Most college students focus on maintaining the balance between sleeping and studying, but second-year Scholarship for Education and Economic Development (SEED) student Audin Centeno, is more concerned about developing an action plan to make coffee farms environmentally sustainable in Nicaragua.
Philip Vukelich | Argonaut Audin Centeno practices presenting his proposal for making coffee farms environmentally sustainable in Nicaragua to his faculty mentor Lee Vierling, associate professor in the College of Natural Resources. Centeno will be presenting his proposal in Washington, D.C., at the Clinton Global Initiative University conference next week.
He will present his proposal at the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGIU) conference at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., with 1,200 other students from the United States and countries around the globe.
The conference began in 2005 and has five main emphases: education, environment and climate change, peace and human rights, poverty alleviation and public health.
Centeno chose to focus on environment and climate change in his native Nicaragua.
“My home country does not have any environmental efforts under way at the moment,” Centeno said. “When farms want to plant more coffee trees, they deforest the precious native trees around the area. My ultimate goal is to transform these plantations into sustainable enterprises and enhance agricultural productivity while minimizing the environmental impact.”
In cooperation with a Nicaraguan coffee farm, La Fatima, Centeno said he hopes to spread awareness to local farmers.
“I want to create an educational program that trains about 25 workers on natural resources and recognizing the effects of dangerous chemicals,” Centeno said. “The coffee farm is located right next to a protected area. The river that flows through the area provides food and energy, all of which is being jeopardized right now.”
Centeno also aims to protect the wildlife and habitats in the surrounding zone. In his initiative, he proposes approximately 100,000 new trees in hopes of reforesting the area.
This will be Centeno’s second time presenting. He attended another conference with 72 SEED students in Portland, Ore., and received praise for his idea. However, at the CGIU conference, Centeno will be finalizing his commitment to carry out his plans.
“CGIU gives tools to students to make their goals a reality. They assist us in raising money and obtaining grants,” Centeno said. “I want this coffee farm to serve as an example for all coffee farms in the area.” With two years of help from several professors and fellow peers, Centeno has a finished product to present at the conference. Since 2007, CGIU has helped implement 3,000 plans. At every conference, CGIU will pay for one proposed commitment.
“I’m very excited to attend this conference. I want to meet many people and exchange thoughts on different commitments,” Centeno said.
During his trip in Washington, D.C., Centeno has a private lunch scheduled with Bill Clinton. The opportunity is only available to international students.
“I’m not very nervous about meeting Clinton. Meeting him will be like meeting another person,” Centeno said.
After CGIU, Centeno will remain in Washington, D.C., where he will attend a leadership conference with other SEED members in order to further skills for executing his proposal.
Amy Asanuma can be reached at [email protected]