My love for nature began as a child, spending countless hours in nature, building houses for fairies in forests or hiking with my family. I have always found myself enraptured with the world around me, from a small weed in a parking lot to a large tree in a beautiful forest. When I took the AP Environmental Science class my junior year, I learned the systems behind the beauty I had previously seen. With the bloom of spring my love for plants inspired me to implement my new knowledge in a real-world setting and start a garden. My family and I grew native plants and plants to attract pollinators. I tested our soil composition and realized annual tilling had been killing beneficial microbes. With changes, we reaped our healthiest and most abundant garden ever. The reward of being able to eat food that I had cultivated inspired me to continue learning. Although some aspects of my connection still seem inexplicable, a single class opened my eyes to information that altered my daily life. As I look to begin the next chapter in my life I am searching for a college where I can continue this knowledge. I hope to focus my learning on environment science and sustainability to learn more about the natural systems that we humans interact with, find climate solutions, and fight to have those solutions enacted. While doing that I hope to continue connecting with the aspects of nature that inspired me like field research and engaging in outdoor activities.

Climate change is the most pressing global issue my generation faces. I am committed to addressing this by encouraging human coexistence with nature. In college I hope to focus my education on the broad issues an effects that are encompassed in climate change. Studying Environmental studies in college will provide a strong foundation for creating climate solutions. Furthermore, an education in Politics or Public Policy Analysis will allow me to implement my knowledge to create impactful change beyond the individual level through effective policy. Additionally, my interests in Gender and Women Studies will give me a greater understanding of the impacts of climate change on marginalized communities, ensuring that my policy-based solutions address imbalances in the effects of climate change while uplifting historically underserved communities. My passion for nature has already inspired me to collect houseplants and experiment with sustainable gardening. Showing my close friends and family the importance of appreciating nature by closing the separation between what we consider natural spaces and human spaces has motivated me to think bigger. During my time in college, I will pursue my passion for the human-nature relationship while preparing to contribute to climate solutions to ensure the health of our world and future generations. I do not know exactly how I will contribute to climate solutions, however I know that between my passion to protect the natural world and love for nature, I will find a way to make impactful contributions.

Black pavement spread endlessly around me. In sweltering heat, a speck of green caught my eye. A weed had pushed its way through a crack in the cement and its leaves proudly showed themselves in the heat of the sun. It hadn't rained in weeks, how did it look so healthy? I had always found myself enraptured with the world around us, be it a small weed in a parking lot or a beautiful tree in a large forest. However I hadn’t thought of it as an academic topic until I took the AP Environmental Science class my junior year. During online learning I couldn’t engage as much as I wanted, so I asked my teacher for ways I could get involved. I completed at home labs, extra projects during break, and began reading nonfiction books about nature and climate change, even exchanging book recommendations with my teacher and asking for books for christmas. In search of an escape from my computer I found a local walking path. Every step I took on the muddy path I was connecting with a vibrant network of life underneath and around me. As my class covered new topics on soil, biodiversity and climate change, I could see my knowledge reflected in aspects of my life. With the bloom of spring my love for plants inspired me to start a garden, implementing knowledge from my class in a real-world setting. In our yard, my family and I grew native plants, and plants to attract pollinators. I tested our soil composition, realizing annual tilling had been killing the life inside of our soil. Using what I learned allowed us to reap our healthiest and most abundant garden ever, inspiring my drive to keep learning. I am no longer in that class, but I am constantly considering and wondering about the things I learned, just like that small weed in the parking lot. Although some aspects of my deep connection with nature still seem inexplicable, a single class opened my eyes to information that altered my daily life. As I look to begin the next chapter in my life I hope to learn about the natural systems that we humans interact with, and find new ways to combat the climate crisis. I plan to study an interdisciplinary Environmental Studies or Sustainability major at my future college. I have only applied to schools that provide this major as well as non-academic programs that will allow me to continue exploring my love for nature. There are many campus Gardens or research work in the college. I know that I will find a college that will foster a community of big-dreamers, problem-solvers, and question-askers like me, who will inspire each other to pursue knowledge that has the power to change the world.

The words left my mouth effortlessly. I worked quickly, stringing together an argument with my entire class watching, just as I had practiced. We were doing our debate unit and I was the last speaker. As my argument closed I held back the smile growing across my face to hide the confidence I had in our victory. Communication in school was something that I had always been gifted at; for a long time I considered it to be my greatest skill. I looked forward to debating classmates and giving presentations, never getting nervous the way my peers did. However, away from the classroom, I struggled to communicate things personal to me-- for many years, I had known that I was gay, but communicating it to my friends and family had always felt impossible. I thought back to what I always did before I gave a stressful speech at school: I would practice in the mirror until the words became automatic. I looked myself in the eyes. “I am… I am…” the last word suspended, burning in the back of my throat. I took a deep breath, checking for silence. “I am… gay.” My face flushed and my heart raced. “I am gay” I said to myself again as my smile widened. I could do this, I knew it. When I stood in front of my parents, the words raced through my head and my tongue began tying itself into knots. But I had practiced, I knew these words and I could say them. After a short pause, the words left my mouth. I tried to stand strong as my heart raced and my mind chased it. When my parents reacted with a surprised look and a loving hug I knew that their reaction was not what mattered most. Instead, what mattered was that I was able to communicate something emotional and vulnerable. I learned that my talent in communication is not just about winning an argument or giving an academic speech, but also about expressing myself and sharing my true self with those around me. As I continue my journey through life, I will carry my abilities to communicate anything with confidence and strength. I now understand the importance of sharing my truth even if that may be difficult.