Every morning I see a new headline flash across my screen: droughts, fires, floods, another animal added to the endangered species list, another extinct- catastrophes and tragedies mixed in one endless cycle. The millions of animals that make our world so beautiful stand directly in front of the destruction. Uprooted and underrepresented in the global play, the creatures that call Earth home tread a dangerous path. Determined to aid the plight of the natural world, my future career as an environmental researcher would work to close the gap between extinction and equilibrium. Education about the natural world is integral to maintaining ecological balance, and as a researcher, I can devote time to publishing findings from extensive studying and real-world experience. For example, the Eastern Ghats Wildlife Society in India promotes efforts to save King Cobras from meaningless slaughter. The researchers work tirelessly to conserve the species and educate the public about the benefits of King Cobras as pest control and easy ways to defend against them without killing them. My career goal stems from the same branch of thinking. Following a path that enables me to have one foot in nature and the other in local communities can create new collaborative ecosystems. By relinquishing scientific data about animals to communities, people can learn and adapt to their wild counterparts instead of pushing them away. That is why I pursue an education and passion. If nothing else, I hope to save a species from human infringement and save a community the guilt of playing executioner. Ultimately, change is the most powerful word. Change is also the most stubborn. However, change is necessary, and I can and will be a conduit for it. I've always been encouraged to find what makes me happiest: computers, cooking, fashion. Yet the dirt of mountains and salt of the sea jumped into my heart. Walking along the beach in squelching boots, investigating tide pods, and gazing at seagulls made my mind explode. As I matured, my fact-finding future changed from curiosity to necessity. Information constantly whizzes past my head about the environment and the animals that inhabit it. Researchers harness these facts every day and catapult them against insurmountable resistance. They make change. In a world that needs change, I want to dedicate my future to cultivating it. Change isn't impossible; it just needs a little push. Thus, I want to change how people view their relationships with animals and the world around them by putting my entire self into my career as an environmental researcher. Furthermore, life as a researcher is incredibly hands-on with species and their habitats, which enables vet teams to look at injured animals easier. As a researcher, I hope to aid an endangered species by bringing medical help because- even though surgery is not a naturally occurring phenomenon- animals put into harm's way due to humans deserve proper care. More so when their homes have been stripped and demolished by our machines. At the root of my desire to help lies empathy, for how can I learn about the natural world without having sympathy for its creatures? Overall, as an environmental researcher, I hope to make a dent in the number of animals that face imminent threats to their wellbeing; I hope to spread knowledge to the world about animal advocacy and conservation, and I hope to change people's minds about what cohabitation with animals means. My career is not set in stone, but no matter where life takes me, I am confident in pursuing a path that will take away at least one devastating headline.