Robin Grathwohl // Student Story

Robin Grathwohl, a junior at Colorado College studying Environmental Science and Education, is a team member on the Quad’s Colorado Springs Utilities project.

Where I am from is complex, but I would call Long Island, New York, my home. I grew up overseas for 12 years of my life in both London and Tokyo, and have moved around in the US as well. I moved to Colorado for college because I wanted to get away from the east coast and experience the block plan at Colorado College. I am an Environmental Science major at CC, meaning lot of my classes are field based and I get to explore all that CO has to offer. The hardest part about being in CO is being away from the ocean. My first word was beach, and the love of the ocean has stuck with me ever since. When I graduate, before I do anything else, I want to spend a year working in Australia near (or preferably) in the ocean. My dream is to teach marine education and help students get the opportunity to explore the Great Barrier Reef while they still can.

My hobbies include running, skiing, and hiking. I love being outside and any free time I have I head up to some of my favorite trails near Woodland Park. This past fall I hiked from Colorado Springs to Woodland Park, which included walking over Pikes Peak and Raspberry Mountain. I love exploring different areas of Colorado and recently have become especially amazed by southern Colorado. I love traveling around Colorado and scouting out potential future towns to live in. I also love to cook. I spend way too much time watching Tasty videos and planning new recipes to make. I prefer to eat all my food out of a bowl, plates are overrated.

I joined the Quad Innovation Partnership because I wanted a chance to act on important issues instead of just learn about them. Colorado College has opened me up to considering so many different problems that Colorado Springs, our country, and this world faces, especially related to the environment. Often times, I will finish a block and feel hopeless for the future. The Quad allows me to partake in important decisions and idea formation.

I am on the Utilities team and we are focused on creating a 20 to 30-year energy plan for Colorado Springs Utilities. I love working on this team because I get to put my knowledge surrounding energy into action. In the process, I’ve learned so much more about energy production. My favorite aspect of this project has been working with people from different schools and backgrounds than my own. When I am at school, my peers are very like-minded to me. However, at the Quad, there is a new diversity of thought that provides depth to our work. I also appreciate how we have been challenged to consider ideas outside of our typical perspectives, which also provides more variety to our conversations. Lastly, I have really enjoyed engaging with people from CSU. They are incredibly intelligent and share so many complex ideas about the future of energy in America that I have never considered before. The Quad has been an unbelievable learning experience and provided me with hope in how young people can impact the world they live.