Designed to Inspire

April is Earth Month at Seattle University and is filled with initiatives, projects and programming, all with the focus on the urgent need for environmental justice, sustainable development and climate solutions. In March, the Center for Environmental Justice and Sustainability (CEJS) held its annual Earth Month Logo Competition—open to faculty, staff and students—to design a logo that inspires the campus community to engage in Earth Month.

I had the chance to speak to Gabby Batinich, ‘23, the artist behind this year's winning design. Batinich, an Environmental Studies major, has always been passionate about inspiring others to actively participate in sustainability and environmental causes.

“Earth Day is every day!” says Batinich. Having the chance to speak with her, I was able to get a better understanding of her design and the inspiration behind it.

The main inspiration came from Molas, a traditional handmade textile style of art belonging to Indigenous Peoples from Central America (Panama) and South America (Colombia). Being Colombian herself, Batinich wanted to incorporate her own culture into her love for environmental sustainability.

“The hope of this logo is to create unity because we’re all living in an interconnected world and we should take care of it together— that’s what Earth Month is all about,” says Batinich. She has partnered with the Environmental Justice and Sustainability organization at SU since her freshman year and felt that she wanted to leave her own contribution to the environmental community.

Batinich doesn’t plan on halting her passion for environmental justice anytime soon and aspires to work in the field—specifically around policy-making—and encourage others to treat the Earth with kindness more than just one day or month of the year.