambles blocking the trail.

Due to the global pandemic, Heyden struggled to find an internship that met her course requirements. Rather than delaying her program completion, she found a more creative approach.

“I had just started bartending at the time, at this distillery that was all about sustainability,” explains Heyden. “They hired me because of my background in sustainability, [so] I asked my work and my professor, ‘Can I just make my work my internship and I’ll implement these sustainable practices into their bar?’” 

An enthusiastic “yes” later, that’s exactly what she did. Heyden was hired on as a sustainability intern at the Blinking Owl Distillery in Santa Ana. She began implementing recycling practices at the bar, including helping divert the distillery’s organic waste from landfills, educating staff, and creating valuable signage… all while working as a bartender.

One of Heyden’s professors, Trevor Blythe, operates an environmental consulting firm in Orange County, called EcoNomics Inc. He was so impressed by her internship success, that he extended an invitation to her for a position at his firm.

“Despite facing some of the real-world barriers to sustainability in the business world, she was successful in engaging her co-workers and getting recycling and food waste recycling programs in place,” remarks Blythe.

For the professor and business owner, focused students like Heyden are the key to keeping his industry sustainable.

“I was so impressed by Lauren’s ability to navigate real-world challenges and to deliver sustainability programs at her internship,” reflects Blythe.

Through her work experience, internship, and studies, Heyden finds satisfaction in spreading awareness about sustainability and eco-friendly practices. She hopes to make a career out of connecting environmental imperatives with productive economic policy. 

“I feel like it’s the right industry to be in … because our planet needs a lot of help,” says Heyden. “I think that’s a balance of government policy and health.

“Sustainability is something that not only we care about, but big businesses care about, because they want to look good to their consumers.”

According to data aggregator ONET Online, jobs for sustainability specialists in California are projected to between 2018 and 2028. This surge illustrates the rising policy changes taking place in California, such as the addition of SB 1383, or , which targets reducing the amount of food waste in landfills across the state.

As she continues her education at �鶹��ý, Heyden is confident that her experience and connections will put her on the trail to career success. She completed her certificate of achievement in last year, and is currently pursuing her AA-T in geography, with a focus in GIS (Geographic Information Systems) at �鶹��ý. She’s planning to transfer to a four-year college in 2023.

“I personally think �鶹��ý is a really great school,” says Heyden. “I highly recommend [the program] to anybody that is interested.

“If you put the effort in, I think a lot of positive things could come out of it.”