i gotta say, this all sounded pretty enticing to me and my own newborn b.a., but sydney was adamant that she doesn’t have all the answers (dang it!). yet, as i enter the workforce, during the second unprecedented economic crash i’ve seen since learning long division, i’m satisfied with any study guide i can get.

sydney said it herself: “a lot of millennials and older gen-z people, we’ve been through two recessions, which is not easy at all, and i kind of always knew that when i was in school that, first off, i was in a field where getting a job is extremely competitive. it’s very hard to find a full-time journalism job right when you’re out of college. that’s just, like, bottom line. no matter how good you are, no matter how many experiences you have or whatever, it’s hard.”

you can find my entire conversation with sydney on planet forward’s instagram tv and, for those anxious about their own futures in media, freelancing, or advocacy, i’m more than happy to let you copy my notes. 

1. get to know your values.

when searching for opportunities, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the different avenues available, and the possibilities of where they might lead you geographically, professionally, or personally. when navigating these intersections, it’s good to use your own values as a compass. however, finding these values can often be an adventure all its own.

“when you’re transitioning into adulthood, it’s kind of hard for a lot of us to detach, like, the feelings, the expectations that have been put on us by the people that have raised us,” syndey said.

take time to pin down what success looks like to you, rather than to others (even those who matter most!). once you know what drives you, the destination is easier to find. be patient with yourself as your goalposts are likely to change.

“that was something that i’m still dealing with today,” sydney said, “… is figuring out who am i truly and what are my values as sydney greene, not as my parents, not as my friends, not as my grandparents.”

2. get to know your niche.

beyond knowing what you value, you should also pin down what others value you for (and this is certainly the part that brings me the most anxiety). however, it’s helpful to shift the thought process from a question of, “what are my skills?” to, “what are my interests? what subject do i feel most at home covering? what do people associate with me?” sydney said she finds knowing her “brand” especially helpful when reaching out to editors to pitch ideas.

“i think knowing the stories that you’re passionate about, knowing the issues that you’re passionate about, and then creating a niche inside the passions is really important because when you are pitching something to someone or you’re just reaching out to an editor you can say, like, ‘hey!’ instead of doing a general pitch or hello, you can let them know, ‘here’s what i do. here’s the work that i’m interested in. if you need any gaps filled in your coverage that include these topic areas, i’m here for you,’” she said.

when you have an understanding of the specific knowledge and skillsets you possess, own them.

“do not be afraid to promote yourself, y’all,” syndey said. “like, do it. run with it. be proud of the work that you do, be proud of who you are, and promote yourself.”

3. don’t be afraid to change course.

as important as it is to know yourself, it’s just as important to understand that who you are, what you want, and what you’re interested in are always changing. even if you’ve dreamed of something since elementary school, it might not be the right choice for you now. sydney experienced this firsthand when she shifted from her dream of being a full-time reporter to pursue advocacy work. yet, she made this transition by reassessing her values and, from there, breaking down what drew her to journalism in order to steer her toward her next move.

sydney said, “when i knew i was not going to be doing [journalism] full time, i had to peel back the layers and think, ‘ok, what about journalism really interested me from a young age and how can i still maintain that passion into a different role?’ and that was storytelling, at the bottom of it, it was storytelling. luckily, i was able to take that storytelling into the different jobs i do now.”

your skills and interests can translate into a variety of different roles and industries, and there is no shame in switching things up.

4. you’re not in it alone.

graduating from college, especially into the current state of the world, might feel a bit like free-falling from the nest and hoping that you can figure out how to use your wings before reaching the ground. while you likely do have more responsibilities and less structure than you’re used to, you also have support systems to turn to. 

for sydney, mentors have helped guide the way. she recommends seeking mentorship from people in different professions and across different age groups who will each be able to relate to you and speak to your experiences in different ways.

“i think it’s really important to have a lot of mentors across the board, whether that’s professional or whether that’s personal,” she said. “having allies in general that advocate for you, whether that’s inside the workplace or outside the workplace, is incredibly important.”

also, remember that wherever you are now, you have learned lessons that can benefit someone else.

