Growing up in an industrialized city like Los Angeles has made me realize that what we do in our everyday lives directly affects our environment. Ever since I was a young child, I have always had a passion for helping others. I used to be that child that would say, “I’m going to cure cancer someday!” or “I’m going to help bring world peace.” Now that I am older, I have come to realize the importance of teamwork and education. Although I will never find a cure to cancer or be the Mother Theresa of my generation, I know that I can positively impact my community and nation by inspiring conservation of our environment. I have chosen to major in environmental studies and pursue undergraduate research to intertwine my love for people and the natural environment. Education has empowered me and I aspire to use the skills and knowledge that I learned throughout my educational career to empower others in a similar manner.
Once I earn my Bachelor’s degree, I hope to gain experience working for local environmental non-profit agencies in my community. I am currently an intern with the Santa Lucia Conservancy in Carmel, CA, assisting a research project that tests environmental-DNA detection of California tiger salamanders on the Santa Lucia Preserve. I will have reached my goal of combining my two loves of serving the community and studying the local environment by first attaining these necessary field research skills. However, I know that scientific data needs to be effectively communicated to combat socioecologicial injustices, so I have gained experience working with people through other environmental non-profit agencies. Professional experience with the Monterey Bay Aquarium has taught me ‘to inspire conservation of the ocean’ by inspiring people and reminding them why they love the ocean. My time as both a volunteer and employee there has taught me that issues like plastic pollution and species conservation starts first with the public. My communication and leadership skills developed even more when I volunteered with the Elkhorn Slough Foundation working with the local youth in an environmental education program. This agency taught me that science is most effective when it is communicated to the audience at hand in such a way that will engage them and appeal to their individual interests, and this could look different for different groups of people. The Santa Lucia Conservancy, Monterey Bay Aquarium, and Elkhorn Slough Foundation have all impacted my career goals tremendously and shaped me to pursue a degree that embodies conservation.
Once I earn my Bachelor’s degree, I hope to gain experience working for local environmental non-profit agencies in my community. I am currently an intern with the Santa Lucia Conservancy in Carmel, CA, assisting a research project that tests environmental-DNA detection of California tiger salamanders on the Santa Lucia Preserve. I will have reached my goal of combining my two loves of serving the community and studying the local environment by first attaining these necessary field research skills. However, I know that scientific data needs to be effectively communicated to combat socioecologicial injustices, so I have gained experience working with people through other environmental non-profit agencies. Professional experience with the Monterey Bay Aquarium has taught me ‘to inspire conservation of the ocean’ by inspiring people and reminding them why they love the ocean. My time as both a volunteer and employee there has taught me that issues like plastic pollution and species conservation starts first with the public. My communication and leadership skills developed even more when I volunteered with the Elkhorn Slough Foundation working with the local youth in an environmental education program. This agency taught me that science is most effective when it is communicated to the audience at hand in such a way that will engage them and appeal to their individual interests, and this could look different for different groups of people. The Santa Lucia Conservancy, Monterey Bay Aquarium, and Elkhorn Slough Foundation have all impacted my career goals tremendously and shaped me to pursue a degree that embodies conservation.