For environmental justice major Aislynn Patrick ’26, bringing people into the conversation is essential to issues surrounding climate change. Acknowledging the disconnect between personal experience and climate news, Patrick emphasized that connecting with people on a personal level is the most important way to start people talking about the climate crisis. Her presentation even included an interactive portion that prompted people to share their experiences, embodying the collaborative nature of Student Symposium Day.

On a similar note, political science and environmental justice major Josslyn Coveny ’26 described how their time volunteering at the Welty Environmental Center helped them better understand how to have conversations about climate issues with different age groups, and changed their belief that conversations surrounding climate change were impossible with older generations.

A presentation by student-athletes Jordan Rosenberg ’26 and Brody Bremer ’26 also featured the importance of conversation to build professional relationships and networks. The Brosenberg Files has become a lively entrepreneurial podcast where they interview successful professionals — including sportscaster Joe Davis ’10, businesswoman Konya Hendricks Schuh, and Zach Brockman, president of the Beloit Sky Carp minor league baseball team — about their careers.

Students also strengthened their relationships with faculty advisors in preparation for Student Symposium Day. Biology student Amelia Pullen ’26 credited Claire Milsted, assistant professor of biology, who inspired her project on the effects of nutrient supplementation on seedlings, and who advised her throughout the research process.

“I had a blast putting my presentation together,” says Ellie Debbert ’26, a biology major with minors in anthropology and health and society. She presented on osteological research she did while studying abroad in Munich. “It’s a topic I care about, and I’m so glad people show up and support each other. Our room had a BIG turnout.”

This year’s Student Symposium Day marked 50 years of a successful Beloit College tradition, bringing the community together and giving them a chance to connect and have important conversations about meaningful research and experiences.