“i always say, you know, pay it forward,” sydney said. “even if you’re two or three years older than someone and you don’t think that you have something to offer, you absolutely have something to offer. so, make sure just as you’re getting that advice from mentors, make sure you’re paying it forward and helping the people who are also up and coming like you were at some point.”
 

to keep up with sydney, check out her website here.

washington—rhode island democratic sen. sheldon whitehouse delivered his 200th weekly climate change speech on the floor of the senate on march 13, nearly six years after beginning the series, which he calls “time to wake up.”

in his speech, whitehouse addressed the unwillingness of congress to act on climate change and said the fossil fuel industry has used campaign contributions to buy republicans’ silence on the issue climate change.

the junior senator from rhode island paced around the senate chamber tuesday evening as 20 of his democratic colleagues praised his years-long commitment to keeping the issue of climate change in the focus of the senate.

maine sen. angus king, an independent, compared whitehouse’s speeches to winston churchill’s warnings to the british parliament about the rising power of germany before world war ii, and drew parallels between the disinterest both of them faced.

“senator whitehouse has talked about climate change in terms of ocean acidification, temperature changes, sea level rise, drought, famine, the effects throughout the world,” king said. “often this chamber is empty, but his warnings are important and should be heeded nonetheless.”

other senators joined king in praising whitehouse’s determination, and relayed accounts of climate change taking place in their home states. highlighting anecdotes from fishermen about changes in the ocean as well as citing scientific research, democrats from states across the nation spoke in support of fighting climate change. 

after a string of supporting speeches from democratic sens. chuck schumer, elizabeth warren, tammy baldwin and others, whitehouse finally took the podium, focusing his remarks chiefly on fossil fuel lobbyists who he sayid have bought the compliance of republicans and stopped any attempt to discuss or legislate about climate change in its tracks.

“academic studies have looked at congress and confirmed that the views of the general public have statistically near zero influence here,” he said. “the fact that stands out for me at number 200 is the persistent failure of congress to even take up the issue of climate change. one party won’t even talk about it.”

whitehouse inveighed against citizens united v. fec, the landmark 2012 supreme court decision that ruled that corporations have first amendment free speech rights in political campaigns. the ruling opened the door for unlimited corporate contributions to campaign communications, which whitehouse said have been used to bribe and threaten politicians.

“since the moment of that decision, not one republican in this body has joined one serious piece of legislation to reduce carbon dioxide emissions,” he said. “our senate heartbeat of bipartisan activity was killed dead by the political weaponry unleashed for big special interests.”

jeremy symons, vice president of political affairs for the environmental defense fund applauded whitehouse’s 200th speech, and called for more leaders in the fight against climate change.

“sen. whitehouse understands the importance of dealing with climate change. it threatens our economy with trillions in costs, our national security, and our kids’ futures,” symons said. “we need more leaders who are as committed to this issue as sen. whitehouse has been – so we can go back to looking for solutions that cut pollution, encourage clean energy, and boost our economy.”

whitehouse has regularly introduced legislation to combat climate change, such as a measure introduced last year that would create a working group of government agency heads to conduct research and reform policy in order to combat the effects of climate change on america’s natural resources and wildlife. 

the executive branch, whitehouse said, is responsible for halting climate research and forbidding government scientists from discussing or even using the term “climate change.” last year, scientists at the usda were banned from using several terms related to climate change in their research, and the climate change webpage was taken down from the white house website.

still, whitehouse implored the president to reconsider his stance on the issue, pointing to a 2009 full-page ad in the new york times, imploring president barack obama to take action on climate change which was signed by then-businessman trump and his children donald jr. and eric and ivanka. 
 

incorporated this into the learning and student environment. what if every school was the gem of every community, trees, green roofs, etc. this would not only impact the environment as a whole, but would impact our future, and our kids future. we could send generations of kids into the life with an entirely new concept of themselves and the planet. we could lower crime rates, poverty rates, increase literacy, and test scores. we could empower youth to save the planet not by forcing them to change the way they live but raising them in a way that would support the way they live. start with one school, then a city, then a county, then a state, then a nation, then the world. if would could focus on our kids, ensure they have the tools they need to grow and sustain this planet, we could literally change the world. this would create jobs, save money in so many ways, and possibly save the planet before we take ourselves to the brink. we need to do what make sense, not because we have to or because we can, but because it is simply common sense.

it would cost trillions in the short run, it would take at least a generation to make the change, but the future would be bright, and the rate of return would be imense.

carl behmer