Spring 2023

A Homeland in Peril Inspires Action

Ela Gokcigdem poses for a portrait
Listen

Ela Gokcigdem ’24 has traveled the world, but her heart has never left her homeland in Turkey. Her grandparents instilled a deep love for Avsa Island in the Sea of Marmara.

“They viewed that island as a sacred space,” she says. “But, even as a little kid, I noticed that my island pollutes so little yet takes all of the hits from mainland Turkey.”

She was only 8, but that realization ignited a passion for ocean conservation that has propelled her to the global stage. “I’m really grateful to have the opportunity to elevate the voice of my community at this large scale. They’re what motivates me,” the Babson Presidential Scholar says. “I’m creating a name for what I’m doing, and I want to be able to hold on to that as strongly as possible, and continue the work I’m doing in Turkey.”

Last June, Gokcigdem represented Turkey as a youth delegate at the UN Ocean Conference Youth and Innovation Forum in Portugal, where she bonded with two of the other delegates representing Middle Eastern and North African countries. They immediately launched MENAeco, a youth organization focused on ocean conservation in the region, and just five months later, they presented findings of a youth survey at the high-profile Climate Action Hub of COP27, the 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, in Egypt.

It was a bit of a whirlwind, even for Gokcigdem, who hasn’t slowed down since. In March, she attended the United Nations Water Conference in New York with the Assembly of Turkish American Associations. She spoke on a panel about Bloom, her climate tech startup to help coastal communities in Turkey combat the algal bloom that disrupts the economy and infrastructure.

Combining her environmental work with a strong business background is why she chose Babson. Gokcigdem first set foot on campus in 2019, attending Summer Study for High School Students, where she discovered the Institute of Social Innovation and met Executive Director Cheryl Kiser. The institute quickly became her home on campus, and Kiser became a mentor, fueling her passion and accelerating her progress.


“Being able to map everything I was witnessing and put it on paper and develop ideas off of—that was eye-opening. I don’t think I would be able to advance my ideas to this level without those core classes.”
Ela Gokcigdem ’24

Gokcigdem’s eyes were opened in the classroom, too, especially the sustainability-related courses that introduced her to systems thinking, a holistic way of looking at the interconnectedness of the world. “Being able to map everything I was witnessing and put it on paper and develop ideas off of—that was eye-opening,” she says. “I don’t think I would be able to advance my ideas to this level without those core classes.

“I want to do all I can to bring all the resources I’m getting from my education in the United States and bring it back, which I’m so proud to say that I am doing right now. What keeps me going is being able to see the change that I’m working on firsthand.”

Posted in Entrepreneurial Leadership, Outcomes

More from Babson Magazine »

Latest Stories

Juan “JC” Grullon ’27 and Ty Bradford ’29 shake hands outside Publishers Hall
Publishers Hall Welcomes First-Year Students to Its Cozy Confines During move-in day, a new crop of first-year students made Publishers Hall their home. The small residence hall, built over a century ago, is known for the tight-knit communities that form there.
By
John Crawford
Senior Journalist
John Crawford
A writer for Babson Thought & Action and the Babson Magazine, John Crawford has been telling the College’s entrepreneurial story for more than 15 years. Assignments for Babson have taken him from Rwanda to El Salvador, from the sweet-smelling factory of a Pennsylvania candy maker, to the stately Atlanta headquarters of an NFL owner, to the bustling office of a New York City fashion designer. Beyond his work for Babson, he has written articles and essays for The Philadelphia Inquirer, Notre Dame Magazine, The Good Men Project, and other publications. He can be found on Twitter, @crawfordwriter, where he tweets about climate change.
August 28, 2025

Posted in Community

College mascot and family move in a new student to college.
Parents, Siblings, and New Students Come Together for Babson Move-In Day Families shared stories of packing, pride, and the promise of entrepreneurship as they helped the Class of 2029 settle into campus life.
By
Hillary Chabot
Writer
Hillary Chabot
Hillary Chabot is a writer for Babson Thought & Action and Babson Magazine. An award-winning journalist, she is known for her insightful reporting and dedication to detailed storytelling. With a career spanning over two decades, she has covered a wide range of topics, from presidential campaigns and government policy to neighborhood issues and investigative series. As a reporter for The Boston Herald, Hillary earned a reputation for tenacity and integrity. Her work at Babson College fuels her passions—to learn something new every day and conduct thoughtful, empathic interviews. She’s thrilled to be at Babson College, where students, faculty, staff members and classes provide compelling copy daily.
August 27, 2025

Posted in Community

Students holding Welcome to Babson signs at the frontgates
Move-In Day Brings Babson’s Global Campus Together More than 600 new undergraduate students move into Babson each year. The Class of 2029 brings people from nearby and thousands of miles away to celebrate new beginnings on campus.
By
Melissa Savignano
Writer
Melissa Savignano
Melissa Savignano, a content marketing manager at Babson College, has worked in higher education for almost a decade, where she tells authentic, compelling campus and community stories. Before Babson, she managed communications for Boston University’s largest college, the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. She previously worked in client relations, helping brands of various sizes launch content marketing strategies and storytelling initiatives. When not at work, you will find her in the city of Boston, probably at the movie theater.
August 22, 2025

Posted in Community