My name is Jose de Jesus Mendoza. As a freshman, I volunteered at my high school's Eco Club. I was soon voted club president and found myself and the club deeply immersed in ecological restoration work in our local canyons. Joining San Diego Canyonlands or the Ocean Discovery Institute, formerly Aquatic Adventures for Invasive species mitigation, native plant restoration, and removing garbage from our neighborhood canyons & beaches became a routine for me & my clubmates. Four years later, as a senior in high school, I was hired by San Diego Canyonlands to lead other volunteers doing the & very same type of work. Our goal was to turn this natural space which had essentially become a neighborhood dumping ground, back into what it was intended: a protected nesting area for scrubland and watershed species of birds & a place for the community to enjoy nature. To accomplish this, we had to turn the community into watchful stewards of these spaces. With the help of thousands of volunteers, we slowly accomplished our goal. Entire hillsides that were once covered with nothing with mattresses and invasive grasses are now lush with native shrubs and flowers. Even more amazing was the removal of miles of Arundo donax, an invasive bamboo-like grass that covered the creekbeds of several canyons. I'm proud to say I led countless work parties towards these efforts, and it's been some of the most rewarding work I've ever had the privilege of performing. This was also the first time I learned I had a knack and love for teaching. Not only was I tasked with teaching volunteers how to safely navigate the rough terrain, but I would teach them about the invasive and native plants, their uses, and their benefits to the terrain and to the water downstream. I soon began leading educational guided tours for adults, as well as outdoor learning activities for local fourth graders as part of our "Kids in Canyons" program. The focus of the workshops I ran was on teaching these young kids how to be stewards of their local canyons. We crafted a giant laminated map of our neighborhood & the kids were given a few legos to "build their house" and were tasked with finding where they lived on the map. They then had to locate the canyon closest to their home. Many were surprised to have a canyon as a backyard. The best part was, how conscious these kids were about their potential impact on their local canyon, and as I routinely emphasized, the ocean downstream. You could see the wheels turning in their eyes as they thought up a potential answer to my question: "What is one way you directly impact your neighborhood canyon?" I am currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in Agricultural Plant Science with a potential focus on either irrigation & water management, soil science, or urban & community management. I just received my associate for transfer in Agricultural Plant Science from the College of the Desert, and will be transferring in the fall. I spend my free time gardening or volunteering with the Indio High School Future Farmers of America chapter, and am very passionate about local sustainable agriculture. This, coupled with my background in ecological restoration, and the fact that I live near the Salton Sea, make sustainable agriculture as well as oceanic health a very interesting subject for me. I hope to one day help solve the ecological disaster of the Salton Sea, potentially through a system of plant-based water filtration. Earning this scholarship would be an amazing opportunity & aid towards that goal.

My name is Jose de Jesus Mendoza. I began my green journey when I was a freshman in high school. It was then that I began volunteering at my high school's Eco Club, and our main focus became performing ecological restoration in the local canyons. I was voted club president by my sophomore year and found myself and the club deeply immersed in this work. Joining San Diego Canyonlands or the Ocean Discovery Institute, formerly Aquatic Adventures for Invasive species mitigation, native plant restoration, and removing garbage from our neighborhood canyons & beaches became a routine for me & my clubmates. Four years later, as a senior in high school, I was hired by San Diego Canyonlands to lead other volunteers doing the & very same type of work. Our goal was to turn this natural space which had essentially become a neighborhood dumping ground, back into what it was intended: a protected nesting area for scrubland birds & a place for the community to enjoy nature. With the help of thousands of volunteers, we slowly but surely accomplished our goal. Entire hillsides that were once covered with nothing with mattresses and invasive grasses are now lush with native shrubs and flowers. Even more amazing was the removal of miles of Arundo donax, an invasive bamboo-like grass that covered the creekbeds of several canyons. I'm proud to say I led countless work parties towards these efforts, and it's been some of the most rewarding work I've ever had the privilege of performing. This was also the first time I learned I had a knack and love for teaching. Not only was I tasked with teaching volunteers how to safely navigate the rough terrain, but I would teach them about the invasive and native plants, their uses, and their benefits to the terrain and water. I soon began leading educational guided tours for adults, as well as outdoor learning activities for local fourth graders as part of our "Kids in Canyons" program. The focus of the workshops I ran was on teaching these young kids how to be stewards of their local canyons. We had a giant laminated map of our neighborhood & the kids were given a few legos to "craft their house" and were tasked with finding where they lived on the map. They then had to locate the canyon closest to their home. Many were surprised that they essentially had the canyon as a backyard and never realized it. The best part was, how conscious these kids were about their potential impact. You could see the wheels turning in their eyes as they thought up a potential answer to my question: "What is one way you directly impact your neighborhood canyon?" I am currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in Agricultural Plant Science with a potential focus on either Agronomy or Urban & Community Farming. I just received my associate for transfer in Agricultural Plant Science from the College of the Desert, and will be transferring schools in the fall. I spend my free time gardening or volunteering with the local Indio High School Future Farmers of America chapter, and have grown to be very passionate about sustainable agriculture. This, coupled with my background in ecological restoration makes me want to pursue a career in small-scale sustainable farming, so I can teach others about the beauty of working with nature instead of against it. As a returning student and an incoming transfer student this fall, this scholarship would be an immeasurable help in finally completing my bachelor's. Thank you very much for considering me.

