Professional Documents
Culture Documents
George Winn
Class of 2016
Letter of Introduction
Course Map
Junior Year Courses
Senior Year Courses
Internship
Extra-curricular
Senior Project
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To Whom It May Concern,
My educational journey has been a span of schools over the past eight years. I by no
means, took the easy route. I believe though that my storied journey makes me a better student,
and hopefully a better community member. As a graduate of the Community, Environment &
Planning program at the University of Washington I want to be a thoughtful planner, a reflective
professional and an active communicator. It is these three tenets of a successful community
member that my past and present embody in my time at the University of Washington.
After graduating high school in 2008 I left for school at Western Washington University
in Bellingham. After two years I found myself floundering, I was without direction and restless.
I applied for and got into the University of Tasmania in Australia for a semester abroad. I
experienced. I found different joys in Australia that I could never have imagined. It was this trip,
and my reflection since that it has helped define my adult experience. I spent time long-term
volunteering in rural Laos, where I was a minority. Upon returning to America, a full year and a
half later, I had gained a sense of the possible and many of my ideals were complicated. In
Seattle I served as an Americorps at the YMCA, working in Seattle's Interagency Public High
School. I was pushed to confront the systemic injustice that is heaped upon people of color. As
an Americorps I opened a Teen Center in Auburn, Washington working to create an equality of
opportunity in a downtrodden community. The past two years I have worked in local youth
shelters and spent my summers hiking. In 2013 and 2014 I hiked on the Pacific Crest Trail,
culminating in the completion of my 2660 mile Pacific Crest Trail hike the month before I
started at the University of Washington. As an adult I have experienced momentous growth in
my understanding of myself. From this background I come to the Community, Environment &
Planning major.
At the University of Washington I want to become more involved in the planning
profession. I think that time in university should be more than a time of intellectual growth, I
want to learn practical skills. A thoughtful planner to me means that I will always think of the
repercussions of my actions. With this in mind I want to make sure that my planning classes are
accented by thought that grounds my mission in the social and environmental consequences of
development.
In addition to my work at the University of Washington I will continued to volunteer with
the Beacon Food Forest. I want my connection at the Beacon Food Forest to be an active
cultivar of skills lwearnded within CEP. At the food forest and in the Community, Environment,
& Planning program I want to remain committed to fostering reflection of myself. I believe that
through this professional reflection I will grow. To make this happen I know that I need to ask
for advice. In my CEP cohort classes it is important to me to ask for critique and to make sure
that others feel comfortable sharing their thoughts.
In the CEP program I want to develop my skills as an active communicator. To me, in
my education this means that I will seek and include others in my thoughts. By guiding my own
education I have an opportunity to take classes where I present, share, and speak to the topics
that are important to me.
Looking forward, I see myself working with an organization where I can use my
communication and leadership abilities to affect change. I believe that by building a strong sense
of practical skills and by focusing my leadership skills I will be an asset the local region. I also
know that I enjoy a wayward breeze. I look forward to finding an interest and letting it take me
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somewhere. The next two years will bring about changes in my life that I know I won't
understand for years; the excitement of returning to school to learn through different eyes is
beyond thrilling, it is illuminating. I must challenge myself to remain focused, and I know things
will work out.
Sincerely,
George Winn
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Course Map
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Emphasis on GIS as a source of management and technical information requests.
I want to learn how to accurately prepare layered maps of real places. Through cartography, society can be seen in a
more informative way, this was intro to this burgeoning field.
CEP 498 Grant Proposal Practicum (3) (Methods)
Develop skills in grant-writing, project development, and project management for projects targeting sustainability
goals. Apply environmental literacy to real-world problems by developing and presenting a project proposal
targeting sustainability goals, using the UW Campus Sustainability Fund as a model. Work to develop proposals
individually or in teams, in conjunction with faculty, administrators, practitioners, and others involved in
sustainability efforts at the UW and beyond.
