I am pursuing a degree in Environmental Science because it is something that I have always felt passionate about. As I entered middle school my worldview began to change and I started to notice the effect of single-use plastics on the earth. I wanted to be a part of something that would bring awareness to this issue and learn more about the environment. I joined Envirothon which is a club that focuses on learning about the environment and studying for a competition in April. I competed in this competition from middle school through my senior year of high school. I really enjoyed learning about soil science and hydrology through this club. In high school, the teacher who coached this club gave me so many experiences with stream study field trips and studies with soil science that I decided to go to Commonwealth University - Bloomsburg and follow in her footsteps with my choice of schools. Once arriving at Bloomsburg I have enjoyed the various environmental science classes I have taken so far. I would like to create an impact on the environment by helping to offset the effects of things like single-use plastics. This scholarship would help me further my education and be able to make a difference in the environment that each and every one of us uses.

At Bloomsburg University every day I see students and professors using plastic water bottles, instead of reusable water bottles. Some people that I know use multiple plastic water bottles every day, instead of investing in a reusable water bottle that can last for years. Unfortunately, this is a major problem in the United States, where generally clean drinking water is available and water bottles can be filled up at work or school more easily. According to earthday.org Americans purchase about 50 billion water bottles per year, this equates to about 13 bottles per month for every person in the U.S. By buying a reusable water bottle 156 plastic water bottles could be saved annually. This is the problem for many single-use plastics in the United States. Globally, at least 14 million tons of plastic end up in our oceans every year. All of this could be minimized or prevented if mandated recycling were put into place in the United States, and in other countries that have the infrastructure to do so. There are consequences to our actions of either, not knowing about other single-use plastics or not caring enough to use them. Our environment suffers from our actions. Plastic pollution is a huge issue, and even more so microplastics are a big issue. By mandating recycling and educating about the consequences of our actions a change can be made and we can help to build sustainability in the United States, and this can be done through people like myself who care enough to educate and speak out to make a difference.