Senior Isabella Gerace’s packed Google Calendar represents a whirlwind life on campus. Her connections and obligations range widely and run deeply: apart from academics, she balances two jobs as a Dining Engagement Intern and a Wellbeing Ambassador, serves as president of the Momentum Dance Crew, participates in several other student organizations and enjoys a robust social life. It is difficult to imagine Gerace as a student who once struggled socially and academically.

Throughout the past four years, Gerace has deeply immersed herself within the Wake Forest community. With graduation quickly approaching, she will leave with the peace of knowing she gave Wake Forest her all. 

Asking for help 

Originally from Reading, P.A., Gerace came to Winston-Salem in Fall 2021. She received early admission to Wake Forest and started preparing for a new chapter early in her senior year of high school. 

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The transition to college was hard. In a dark, moldy single in the basement of Bostwick Residence Hall, Gerace quietly struggled to adjust to a new place, a challenging course load and an entirely novel social scene in the absence of her home support system.

When asked what advice she would give to a struggling freshman, Gerace lingered on the importance of curiosity.

“Ask questions,” Gerace said. “A college campus is such a unique place — having so many people from 18 to 22 with the same general goal. It’s important to see what other people have to say, hear about other experiences and get to know your community.” 

Gerace reached out to her freshman resident advisor for guidance, who pointed her to CLASS — the Center for Learning, Access and Student Success. This resulted in one of her most important campus connections — a close relationship with an academic coach whom she has worked with since her first semester. 

Mental health and self-advocacy are fundamental values for Gerace. She was one of the first active members of Wake Forest’s chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). 

As a Wellbeing Ambassador, she teaches topics including bystander intervention, drug and alcohol abuse, sexual health and relationship spectrums. The Wellbeing Center nominated her to be part of the first CARE team, an initiative that invites students, faculty and staff members to submit referrals for themselves or another individual who is experiencing distress. The CARE team connects these community members with supportive resources.

“I don’t see myself doing that work beyond college, but it’s just something I was always passionate about,” Gerace said. “Because I suffered, I didn’t want other people to suffer the same way. In my opinion, reaching out is the hardest part. If I can ease that process at all, I want to do so.” 

Basement bonding 

Senior Molly Pluta has lived with Gerace for three of their four years at Wake Forest. The two met in their first hours on campus. Gerace knocked on the door of Pluta’s Bostwick dorm room and asked if she needed any help unpacking. Pluta, exhausted and overwhelmed, was initially taken aback by Gerace’s outgoing nature, but quickly saw that Gerace’s willingness to extend herself to others is central to her bubbly personality. 

“[Gerace] is always the person to connect people in her life,” Pluta said. “She is really intentional and thoughtful about keeping up relationships with people.” 

Together, Pluta and Gerace have navigated the challenges of academia, friendships and relationships. Their shared major, environmental studies, helps both students prioritize their passion for sustainability despite external pressures. 

“Especially at a place like Wake Forest, where people are so career-focused and there’s a lot of tunnel vision toward certain career paths, it’s been really validating to have people close to me who feel the same way about how they want to use their career,” Pluta said. “There’s a lot of pressure to go down those more traditional, ‘stable,’ career paths where there’s more of an obvious route, but it’s nice to explore different options together and have the validation that what we are doing is important.”  

Filling the gap

In the summer before her freshman year, Gerace applied to join the Sustainability Leadership Group (SLG). This program provides a small cohort with unique opportunities for leadership and campus engagement through the Office of Sustainability.

Through SLG conversations, Gerace realized many of her pre-existing habits — such as turning off lights when leaving a room, conserving water and using reusable utensils and water bottles — were sustainable practices. She was inspired to learn more about the interdisciplinary field of environmental studies. 

Not every 18-year-old is enraptured by logistics, but exposure to facility operations through work with SLG on energy use in residence halls ignited a passion in Gerace. 

“Getting involved with operations so early helped me understand how the campus works and why things are the way they are,” Gerace said. “I really like that administrative side of school.”

Gerace next realized that out of 200 student organizations at Wake Forest, there was not a single student-led initiative focused on sustainability. The university’s environmental opportunities seemed to start and end with the Office of Sustainability. 

Gerace decided to fill this gap herself by founding a sustainability club called dEaCOfriendly. In just one year, Gerace devised a name and logo, recruited members and an advisor, wrote a constitution and completed the chartering process, so the club was eligible for school funding.

During Earth Month in April, dEaCOfriendly is especially active, hosting events like climate trivia and clothing swaps. They also pick up litter and do a trash cleanup on Long Drive every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. 

The Office of Student Engagement recognized dEaCOfriendly in 2023 with the New Student Organization of the Year award. 

“dEAcO has been a consistent collaborator with a variety of university programs, academic departments and other student organizations, which speaks to how well received they’ve been,”  said Brian Cohen, dEAcOfriendly’s advisor and assistant director of sustainability engagement.

Cohen saw how Gerace’s drive and passion spearheaded a mission many students gave up on. 

“I was really proud of how much work she put in and how successful her efforts were,” Cohen said. “The only thing that surprised me was how quickly it all happened. She was consistently optimistic, determined and committed to the cause. She was also completely self-sufficient. Other than a few check-ins from time to time, I really didn’t contribute anything … it was all her.” 

Senior Sophie Eldridge, dEaCO’s former vice president, saw Gerace’s commitment from the beginning. Before dEaCO was eligible for university funds, Gerace would pay for events out of her own pocket, Eldridge said. 

Eldridge and Gerace are now regular members of dEaCOfriendly, having stepped away from leadership roles so younger members can evolve the group. The foundation Gerace and her first executive team built launched the energy and ideas of current underclassmen looking to engage with sustainability at Wake Forest. dEaCOfriendly’s legacy will undoubtedly continue long after Gerace and Eldridge leave Winston-Salem. 

Looking forward  

Environment classes sparked Gerace’s interest in food systems, leading her to become Wake Forest’s Dining engagement intern. In this role, she dually reports to Harvest Table Culinary Group and the Office of Sustainability. The internship allows her to educate the Wake Forest community on new and existing sustainability initiatives in campus dining. 

Whether standing outside La Sabrosa and encouraging students to order their GrubHub burritos in a reusable green box rather than a plastic one, or running a bike-powered smoothie maker in The Pit while educating on waste reduction, Gerace promotes her programming with an infectious smile. 

“I’ve grown super passionate about dining sustainability through Wake Forest, and I have always wanted the best for people, but I didn’t really process how much of a role food plays in that — socially, environmentally and economically,” Gerace said. 

She enthusiastically engages with other students in important discussions about the environment and simple steps to reduce human impact. 

According to Harvest Table Culinary Group’s sustainability coordinator Quin Wolters, Gerace’s impact is “sprawling and efficacious.” 

“Her willingness to work with numerous stakeholders — both internal to Deacon Dining and the Office of Sustainability as well as across campus — to drive sustainability into areas not otherwise recognized is admirable,” Wolters said. 

Gerace will continue her commitment to sustainability by pursuing a career in this field. For the specifics of her future plans, however, Gerace said that she “needs a minute.” 

She plans to spend some time with her family in New York City to recharge from a demanding semester and continue her job search for roles within sustainable development, food justice and corporate sustainability. 

When she collects her diploma in less than a month, Gerace’s absence will be felt across campus, especially in the offices she brightens throughout the week. 

“Isabella graduating will leave a huge hole in our office,” Cohen said. “She’ll be leaving behind a legacy of Pro Humanitate and a number of emerging student leaders that she helped develop.”

Correction, April 24: A previous version of this story online and in print contained a grammatical error. This error has since been corrected.