As a student in an environmental science class this year, I have learned many things about the way the government regards the agricultural industry. Before taking the class, I have been somewhat passionate about the topic of environmentalism, but quite naive to all of the problems our world is facing. Being fervent about the topic of agriculture awareness and the environment, I used my knowledge to educate my peers, both in person and through social media, as much as possible. I love to spread positive messages about how our country resigned into the Paris Agreement, or reposting mitigation efforts to stop deforestation. It is hard to learn of the different ways that humans have slowly dismantled the flourishing and beautiful environment that Mother Nature has given us, but hopefully with this information, I have familiarized myself with new ways to help save the environment and help it to last longer. When purchasing any food in a grocery store, I lean towards the organic section. In the produce aisle, whether it is cucumbers, apples, or watermelons, I make sure that my food does not contain any genetically modified organisms. I have learned that the majority of fruits and vegetables are grown from seeds that are genetically modified to protect themselves against pesticides and disease, and are being grown in monoculture environments, where they die quickly because of the adaptation of pests and the degradation of soil. Growing my own food is also important to me and the environment as well. In my backyard I have a garden where I grow lemons, mangoes, avocados, and small herbs like basil and rosemary. Being in the class Advanced Placement Environmental Science, I have become extremely aware of problems in the environment, like climate change, soil degradation, and carbon emissions, which can all affect the way we get our food and how they are grown. I know that because we only have about sixty years of farmable soil left, that someone needs to find new and innovative ways to fulfill the food needs of the global population but who can also prevent degradation of soil and can replenish it in the process. I aim towards assisting in the search for innovative ways and helping to solve this global problem of growing natural foods by majoring in chemistry and obtaining a master’s degree in Environmental Science. This way I can join the group of experts in this field and help to avoid a world full of smog and black fields.

My sophomore year of high school I became best friends with the boy that sat across from me in my Spanish class. We began working together on projects and hanging out and eventually I developed a crush on him. I asked him to the military ball at my school (I was in JROTC) by handing him a note in the hallway. I wrote this song for our one year anniversary during the time where quarantine began to describe how I felt when I asked him to be mine :)

Before COVID-19 began, I entered a film festival in my county. One of the genres of film was to create an original music video. I started to write a song about love and had accompaniment to the tune using my ukulele and piano, singing it and learning it in hopes that I could create the music video with a friend soon enough. Except after, the festival was canceled, and I had written a song without the music video. I posted the song on Tik Tok and my Snapchat story, all of my friends loving it! I used to be in a media class, creating short films and enjoying the idea of film, using different techniques. I am not intensely interested in having a film-related career, but I do enjoy creating videos for the public to enjoy. My ambitions for the future might be creating a YouTube channel which I can use as a creative outlet for my projects.

I am involved in many extracurriculars at my school! Some of these include being a captain in my JROTC program as well as being the S-1 Administrations Officer, filing and processing paperwork within the battalion. I love to sing. I have been in choir since fifth grade and have continued it throughout middle school and high school. I have made all-state and all-county, as well as joined the Naples Philharmonic choir in my community. I never really believed I was that good at it, but I love to sing! I plan to major in chemistry in college and obtain a master's degree in forensic science. I hope to achieve a loving family and a good job that will make me happy. I like to volunteer a lot whether it is for NHS or for church summer camps. I have over 287 community service hours, hoping to continue volunteering for my community in college and afterward as well.