The presentation of projects and grant proposals is a skill that transfers to many parts of life. As a leader in our
society I know that my ability to speak 'sustainability' clearly will help to get my goals communicated. Through
teams, and learning together I want to see my projects succeed.
CEP 400- Governance Practicum (1)
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URBDP 480 Planning as a Profession (1)
Gives students interested in the planning profession an opportunity to understand the different pathways and career
choices within the profession. This course will introduce students to guest professionals in various planning careers
and highlight key issues, skills used and tips to enter the field.
I will build my professional circles and knowledge of firms in the Seattle area that practice planning on a daily basis
in the Planning as a Profession class.
URBDP 549 Hazard Mitigation (3) (Methods)
A survey of the field of planning for managing risks of natural hazards-earthquakes, floods, coastal/meteorological
hazards, and human-caused technological hazards/terrorism. Covers pre-event mitigation through building and landuse controls; disaster preparedness; post-even response, recovery, and mitigation of future hazards. Emphasizes
hazard mitigation as a long-term strategy for achieving sustainability of communities.
I used this class to use my previous science background to incorporate science, communication and planning into
one course. My course project centered on the planning policies that local cities use to mitigate the effects of coastal
bluff recession.
CEP 400 Governance (1)
CEP 491 Senior Project Prep Seminar II: Methods and Actualization (1)
See Senior Project
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CEP 300 CEP Retreat (1)
Internship
In Summer 2015 I interned at EnviroIssues, a consulting firm that facilitates public participation
in planning and construction projects in Puget Sound. I got this internship by networking with
past and present employees, attending three interviews, and being positive. I worked in a
downtown Seattle office with a younger workforce of planners and communication
professionals.
At EnviroIssues I worked on a myriad of projects; I appreciated this mix because I got to see
small and large construction projects. I helped recored and analyze data from a mix of public
meetings and flyer neighborhoods, informing them of upcoming construction or participation
opportunities. The last two weeks of my internship I worked on an Environmental Impact
Statement public participation process for construction near Anacortes, Washington. From my
studies in CEP 302, I had a solid foundation for understanding the EIS process and how
important public input is. At EnviroIssues I worked on several different projects that were at
various stages of completion, a treat that let me learn more aobut the communication side of
public projects.
There is an open door at EnviroIssues for me if I want to apply there upon graduation. I am
interested in this option as I explore thoughts for my future in professional settings across the
Puget Sound.
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Extra-curricular Plans
Three years ago I got involved with the Beacon Food Forest in South Seattle. Now I am
coordinating 100+ person work parties, communicating with different departments within the
city, and learning about organizational leadership in a way that university could never provide. I
seek to get more UW and CEP students involved with the Food Forest. CEP alumni and students
have supported and been involved at the food forest for many years, I want to maintain this. I
intend to remain committed to the Food Forest and I have also realized that with my limited
amount of time I will need to prioritize my balance of commitments.
Balancing these two desires; I am a human. I am already working two jobs to support myself
while at the University of Washington. I am a financial aid recipient, but like many people, the
aid does not cover the cost of my expenses. I want my education to be relevant, practical, and
rigorous, and education that will prepare me for my future.
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Senior Project
In 2015, acting as part of a team I facilitated five focus groups in Seattle's First Hill
neighborhood. In my role working with the First Hill Improvement Association, I helped to
catalyze neighborhood support and comment on Seattle's first Pavement to Park project. Our
two pavement to parks, situated in Seattle densest residential neighborhood represent some of
our communities need for increased public open space. My senior project will be a reflection on
this process through an academic case study of three insurgent sites in Seattle. These grass roots
community groups temporarily use public space to make a statement and benefit their
community. These sites are not often sanctioned by the city. I will study how insurgent users and
city departments communicate about these insurgent projects. These insurgent uses bring the
community together. This project will draw on my experience in First Hill, my involvement with
the Beacon Food Forest and my own education in CEP.
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