CSBS Student Spotlight: Courtney Dean

Courtney Dean is the epitome of a CSBS undergraduate student. Not only is she a double major in economics and political science, she is also a member of the Honors College. Academics aside, Dean serves as a program director, volunteer coordinator, and site leader for the Bennion Center. When asked about how her majors have influenced her community outreach, she said, "I am constantly looking at the environmental issues through the economic and political lenses. My hope is to approach these issues from an economically sensitive perspective and motivate change for the better."

Throughout the year, Dean has participated in several projects including the Green Urban Lunchbox and the Urban Environmentalism Fall Break Trip where she went to Portland, Oregon. And while she admits that she is a busy student, she explains that what makes it worth it are the other volunteers and knowing that she is an integral part of the projects' success.

When asked about who has impacted her most during her undergraduate studies, Dean reflects back to her first semester at the U. "Professor Dan Jones was my very first political science professor, and he's a major reason why I stuck with political science. He was an amazing teacher, storyteller, and shared more than what was on our tests," states Dean. This semester, Dean's courses include an Honors Praxis Lab, which gives students of all majors the opportunity to collaborate on innovative project-based solutions to pressing societal challenges. Her project focuses on the air quality in the Salt Lake Valley. "This class has pushed me to think critically not just about understanding the problem, but also how to find a solution."

Dean currently maintains a 3.85 GPA and is set to graduate in the spring of 2016. Once graduated, she hopes to use her two degrees to go into nonprofit work with the goal of finding a way to economically motivate environmental change.