Myles Little

Scarborough, ME
Scarborough High School
[email protected]

Major/Minor:
Environmental Science & English (Literature)
Why You Chose Trinity:
I chose Trinity because it combined the classic elements of a small, liberal arts school–small class sizes, a wide array of opportunities for undergraduates, and interdisciplinary academic programs–with the prospects that come with being in a capital city. I’m able to study both Environmental Science and English and give respect to both majors, while also finding exciting ways to combine both of my areas of interests. That, combined with the entertainment and professional opportunities in Hartford and the warm, inviting community, made Trinity feel like the right choice for me.
Favorite Class:
New Theories of Environmentalism (w/ Prof. Kate Bergren) or Postmodernism in Film & Literature (w/ Prof. David Rosen)
Favorite Professor:
Prof. Amber Pitt (Biology & Environmental Science)
Prof. Kate Bergren (English)
Extracurricular Activities:
Student Government Association (SGA)
SGA Sustainability, Student Life, and Academic Affairs Committees
Summit Sustainability Committee
Research Assistant in The Pitt Lab
InterArts Gateway Program Alumni
Cinestudio Volunteer
Tri Beta
What You Love Most About Trinity:
I love the abundance of accessible opportunities across all different parts of the College, and how they help connect students, staff, and faculty. During my first year, I stumbled across a listing from the Environmental Science Program that advertised a summer field study in the Galápagos Islands. One of the facilitators of the trip, Prof. Amber Pitt, was so welcoming and connected me to different students in the major, and the experience was unforgettable. That one opportunity snowballed into me becoming an Environmental Science major, doing research in Missouri with Professor Pitt, and having her become my thesis advisor. Trinity provides its students with an endless number of opportunities that accommodates all sorts of interests through its connections to the city of Hartford.
Your Professional Goals/Career Plans:
As an Environmental Science and English double major, I hope to utilize my work in the humanities to communicate science in a more accessible way. I hope to go into some kind of environmental policy or justice field, where I can engage with the scientific principles behind different forms of environmental degradation while also educating larger communities.
Favorite Place on Campus:
I’d have to say Cinestudio. I started volunteering at Cinestudio during my first year because I was amazed that there was a full-blown art house-style cinema inside of our chemistry building. It always feels so special to sit down at a screening, and it’s even more fun to be with the other volunteers, both Trinity students and Hartford residents. The history of the theatre is incredible, and the staff that work there have continued to make it one of Trinity’s landmark features. From watching 2001: A Space Odyssey in 70mm, to the annual presentation of Rocky Horror to the Trinity Film Festival, Cinestudio has proven to be a part of some of my favorite memories at Trinity, and has made me feel really lucky to go to school here.
Favorite Place in Hartford:
I love Real Art Ways, a non-profit contemporary art and event space in the Parkville neighborhood of Hartford. I first visited R.A.W. during my first year at Trinity through the class Arts in Action: Community, which often met off-campus at art and cultural organizations in the city to discuss how art and community engagement intersect. It’s kind of like a museum, but without a permanent collection as they showcase all different types of artists, in addition to screening independent films. Arts in Action showed me how rich and varied Hartford’s art scene is, and R.A.W. always has really exciting and engaging events.
What’s the most impactful/favorite book you’ve ever read?
Animal’s People by Indra Sinha. I read this book as part of a course called New Theories of Environmentalism, which was cross-referenced with the English Department and the Environmental Science Program. The book is based on the 1984 Bhopal industrial disaster, and follows the titular “Animal”, a teenage boy who was permanently disabled by the effects of the disaster. Dealing with themes of Westernization and environmental tragedy, it carries a unique narrative structure in that it is supposed to be written from video tapes in Hindi from Animal, which are translated to English. Animal’s People marked a point for me when I really became interested in environmental justice not only in my personal life, but in my academics as well.
What advice do you have for prospective students applying to college?
I’d say that it’s incredibly helpful to be communicative with advisors/mentors/professors etc. in order to help plan out your time at a school, but also to not be afraid of steering off of whatever plan you might have. What’s great about Trinity is much time and flexibility you have in choosing a major, so you can feel confident in exploring areas of interest that you may not have had the time or resources to be able to before. I would also say to not be in shy in using the resources on campus or participating in activities. All of the opportunities present on campus are there for a reason, and while Trinity makes many of them so accessible, it also takes the student to be able to take the leap as well.
What’s one thing you wish you knew before coming to college?
Definitely how quickly it goes by. I like to think that I’ve used my time at Trinity well in terms of exploring many academic, professional, and social opportunities, but I feel that even now I still have a kind of bucket list of things that I want to do before I graduate, which is a testament to how lively Trinity’s campus is.
What does research look like at Trinity?
Research at Trinity can take many forms, but one of the best parts about Trinity’s research programs is how engaging the opportunities are for undergraduates, even in their first year. I’ve been apart of The Pitt Lab in the Environmental Science Program, which focuses on conservation biology and urban pond ecology, since the spring of my sophomore year. I was accepted into the Summer Research Program in the following summer, where myself and Ellie Tate ’21 worked with Dr. Pitt to study the effects of habitat degradation and climate change on river turtle populations . We spent the summer living together near our field site, and spent our days in wetsuits, swimming down the North Fork of the White River and hand-catching turtles to collect data as part of a 50-year study. It was incredible to work with Dr. Pitt because, like with other research opportunities at Trinity, we were treated as equals, rather than as lab hands. I learned so much about conducting field work and research methodology in conservation biology, got to engage with the local community about what they could do to protect local wildlife, and had the incredible opportunity to attend the 2019 International Congress of Conservation Biology in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with my research team, where our work was presented.