Lisa Chen Writ 340

 Although making the world a better place is definitely a daunting goal, I think each person can contribute to this by impacting their smaller community around them. As I've grown older, I've noticed that the most impactful organizations and relationships are those that target a local demographic, rather than having a really big goal of impacting the entire world. This is definitely because smaller organizations form more close and meaningful relationships where they're able to understand those they help as individuals rather than a homogenous group of people in need. In high school, my favorite organization that I volunteered for was called Treasure House. Treasure House looks like a secondhand thrift store from the outside, but it is much more than that. Treasure House specializes in providing second-hand items to the homeless for heavily discounted prices, even more than a Goodwill. Those in need receive a special voucher, where they are given designated time slots to sh...

  Favorite Christmas traditions With Halloween over and us being in the month of November, that can only mean one thing: it's Christmas time! Even though the holiday season doesn't officially start until Thanksgiving, I feel like the transition from October to November is the perfect time for Christmas decorations to begin coming out. One of my favorite traditions is definitely driving around neighborhoods and seeing all the houses lit up with these Christmas lights and decorations. It's so cool to see how each house can be decorated differently, but still feel so festive. I really like seeing the houses that "go all out" and have every inch of their yard covered in lights and moving reindeers.  Another one of my favorite things about Christmas is finding the perfect tree and then decorating it. I remember making new ornaments every year in art class when I was younger, so it's always humbling pulling out the ornament box again every year. I like how the colle...

 Although I am not finished with The Wayfinders  yet, I have definitely learned about how all humans trend toward the same actions despite cultural differences. As Wade Davis, the author, explores different cultures, he notes how there is a common theme of cultural loss in language, landscape, and communities because of Western industrial revolutions. For example, the Penan peoples of Borneo were displaced by industrial logging and the Tibetan Buddhists were massacred by industrially progressive Maoists. Although I was aware of certain groups that were displaced because of companies looking to profit, I didn't know that the cultural issue was so widespread. This was an eye opening because we often see how companies are damaging the environment, but the cultural destruction is just as bad, if not worse. Furthermore, Davis comments on the connection of people to nature. For example, the early Polynesian navigators could read the movement of the clouds, the stirring of the ocean ...

TO: Clark Hansen, CEO, Anima Mundi Development Partners FROM: Lisa Chen, Research & Development DATE: Oct 21, 2022 SUBJECT: Investment Opportunity: Graphic Packaging International My job is to find and research possible investment opportunities for AMDP that commit to doing business in a socially responsible, environmentally sustainable, and profitable manner. After careful consideration, I selected Graphic Packaging International (GPK), an industry leader in fiber-based consumer packaging products, as a recommended investment. Before explaining this investment opportunity, I want to reiterate AMDP’s standards. AMDP Standards Triple Bottom Line The triple bottom line analyzes the sustainability of a company through profit, people, and the planet. Profit is the financial performance of a company, or how much money it makes. People refers to customers, employees, and community members impacted by a company’s actions. The planet measures how much of a positive impact a company ...

 For my second book, I chose The Wayfinders by Wade Davis. I chose this book because I've always been fascinated by history and how it has affected the present day and whether or not there have been certain repeating patterns in history. I thought it was interesting that the author explored and traveled to different regions to understand how those people lived. I also though the question of the book: What does it mean to be human and alive? would be though provoking in terms of hearing what the author thinks compared to how different types of groups thought about the question. After starting the book, I thought it was super interesting to see how past cultures all had significant interactions and connections with nature. I like how the author describes this as the "biological matrix of life" to show how everything in nature overlaps and connects. Even though I consider myself a nature person, I definitely don't have the same relationship with nature as the native grou...

  Reflecting on senior year! As I'm typing this, I can't believe that we're almost halfway through the semester, especially since I'm a senior. Before this school year started, I really began to understand what people meant when they said that college flies by. I feel like it was just yesterday that my parents were helping me move into my freshmen year dorm and I was going to my first class at USC! Even though I wish COVID hadn't made all of sophomore year online, I can still say that my college experience at USC has been amazing. I have definitely met lifelong friends, explored a lot of Los Angeles, and learned a lot personally and academically throughout my time here. Coming into senior year, I made a big bucket list of things I wanted to do before graduating to make my experience even more amazing. I really enjoy being in nature, so I wanted to explore more of the national parks in California, like Yosemite, Yellowstone and Sequoia. Some of my friends have been s...