When I was in elementary school, I made a clay diorama of a dolphin for a class project. I modeled it off of the dolphin poster I had in my room, the only poster on my bedroom wall. Ever since I was young, I have loved oceanic ecosystems. I remember the first time I saw a dolphin; in the gulf of Mexico, when I was twelve years old, there was a pod of dolphins off the side of our dolphin-watching boat. It was also the first time I remember seeing the ocean. As someone who grew up in the Midwest, I did not have much opportunity to experience oceanic environments first-hand. This did not stop me from reading everything I could about them, especially about marine mammals, in which I was particularly fascinated. I am now a biology and sustainability double-major in my final year of study; I am planning to work in conservation after graduation. Attending college in the Midwest, I do not have direct access to any oceanic ecosystems, but have extensively studied freshwater lakes and rivers, both academically and in research. Recently, I traveled to the Chiricahua Mountains in Arizona to study individual size distributions in mountain streams by elevation, as a part of a research-based class. Working in the field, in an aquatic environment, was exciting and challenging, particularly in a remote area. But it also confirmed to me that this is precisely what I want to be doing after graduation. Next semester, I am hoping to take a similar research-based class, this time in Mexico, studying coral reefs. The three-week class would initially focus on a study of reef ecology, before allowing students to work on individual research projects within the reef, or in the coastal ecosystems in surrounding the area. As a scientist, this would be an excellent opportunity to compare and contrast my knowledge of freshwater ecosystems with an oceanic ecosystem; more personally, this would offer me my first real chance at some hands-on experience in an ecosystem I have been fascinated with since I was a kid. This scholarship would allow me to take advantage of this incredible, and expensive, opportunity, as my student loans will not cover the cost of the class, and I cannot afford to pay out-of-pocket. As I near graduation, I need to decide where I will move to and where I will work. As someone who has long been interested in marine ecosystems, but who currently lives very far from a coastline, this class, and by extension this scholarship, would offer me the opportunity to gain valuable knowledge and experience, before making such an important life decision. [As a final note and an aside, as this is a scholarship for those in the LGBTQ+ community, it is probably pertinent to mention that I am asexual.]

Calculus principles span nearly every STEM field, from physics to coding. Just as learning a new language offers a different perspective of the world, calculus offers a different perspective on a variety of disciplines. It helps bring many theoretical concepts into practice; as such, it would be very nearly impossible to avoid in almost many fields. In my chosen field of environmental science, it is especially important in helping to model real-world problems, offering a new understanding of systems with several complex variables. Understanding the relationships between those variables, even in the controlled or simplified setting of a model, can offer a more holistic perspective on the interrelatedness of ecosystems, which is especially important in management and restoration. Narrow understandings lead to narrow-minded solutions; more accurate models, born out of calculus-based concepts, can help to implement more effective and long-lasting strategies for ecological preservation. The benefits of complex modeling are certainly not limited to environmental science; in many STEM fields, this is a crucial aspect. Calculus allows us to study the convergence of several variables and their relationships, offering a more complete picture of complex systems. Calculus also offers solid ground in an ever-changing field. Theoretical concepts are constantly revised, and even rewritten as new evidence comes to light. These changes are often supported and fueled by mathematical interpretations. It was mathematical calculations that added evidence to the then-new theory of heliocentricity. Math is at the heart of almost every theory in physics. It is also the backbone of data analysis and interpretation. Theories can be debated and changed, but correct calculations based on accurate data are much more difficult to disagree on. Mathematics, and calculus in particular, is the one field in STEM that does not go through such upheavals that it must rebuild from the ground up. Technological innovations and scientific breakthroughs can alter a field to its core, but calculus, in its principles and methods, have mostly stood the test of time. New methods are discovered, new disciplines created, but at its core, calculus has remained unchanged; it is both ironic and unsurprising, as calculus is the study of change itself. In an ever-changing field, the study of change will never cease to be of need. These two aspects of calculus, its grounding nature and its holistic approach, make it indispensable in STEM fields. It leads to more complete understandings of complex systems, and offers consistency in data analysis and the measure of change. Calculus has offered me a deeper understanding of the STEM fields I am interested in studying, which is why, as a mathematics minor, I am looking forward to applying those calculus concepts in my career.