Tammy Petro returned to Luther campus Sept. 15 as one of this year’s vocational speakers. Petro sparked interest in students with her presentation, “Future Perfect, Sustainability in Art and Design.”

The youngest vocational speaker to come to Luther, Petro graduated from the University of Iowa with a bachelor’s degree in psychology while maintaining an interest in engineering and design.

After a few jobs that paid well but failed to challenge Petro to make a difference with her creativity, Petro returned to school to get a master’s of fine arts degree in 3D design. Petro’s desire to make an impact using her abilities prevailed as she now works as a designer, able to use her understanding of serious engineering and her ability to create and design the plans that fulfill their projects.

Petro’s work continually changes as she has worked on projects including building bridges in Peru, promoting a project for Hippo Water International and fighting problems like poverty.

Her work is a balance between using her talents to make useful products and thinking progressively as a designer about how her product can be used in a sustainable way to better our world. Petro believes that we must each individually take responsibility for what we are capable of contributing.

“It comes down to people who are living their lives today,” Petro said.

In her lecture, Petro argued that as consumers, we must be aware of a product’s life cycle. This demands awareness of the damage we do every day, understanding the impact of our choices, seeing the opportunities in imagining what is possible and getting traction by identifying where we can make a difference.

Petro seeks to create design that is not simply for economic gains but design that impacts our social and cultural environment as well.

“I feel like it’s something that is relevant for students today, and it’s an area you can’t ignore,” Petro said. “At Luther you’re already connecting your purpose and vision and I hope to catalyze that for some of you here.”

Petro was well received by students because of both her youth and her excitement for changing our world for the better.

“I really liked how Tammy focused a lot on us in the audience,” Kelsey Simpkins (‘12) said. “It was very applicable.”

Concluding her lecture, Petro aimed to help the audience identify their own skills and passions. She had them make wish lists of things that they wanted to do or be in their lifetimes.

“I want to identify opportunities that are actionable, that, long term, achieve a vision of what’s possible,” Petro said.