Meet OC Instructor Arlene Plevin!
I AM…fulbright scholar, avid bicycler, ‘green’ cheerleader, world traveler, OC instructor
Arlene Plevin, an instructor of English at OC, has a passion for sustainability and all things green. While pursuing her Ph.D in English at the University of Washington, she was the first to study eco-criticism in the English department, focusing on eco-composition and environmental literature. Throughout her career, she has been dedicated to education, writing about the environment and participating in outdoor travel and adventure. She is a Fulbright Scholar and, over 20 years, has taught at many universities and colleges in addition to OC. As a freelance scribe, she has written for the Smithsonian Institute, the National Education Association, Bicycling magazine, and Caribbean Travel and Life. She continues to write, researching and composing environmental essays and chapters for book collections and scholarly journals.
In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, bicycling and global travel. As an outdoor enthusiast, one of her favorite activities is gardening and she possesses a sense of fun about her dirt-loving desires (she confesses she will often wear dark polish to hide the dirt that doesn’t wash out from under her fingernails.)
In addition to her love of the outdoors, Plevin is a major supporter and contributor to many of OC’s initiatives to increase sustainability at the college. Plevin says that sustainability doesn’t have to be boring or require suffering to achieve it: “Sustainable living can be enjoyable, deeply satisfying, and fun!”
While Plevin is committed to sustainability and nature, she is most inspired by the students she teaches.
“I love all the life stories I hear and the people I encounter. So many students at OC have worked amazingly hard to return to college or to find their life’s path. I’m constantly amazed, and in awe, of their challenges, determination, and creativity.”
Read more of Plevin’s story at www.olympic.edu/IAMOC.
