Raveena John

Early on, Raveena John learned that people with lowest carbon footprints live in cities, where populations are the densest. Since then, she has been fascinated by the urban environment and its effect on people and nature.

“As I continued to learn about these systems, I understood that they are all more connected than I ever could have guessed,” John said. “I chose to study civil engineering because infrastructure is a key component of the urban impact on human and environmental health, and a concentration in sustainability was a natural fit.”

A St. Louis native, John chose the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering because it offered a sustainability concentration in civil engineering and the ability to take the subject matter abroad.

“It was an easy decision,” John said. “Now that I’ve taken full advantage of those opportunities, I can say for certain that I made the right choice.”

John studied abroad in Manchester, United Kingdom, during the spring of her sophomore year, where planning and sustainable development courses not only helped fulfill her degree requirements, but also gave her the chance to have new experiences and see how her chosen field is used around the world.

“It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, “John said. “I’ve always loved traveling and I really wanted to try living abroad for an extended period of time. Most importantly, I love trying new things and challenging myself to grow. Studying abroad is the perfect chance to do that.”

The honors student in ASU’s Barrett, the Honors College was recognized as a National Merit Scholar and has appeared on the Dean’s List every semester of her academic career.

She plans to draw upon the same ambition she’s applied to her schoolwork to addressing sustainability challenges yet to come. In the future, John wants to increase the livability of cities by making the streets safer for bicyclists and pedestrians, increasing green infrastructure and increasing multimodal transportation.

“I want to implement these visions of urban health by working with people who are tackling these challenges all over the world,” John said.