Field Work Term Spotlight: Mehedi Hasan Sizar
Mehedi Sizar '25 studies Mathematics and Computer Science at Bennington, but he also has a personal passion for protecting the environment. His experience as a 2024 Endeavor Foundation Environmental Action Fellow allowed him to return to his birthplace of Bagmara, Rajshahi, Bangladesh to work with BD Clean, the largest environmental group in Bangladesh.
At Bennington, students spend six weeks every year taking their skills and knowledge out of the classroom and applying them in the world of work. They use this annual work-learning opportunity—known as Field Work Term—to deepen their studies, challenge and test new ideas, and hone their direction for the future.
How did your FWT relate to (or diverge from!) your studies at Bennington?
Taking Beyond Plastic Pollution with Beyond Plastics President Judith Enck fueled my ambition to fight against single-use plastic pollution across the globe, especially in my country, where people have limited knowledge about the consequences.
At BD Clean, I worked directly with local volunteers, students, teachers, and administrators to raise awareness in public to stand against pollution and to introduce waste management facilities in remote areas of the country. This 6-week long experience has given me the chance to work closely with my community to bring a change in the area, which achieved strong support from the locals. I am proud to be part of the highly effective initiative of an organization with 44,000 active volunteers, which directly contributes to our fight against global warming and climate change.
Although not connected directly with my areas of study, this experience serves as strong evidence of how diverse the education at Bennington College is and how effectively it inspired me to go beyond my comfort zone to do something for my community.
What did a typical day at your FWT site look like?
My days during FWT were diverse, as I spent most of the time planning and preparing for large community events and hosting the events successfully. I participated in 5 different school events across the region, as well as 3 field cleaning events and 2 national events organized by BD Clean. I, along with my fellow volunteers at BD Clean, converted a place that used to be an irresponsible dumping place at the entrance of a college in Bagmara into a flower garden, so people will stop throwing trash there.
What surprised or challenged you the most about your position?
The most challenging part of my work at BD Clean was making people understand our goal of fighting climate change. Most people don't have any knowledge about the global concern, so they casually pollute the soil, water, and air without understanding the consequences. It was difficult for us to inspire them to start using trash bins and designated places to dump trash and got complicated when we had to push elected officials and administration to implement waste disposal facilities in the region. There will still be a lot of work needed in the future to finally establish such facilities.
What do you hope to do for your next FWT?
I am still working with BD Clean even though I am back at Bennington now, far away from my home country. I have plans to continue working with them and give my best effort to keep pushing the authorities to take immediate steps in establishing the waste management facilities in the Bagmara, Rajshahi region.
As I progress to my senior year, I am planning to focus more on my area of study for my next FWT. I will try to land an internship in the US, which will allow me to work in real-world projects involving Computer Science and Mathematics.