Growing up in Appalachia gave me a different perspective compared to most people. Neither of my parents attended college, but as I progressed through school I knew I wanted to further my education. My dad is an environmental resource specialist and we share many of the same hobbies, passions, and interests. He does not have a degree so he used his 20+ years of experience to become qualified for his occupation. I admired his hard work and I have always wanted a similar career path. In high school, I realized I had more of an interest in math and sciences compared to reading and history. I used this interest to research environmental-related careers and degrees and found my current major, Environmental, Soil, and Water Sciences. I started in this major and realized I wanted to broaden my area of study to gain a better understanding of techniques and mechanisms used in our daily routines, so I added a minor in Engineering in Society. Once I graduate with my bachelor's degree I have a goal to work in environmental protection, preservation, or conservation. The importance of protecting the environment is at the top of my priorities when I consider my career plans. In Appalachia, I feel the importance of the environment is ignored or not thought of as much as it should be. I strive to change this and bring more attention to the topic. Staying in the Appalachian region after I graduate is crucial to my plan because I will bring awareness through the community and encourage and educate people on how they can help. Appalachia provides children with a unique advantage in their education. Certainly, there are disadvantages, but if the region's potential is used correctly, the advantages outweigh all cons. For example, Appalachia is known for its rising tourism industry. There are many ways to incorporate recreation into hands-on learning. Protecting the environment ensures that future generations will have the same opportunity to receive hands-on learning as me. Not only does improving the environment help the community, but it also benefits the wildlife. Keeping the forests healthy protects many species of animals and plants. This helps maintain high biodiversity which means healthy ecosystems. Healthy ecosystems supply Appalachia with recreation, food, and natural beauty to appreciate. In the future, I plan to stay where I came from and use my knowledge to benefit the community and environment. It is important to me to share my knowledge with the community I grew up in because there can be a positive change in the way we regard our resources to help conserve the environment that we rely on so heavily.

My favorite scientist is Shinya Yamanaka. Yamanaka and a team of others discovered that mature adult somatic cells can be altered to be stem cells. This sparked many lines of research and allowed the debate about research on embryonic cells to be bypassed. He has achieved great honors and was a recipient on the Nobel Peace Prize!