Agnes Scott junior forward Kimberly Reeves likes to talk trash, off the basketball court anyway. The Scotties’ captain from Lilburn is a campus and community leader in recycling and sustainability. That passion recently made her a finalist for the Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup, given to one college athlete and one pro who have made the greatest positive influence on the lives of others.
I played a lot of outdoor sports growing up, including basketball. We practiced on a goal in our driveway. I never thought of indoor basketball being a contradiction with my interest in the outdoors. It’s a way to relax and forget about anything I have to do.
I was really fortunate my senior year at Parkview High School when I took environmental studies. There were only 10 students. We went on multiple field trips that educated our class about the environment and the impact we have on our community. Our teacher, Dr. Amy Slack [who also has taught at Agnes Scott], showed us how public policy can affect people.
There’s more we can do, by recycling or being more responsible in the way we live. People are more conscious now, but if there’s an easy way out — if the recycling bins are hard to find — then that’s the way they’ll go. Simple things like consolidating your washing and turning off the lights make a difference.
As a first-year student, I had the opportunity to work in the president’s brand new Office of Sustainability. I co-chaired the environmental resident project, which appoints a student to oversee campus sustainability objectives in each residence hall. I also interned at Environmental Protection Agency as a first-year and the Georgia Recycling Coalition as a junior.
Our campus has made some positive changes. The Woodruff Athletic building, where I eat and sleep when it comes to basketball, has been renovated to include automatic fluorescent lights, which reduces our energy consumption.
When we’re on another campus for an away game, our team bus doesn’t need to be idling. I put a recycling bin on the bus for our longer road trips to accommodate plastic water bottles. I think our team appreciates that convenience.
The athletic department adopted Katie Kerr Road near our campus, and each month one of our athletic teams picks up the trash. It promotes community service and team spirit.
I gave a presentation on “Agnes Scott Water Audit” at a conference last fall.
I’ve learned so much from sports about working with others. You can’t win with only one person. This teamwork mentality has really helped me with the environmental work I’m doing.
Reported by Michelle Hiskey
