Sarah Grossman was a remarkable student who embodied service, passion and leadership. She was engaging, driven, dedicated and full of spirit: a true leader within Ohio State’s SUSTAINS learning community. Sarah passed away on May 30, 2020, due to complications with her Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, two days after attending a Black Lives Matter protest and just weeks after graduating from Ohio State with degrees in Spanish and environment and natural resources.
To honor her legacy and the permanent mark she left on the university, the annual Spirit of SUSTAINS award was created, serving as a constant reminder of her academic contributions and engaging personality. The award will be bestowed each year to a student within the learning community that shows the same spark as Sarah, someone who was constantly inspiring others and pushing for change.
Junior Abby Thiel, a student who shares Sarah’s tenacity and wholehearted investment in sustainability, has received the award in its inaugural year. Abby, an environment, economy, development and sustainability major with a double minor in geographic information systems and city and regional planning, has always had a passion for sustainability because of its wide variety of possible applications to change the world for the better. She stands out amongst her peers as a leader and someone whose footsteps should be followed, making her the perfect recipient for the award’s inaugural year.
Thiel is one of the primary students working to ensure that the SUSTAINS composting program, initially created and led by Grossman, is adapting to the changing aspects of the university so it can become a permanent addition to campus.
“I know Sarah was passionate about improving the sustainability programming on campus, so to know that my peers and I were able to continue her work that further informed higher-level university decisions is very humbling. I have always been inspired by the work of students before me, and I think it’s an honor to have the opportunity to help contribute to its growth and really drive their initial ambitions for sustainability forward,” Thiel said.
Composting is the process of separating organic materials from regular garbage to let them decompose into simpler compounds, a huge step forward in reducing waste, which is an important aspect of Ohio State’s sustainability goals. Abby and the other team members offered composting services to residents living in Scott House as a pilot program, and Ohio State takes stock of what works and what doesn’t with on-campus living areas. The university has been looking into adding widespread composting services, and academic leaders are using what SUSTAINS has learned from their program to better inform their plans.
“Abby was selected because she has been an active and passionate member of the SUSTAINS Learning Community for the past two years. Thanks to her hard work, students in Scott House were able to divert organic waste away from the landfill,” said Matt Griffin, Sustainability Institute education and learning program coordinator.
The Spirit of SUSTAINS Award has an intense focus on leadership, a trait Thiel embodies through her numerous positions in extracurricular organizations and within SUSTAINS. She is involved in the School of Environment and Natural Resources’ Ambassadors program, serves as vice president of national programming for Net Impact and is the incoming president for the annual Time for Change Week activities. While leaders take on many different styles and tactics to guide others, Abby advocates that willingness to listen to others and learn from them ranks as the most important quality. To be effective and serve as a role model for others, she believes it is critical to understand that everyone has value in their perspective, that each individual (oneself included) deserves respect and to know the limits of what one person can take on.
Growth is another key part of leadership, and Thiel reflects that her own personal growth is one of her proudest accomplishments at Ohio State.
“I had always been a little timid reaching out to people, but my leadership responsibilities have forced me to be more proactive in connecting with others to move different projects and programs forward. It was a scary pill to swallow at times, but it has really helped me gain confidence in myself and my ability to lead,” she said.
Going forward, Abby wants to help with the development of communities on a local level, ensuring that all stakeholders have a voice and the possibility to be an active contributor by strengthening connections. This award serves as a reminder to her that she is not only capable, but has the support to chase after these goals and continue to exemplify the spirit of SUSTAINS.
Story by Aurora Ellis, Student Communications Assistant