I plan to pursue a degree in Agriculture Plant Science. I will most likely want to work as an educator. I believe it's our responsibility to educate the public on the importance of sustainable agriculture and ecological conservation, especially in these uncertain times. I live in the middle of a heavily agricultural area. It is not uncommon for me to drive past barren fields which kick up dust storms on windy days. I've only recently come to appreciate how valuable viable soil is, yet the idea that farmers are allowed to leave fields bare between plantings already baffles me. Not only does it create unsafe driving conditions, and a health crisis for locals, but literal inches of viable soil are being blown away and lost. The fact that the farmers would allow their precious resource to get blown away by the wind tells me they are either ok with spending more money in the long run on fertilizers, soil amendments, and tilling, or they don't understand how truly detrimental soil erosion is, especially to themselves. I volunteer with organizations that strive to promote local stewardship between the environment and community so that the two become self managing and self sustaining. One of the way we do this is by planting native plants and creating community gardens that qualify as pollinator gardens. Building spaces that are inviting to native bees or other pollinators is critical to the health of the environment. We also teach the differences between native and non-native plants, and the respective positive or negative impact they may have on the soil, animals, or neighboring plants. One of the properties of many of the native plants in Southern California is that they tend to have much deeper root systems. These root systems do a great job of holding soil in place, and planting more of them also provides food, and often times shelter for native wildlife. If able to continue my education, I will bring the knowledge I gain to this fight, and keep striving to build a world where we can grow all the food we can, while keeping our environmental impact in check.

I am pursuing a degree in the agricultural field, more specifically, plant science. Without science, we as a society would not be where we are, and without it, we definitely cannot advance further. We must turn to science to solve the impending food crisis. How can a planet with ever diminishing viable soil feed a population that just keeps increasing exponentially year after year? The answer is a mixture of sustainable agricultural practices as well as new advancements in the world of science. Say we start treating soil like the valuable resource that it is, and stop covering it up with asphalt and concrete. Say we start growing food vertically, especially in urban centers, to maximize our growing capacity without having to clear forests. Imagine if all farmers everywhere were required to rotate their crops as well as plant cover crops to promote soil health and prevent erosion. The face of agriculture is changing, and so will the way we do things. The outdated infrastructure and lack of commitment to protect our finite resources are alien concepts to the new generation of farmers. The rise of the Covid 19 Pandemic showed us just how frail our current food system is. The massive farms and processing centers that keep American's fridges stocked year round are just not sustainable. During this time when processing centers were shut down, we saw animals being put down simply to save them the horror of starving to death. The irony is that the public very much wanted to buy locally grown produce, or locally raised meat, yet farmers markets, farmers, and ranchers were scarce in number and difficult to get to. The impending food crisis is just one of the many reasons I have chosen to volunteer with the local chapter of Future Farmers of America to help bring locally raised meat into my community. As part of their Animal Science or Horticulture classes, High School FFA students buy and raise animals to sell at market. The key difference between their animals and animals from factory farms is quality of life and sustainable practices. First off, the FFA animals are bought locally to avoid the monetary and environmental cost of trucking them in. The kids are invested in every aspect of the animal's wellbeing. If they get sick, they must tend to them. If they need to put on weight, they need to adjust their feed ratios. They are also routinely groomed, weighed, and washed as needed. What stands out to me the most however is that they exercise their animals every day. The kids need to be able to show and handle their animal at fair, and this activity gives both kid and animal plenty of practice. Whether its discovering that key piece of research that will enable us to thrive, or simply teaching the next generation about the importance of sustainable practices, I will find joy in pursuing a degree in science.

