Alum of the Month: Liberty Wickman ’12

Liberty Wickman ’12 is Operations and Volunteer Coordinator with Partners in Health in Chiapas, Mexico. The mission of Partners in Health is “to provide a preferential option for the poor in health care,” which they do through “long-term relationships with sister organizations based in settings of poverty.” Working in remote, rural areas in Chiapas, Wickman helps patients with the logistics of accessing medical services, including everything from basic services to maternal health in high risk pregnancies. Students in Central’s Merida program travel to Chiapas during their semester abroad, and they have had opportunities to learn about Wickman’s work there in the past two years.

“At Central, I learned that the world isn’t actually that big, that nowhere is too far away, that no culture or country is really that different, we’re all only human and we all only have one earth to care for”, writes Wickman, who hails from Atlantic, Iowa. Liberty’s experiences at Central highlight how sustainability is intertwined throughout Central College’s curriculum, student life, and programs abroad. As a biology major, much of Liberty’s education in sustainability stemmed from her studies with Dr. Weihe, Dr. Zaffiro, and a number of other professors, of whom she writes “they were, and are, my heroes and role models.” She learned about conservation and sustainability through assisting Dr. Benedict with the Prairies for Agriculture project, as well as working alongside him over the summer, conducting research on local bat populations. Liberty was also heavily involved with student organizations like SCATE (Students Concerned About the Environment) and SUSTAIN, an intersectional campus and Pella community sustainability group. What’s more, she volunteered to work on the Central Organic Garden and assisted in the Campus Composting project.

However, Liberty’s experiences studying ecosystems and conservation were not contained within the borders of Pella, but took place globally, winding through a diverse set of countries and environments. She spent time volunteering in Ethiopia after the 2010 earthquake. Liberty also participated in a Tropical Ecology course in Belize and Costa Rica, and was able to set up a marine biology internship with the National Autonomous University of Mexico during her semester abroad in Merida. Liberty writes, “I made friends from all over the world who spoke different languages, practiced different religions, and ate different food. I observed new ecosystems, studied endangered species, and participated in conservation efforts. Central taught me that the world was bigger than Iowa – but not all that different from Iowa – and that the decision we make in Iowa do have an impact on the rest of the world.”

After spending 7 years volunteering internationally, Liberty found that, for her, sustainability carries a much broader meaning than simply “environmental.” Through completing her Masters in Development Practice, she’s come to define sustainability as “grass roots initiatives and capacity building through holistic and environmentally friendly lens.” She believes in building leaders and resilient community organizations within local communities in order to ensure continued growth and support without the influence of NGO’s or project funding. Liberty’s time at Central and her pursuits following graduation highlight just how influential international experience can be to broadening one’s understanding of sustainability as a whole. She urges current students to “never fear the unknown and never judge what you don’t understand — simply embrace it, explore it, and learn from it.”

Read more about the work of Partners in Health in Mexico and read Liberty Wickman’s 2013 book on her experiences volunteering around he world: Feeding Elephants, Friends, and Parasites: The Journey of a Nomad.

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2 responses to “Alum of the Month: Liberty Wickman ’12”

  1. Russ Benedict says:

    As a professor at Central, nothing is more satisfying than seeing our students making a difference. Liberty is a fearless, passionate, and humble example of this. If you want to see how much one person can accomplish by committing your life to others, head to southern Mexico and have a cup of coffee with Liberty.

  2. Paul Weihe says:

    I love how Liberty teaches us to be open to new experiences, and find a path we couldn’t even see until we started on the journey.

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