Evelynn Cousey

Evelynn Cousey’s dream job is to work for an organization like the United Nations or the International Union for the Conservation of Nature so she can advocate for countries being exploited for their natural resources. 

“They don’t always have a voice in the decisions that are made about what comes out of their country, so I want to fight for them on the international level,” says Cousey, a senior environmental science major from Broomfield, Colorado.

One course in particular, The Politics of Food, “really sparked my interest in wanting to work in Southeast Asian countries,” says Cousey, who is minoring in business and climate change and sustainability.

Cousey transferred to UMass Lowell from Lesley University as a sophomore. She says joining student organizations, including Best Buddies and the Society of Environmental Scientists (SES), helped her acclimate to her new home.

After serving as outreach officer for SES as a junior, Cousey was named co-president her senior year.

“It was a really big source of confidence for me when I was named president,” she says. “I’ve gotten better at being able to connect with people, which I think helped me get into this leadership role.”

She says SES tends to attract academic nomads: students who are transfers from either another major or another school.

“I know what it’s like to be a transfer,” she says. “I understand what I needed when I was joining the group, and I try to give that to them.”  

That’s particularly true during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the club has used its meetings on Zoom to check in with one another, discuss current events and bond over activities like yoga and baking.

“I’m really proud of what we’ve done,” says Cousey, who plans to study environmental policy in graduate school. “It’s given me a different perspective on how to be a leader.”