SIS Alumna Combines Love for Hospitality and Sustainability

It was during her experience in the Peace Corps that Cerise Bridges, SIS/MA '05, realized a new passion that would ultimately shift her career trajectory.

Before joining the Peace Corps, Bridges was enthralled with the hospitality industry. She was "all about hotels," and desired to own and operate her own one day.

But witnessing the beauty of nature and the free-roaming wildlife of Kenya gave Bridges a new perspective-one centered on the environment and sustainability.

"Just seeing nature and the untouched beauty, I came back with a new focus," Bridges said in a recent interview.

Once stateside, Bridges enrolled in the Global Environmental Policy (GEP) program at the School of International Service (SIS). The GEP program prepares students for change-making careers by grounding them in an integrated understanding of environmental politics, economics, and policy.

Reflecting on her time in the program, Bridges said pursuing her master's at SIS stretched her in many ways and prepared her with the "foundations for policy and sustainability."

"I know that without that [GEP] degree, I could not have gotten many of the jobs that I ended up getting after graduating," Bridges said.

Combining Passions

After graduating from SIS, Bridges held roles with The Nature Conservancy and the Environmental Leadership Program. She would eventually go on to work as a certification specialist for Green Seal, a global nonprofit committed to sustainability. Green Seal has certified more than 33,000 products according to their rigorous standards, helping consumers identify which products are best for people and the planet. The company also certifies facilities and services, including hotels and higher education institutions.

Bridges spent 12 years working for Green Seal, mostly certifying cleaning products and hotels according to the organization's sustainability standards. The role allowed Bridges to combine both of her passions: hospitality and sustainability.

Those dual passions would remain at the forefront when she transitioned to her current role at Upstream, a start-up focused on reusable products and reducing plastic pollution. Bridges started at Upstream as a manager for their Chart-Reuse platform, which allows restaurants to see what the environmental impact would be if they switched from single-use, disposable products to reusable products.

"I would help [restaurants] by walking them through the platform, inputing all their documentation, and helping them implement a reuse program at their restaurant based on the results," Bridges explained.

Earlier this year, Bridges moved into a special projects role at Upstream, in which she works on the communication and policy implementation team. She primarily creates content for the reuse movement, writes web content using company data, and supports the organization's policy work. In 2023, Upstream was working to actively shape reuse policy in six states.

Bridges said her work with Upstream is "rewarding" and has an impact that "you can see immediately."

"I worked with a school out in California with these two students who were trying to get their school administration to switch over [to reusable products]," Cerise said. "The administration agreed on switching just a bowl that the kids use in the cafeteria-a disposable bowl-to a reusable bowl. They ended up eliminating 25,000 bowls in a semester. You can just picture all that trash that doesn't exist anymore."

Career Advice

It's estimated that more than 460 million metric tons of plastic are produced each year, with an estimated 20 million metric tons of plastic litter ending up in the environment annually. While the effects of pollution on global ecosystems can seem overwhelming when viewed as a whole, Bridges says she keeps perspective by focusing on the small steps she can take to reduce pollution in her own life.

As companies continue to pump out millions of tons of plastic per year, Bridges focuses on doing her part to reduce pollution by eradicating disposables in her home and going to refill shops when possible.

"I've started to really think, 'I just need to do my part'," Bridges said.

Asked about her advice for students considering a career in sustainability, Bridges gave two words: "Do it."

"The field needs your creativity, your curiosity, and your drive to solve our climate challenges," Bridges said. "And since sustainability runs through every aspect of our lives, you can make an impact in almost every sector, including business, health, transportation, and education."

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