Elijah Paez ’24 developed passions for environmental justice, mathematics and bird watching during his PLU years

Elijah Paez ’24 is a double major in environmental studies and mathematics. While at PLU, he founded Birders of PLU, served as a Peace Scholar, and studied abroad in Oxford, England, and Oslo, Norway. We recently met with Paez to learn more about his PLU experience.

What drew you to PLU?

I attended Keithley Middle School and Washington High School in Parkland, Washington. Many of my school events were hosted at PLU. I wanted the small class sizes and the study-away opportunities.

You started at PLU with an interest in pure math. Tell me about your math major. 

I like that mathematics is about discovery. You have this set of premises, and find out what you can build from it, or what patterns you can find and connections you can make.

When did you decide on environmental studies?

My Writing 101 course was “Evolutionary Biology and Taxonomy.” The purpose of the class was to learn scientific technical writing, but I was surprised at how arbitrary taxonomy is. That got me interested in animal studies and a critical lens of the sciences, which is why I added environmental studies.

RELATED: Learn more about environmental studies at PLU with Professors Suzanne Crawford O’Brien, Adela Ramos, and Kevin O’Brien.

What do you enjoy about the two programs?

Both degrees are super flexible. I like environmental studies because you take courses in every discipline and have many independent study opportunities.

You studied away in Oxford and Oslo. What stuck with you?

I always felt like I grew each time I studied away, not only by being there and looking at all the things but also by making connections with the people there. I learned how to make connections beyond PLU. One of the more interesting things is that I got really into pigeon-watching.

How did your experience in Oxford inspire Birders of PLU?

My primary tutorial was animal ethics. I joined the Oxford Animal Ethics Society. I took a museum studies course, and was sensitive to the idea of collecting as a tool of empire. I noticed that collection-type thinking was prevalent and wanted to do something that promoted attentiveness to those in front of you.

Were you a birder before?

I was not interested in bird watching until I went to Oxford. The first thing I noticed on the bus from the airport was that there were magpies everywhere. I started learning about the birds there, and when I came back, I started learning about the birds here.

When did Birders of PLU form?

There were a lot of people interested in it. During PLU’s 2023 Earth and Diversity Week, we hosted a bird walk at the Port of Tacoma with the Student Sustainability Committee. That trip made me decide to form the club.

Who are a few of your PLU mentors?

One of the people I think of is Adela Ramos, even though she is not on campus anymore. She helped me get an internship at the Tacoma Tree Foundation in Summer 2022. In the math department, Tom Edgar, Ksenija Simić-Muller and Daniel [Deej] Heath. I could always talk to them about not only mathematics but navigating university and life in general.

Do you have plans set for after graduation?

I applied to various grad schools. I’m interested in the academic path of talking about our fellow humans within the realm of justice. I am also doing research assistance with a professor at UC Irvine about activist groups participating in open rescuing of animals from research labs or factory farms.