One of the most moving parts of Taylor Swift’s career for me is how her music has grown alongside my life. I grew up listening to Taylor Swift, yelling her songs at the top of my lungs on the ride home from school, turning everyday car rides into moments of joy, release, and connection. Her music was always there, whether I needed confidence, comfort, or a way to feel understood. That long-term connection is why her performances during The Eras Tour, especially the surprise songs, felt so powerful. Those moments stripped away spectacle and focused on authenticity. Watching Taylor revisit songs from different phases of her life reminded me that growth doesn’t mean leaving the past behind; it means honoring it while continuing to evolve. As a student navigating a non-traditional path through college, I see myself in that evolution. As a transfer student, a woman in STEM, and a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I’ve learned that resilience and reinvention are essential. Taylor’s performances have inspired me to embrace change while staying grounded in who I am and what I care about. Her music has also influenced how I show up in the world. Whether teaching environmental stewardship to thousands of students or pursuing a degree focused on sustainability and hydrology, I strive to lead with authenticity and passion. Taylor’s ability to connect with people through honesty has shown me that impact doesn’t come from perfection—it comes from being real. Taylor Swift’s performances matter to me because they reflect the power of growth, vulnerability, and ambition. They remind me that showing up fully, even when it’s uncomfortable, can create lasting impact.

The most important challenge the energy industry must address is meeting the world’s growing energy needs while protecting the natural systems and communities that energy depends on. Energy and the environment do not exist separately; they are one in the same. They are deeply connected through ways of biodiversity, ecosystems, water, land, and most importantly, people. My academic focus is in Environmental Studies and Management with an emphasis in hydrology. Combined with my background in civic work and environmental education, I have been shown that the source of energy must be both sustainable and equitable. I worked as an outdoor educator/ Naturalist as Shady Creek Outdoor School, where I taught over 5000 students how to understand, respect, and care for the environment through immersive, hands-on learning. Rather than the abstract or seemingly distant lessons taught in your avrage school, we focused on daily sustainability such as gardening, composting, waste reduction, and ecosystem stewardship. Watching students plant food, manage compost systems, and learn how natural cycles work made sustainability real and meaningful to them. These expirences renforced my beliefs that meaningful progress in the energy industry comes first with education and connection, because people protect what they understand. Through this work, I also saw how environmental systems are interconnected. Composting, soil health, and water conservation are directly tied to energy use, agricultural resilience, and climate adaptation. As water becomes more scarce with population growth, the rise of A.I., and climate change, among other things, the energy industry must rethink how it uses resources and designs infrastructure. Hydropower, energy-efficient technologies, and renewable energy systems must be developed and brought to attention with more intentions of viable change. Especially in regions already facing environmental stress. Beyond working as a naturalist, my experience as a youth representative on the Butte County Behavioral Health Board shaped my understanding of how infrastructure decisions impact different communities. Throughout my time as the youth representative, I learned that when energy systems fail or exclude marginalized voices, the consequences extend far beyond power outages or heat waves. This is why it is so important for the energy industry to prioritize inclusive decision-making and support diverse pathways into STEM and energy careers. As a transfer student and a young woman in STEM, I bring an invaluable non-traditional perspective to the field. My ambition is driven by lived experience, a commitment to my people, and service to creating systems that work for both people and the planet. I am motivated to pursue a career in the energy sector where science, sustainability, and community engagement are integrated rather than separated. The challenges facing the energy industry are vast and complex, but they also represent an opportunity. By investing inn sustanable pracitces, protecting ecosystems, and empowering the next generationsn on young scientists though meaningfull education, the energy sector can lead real change. I want to be a part of that effort. Using my background in environmental education and hydrology to help build energy systems that are resilient, responsible, and grounded in respect for the world they power.

Golf has been a meaningful part of my life for as long as I can remember. I grew up in Paradise, California, a small town where golf is deeply rooted in tradition and where the sport has historically been male-dominated. From a young age, I learned that choosing to play golf as a girl meant stepping into spaces where I was often the only one like me. While that was sometimes intimidating, it ultimately became one of the reasons I fell in love with the game. My passion for golf began with my grandpa, Kelly Carr. He was the first person to introduce me to the sport. Some of my favorite memories are early mornings spent on the course with him, walking the fairways, whipping around the golf cart, and spending countless hours focusing on each small movement of my swing. He taught me patience, discipline, and how to stay calm when things did not go as planned. Although my grandfather now faces medical challenges that prevent him from golfing, I continue to play in his memory. Every round I play feels like a way of staying connected to him and honoring the time we shared together. In high school, I was the only girl on my golf team. Before me, there had not been one girl in the history of our school. I came in and changed the trajectory of our small school's sports. While my teammates were supportive, being the sole female player came with its own set of challenges. I often felt an unspoken pressure to prove that I belonged, not just as a golfer, but as a competitor and a woman worthy of just as much respect as the men. Despite this, I stayed committed. I practiced consistently, pushed myself to improve, and learned how to advocate for myself both on and off the course. And I learned to love my team. Golfing in a small town like Paradise CA meant that opportunities for female golfers were scarce and very limited. There were very few role models and even fewer pathways for girls to pursue golf seriously. Golf became a space where I learned resilience and confidence. It taught me how to focus under pressure, accept setbacks, not shanke the ball as much, and trust my abilities even when I felt like an outsider. As a female golfer, I am very proud to continue playing a sport that has not always made space for women. And to be a trailblazer in my own respects. I hope to be part of the continued growth of women’s golf and to help normalize female presence in the sport, especially for young girls in small communities like the one I grew up in. This scholarship would help support my education while allowing me to continue playing a game that has given me confidence, purpose, and connection. Golf is more than a sport to me, it is a legacy, a challenge, and a way to honor my grandpa.

Being a womens rugger means belonging to something so much bigger than yourself. It means the people who show up beside you before sunrise, who stay late in the cold and rain, and who believe in you even when you are still learning. I joined the Humboldt State University Women’s Rugby team during my first semester with just about as much experience as a dog with three legs, but I was welcomed immediately. From that moment on, rugby stopped being just a sport and became a home. We practice through Humboldt’s cold and wet weather, often late at night from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., because women’s rugby is underrepresented and sometimes pushed to the margins of club sports. We have to balance double days with 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. practices, classes, and work, all while showing up for each other with energy and commitment. As a club sport, no one is there for recognition or resources; we are there for the love of the game and the people beside us. That is what rugby family means to me. It can be hard to watch the differences in funding and support between the men’s and women’s teams, but my teammates never let that define us. Instead, they inspire me daily with their grit, humor, and resilience. These women have taught me how to be strong, accountable, and proud of what we are building together. I currently play 8-man, a position that is quite demanding. As a first-semester player, stepping into this role has pushed me beyond my comfort zone. In college, I hope to continue growing as both a student and an athlete. I want to contribute to the growth and visibility of women’s rugby, help strengthen the culture of my team, and continue pushing myself to reach higher levels of competition. I am inspired by my cousin, Bryce Darlington, who went on to play for the team that won the National title in December of 2022. While I do not expect to follow the same path, my goal is to become good enough to keep playing at a competitive level and see how far my commitment can take me. Or even to become a coach to teach future generations of women. This scholarship would help make it possible for me to continue my education while staying involved in a sport that has changed my life. Women’s rugby is growing, and I am proud to be part of that movement. Rugby family has given me strength, purpose, and community, and I am excited to continue building that legacy in college.