It's Your Oregon: Vivian Sui

Vivian Sui volunteered with OEC this past winter and was a regular once-a-week visitor to our office. She found us on the internet while searching for organizations around Portland.

This was the first time Vivian has volunteered for the environment, although it has been an issue of concern for her since her school days growing up in Hong Kong.

She describes Hong Kong, where she was born, as crowded, but well connected by a network of trains and the MTR Subway that can get you anywhere. While nature is not far off in Hong Kong, “people have other distractions,” like the glamorous life and shopping, Vivian says.

Vivian moved to Oregon with her family when she was 16 and saw how nature was more integrated into the culture and, by contrast, that people use cars more frequently here to get around. When she went to college in “smoggy” L.A., she found this to be even truer. At school she also saw a lot of volunteer action through groups like "Heal the Bay,"and she began thinking about volunteering.

At a young age Vivian recognized pollution as a problem. In middle school she became fascinated by other cultures – their cities and people. She went on to earn degrees in Environmental Science and Geography, interconnected disciplines that examine how people live with the land. After college, she wanted to try working for things she was passionate about. As a result she is now employed at the Population Research Center at Portland State University, in addition to volunteering with the Oregon Environmental Council. Vivian is always thinking about what she can do next to build her skills and has been accepted to two Master programs – one in public health and one in regional and urban planning. She plans to try them both to find the best fit.

Either way, Vivian is on her way to reaching her vision: helping to make healthier, environmentally friendly cities a reality and changing the way people live with the land.