My favorite Disney character for a while has been Kuzco, the initially unlikeable and tyrannical ruler of an animated ancient city of Peru in Disney's "The Emperors New Groove". Kuzco stands out to me as a character, because his character development ark is not the typical one you would expect from a Disney film protagonist. He starts the film as one of the most hated characters, and for good reason. He is self-centered, has no empathy for his people, is quick to dish out punishment, but worst of all, he intends to uproot an entire village to build himself a summer home water park. He can only be described as a protagonist villain, and goes on to be the victim of a failed assassination by the true villain in the story, his advisor Yzma. Kuzco ends up going on a journey of self awareness and humility after being turned into a llama during the failed assassination. Alongside Pacha, one of the very villagers he so casually tried to kick out of their homes, he slowly learns how to be a decent person again. By the end of the film, Kuzco would go as far as risking his life for Pacha, and considered him a friend, something the Kuzko at the beginning of the film could never have fathomed. Kuzco teaches us about the importance of empathy, and perfectly pays homage to the saying "you can't understand someone until you've walked a mile in their shoes." The film ends with Pacha nd Kuzco living together as neighbors, with the troublesome waterpark on a nearby hill.

Majoring in Plant Biology or perhaps even Environmental Science, and subsequently becoming a science teacher is not something I have considered my entire life, however I really can't imagine being anything else. As I lived my life, my experiences in true-life applications of Agricultural Plant Science and Environmental Conservation sparked an interest in me. I look back on my several jobs over the years and all the things I have strived to be, but none have ever brought me more joy than my time at San Diego Canyonlands. While employed there, one of the many hats I wore, included outdoor educator. As such, I would lead volunteers on nature walks and facilitate outdoor lessons and restoration work with local elementary kids through our Kids in Canyons program. I spent the better part of a decade mitigating invasive plants and teaching volunteers about the positive impact that native ones can have on a watershed. My understanding of these systems has only been made stronger as I enrolled in Native Plants, Soil Science, Plant Science, and Horticulture courses at my community college. I’ve come to understand exactly why erosion of viable soil is so detrimental, or the science behind plant-based water filtration in watersheds, and am fascinated by it. To broaden my horizon even further, I also started volunteering with the local Future Farmers of America Chapter in my area. When first I arrived in the Coachella valley, I had no prior knowledge of a national organization known as FFA. Now, building floral arrangements, tending the school garden, or raising pigs & steer for the Indio Date Festival is practically second nature to me. Despite the name, the organization caters to students interested in all kinds of careers like science, ranching, education, medicine, and business, not just farming. Thanks to my time with them, I know fully understand the vast scope under which Agriculture falls and have even had the opportunity to network with some of the many Industry professionals they partner with on a day-to-day basis. Certified Master Gardeners, professors, local farmers, and even fellow students with their foot in the industry, have all become indispensable resources, allies, and inspiration as I continue my education. I am able to build on my many real world experiences and natural curiosities in this field to be a better student. I am confident it will also make me a better science teacher candidate.

I want to show my community, country, and world that enjoying our natural open spaces is a privilege and we should change how we interact with our environment for the benefit of us all. Sustainable agriculture, environmental conservation, and community stewardship are tools we should readily employ if we want a chance at reversing some of the damage we have done to our environment. I attended my first Manzanita Canyon clean up during my freshman year of high school. Trash pickers in the air, the 2007 Eco Club smiled for the camera as they combed the canyon for litter. Every time I visit San Diego, I always gravitate towards one of my old San Diego Canyonlands restoration work sites. Everyone always talks about how they’ve uplifted a community. Few people actually leave a lasting impression on the people in it, let alone an intertwined network of trails, murals, and native plant walkways that generations to come will be able to enjoy. The areas I used to restore and protect in what seems like a past life, are now totally unrecognizable. What really brings me joy, is that volunteers are still working at it, improving upon all the work we’ve already put in over the years. It means that our mission to have the community embrace stewardship of their natural open spaces was a success. Kids who I used to lead on nature hikes are now running the show themselves. Miles of desolate fields and hillsides brimming with trash from years of dumping have been transformed into pristine trails surrounded by lush natives and made official by the brand-new trail guides and information kiosks that have since been added. The before and after pictures of the sites are so telling, they’ve become one of the main focal points of achievements for the organization. Every sweet-smelling patch of sage scrub, every trail, every community member that walks through with their dog, is a lasting reminder of the amount of work my volunteers and I invested in our community, and the work that is still being done. I know it can be done. It might have been on a small scale, but it serves as an example that stewardship does work. If everyday people embrace and care for their local environment, we can collectively achieve something far greater, and that is changing people's attitudes towards the environment and their sense of obligation to care for it.

The biggest challenge I have faced has to be overcoming the socio-economic status I was born into. With only my mom to support my four sisters and I, it’s always been an uphill battle to leave our life of poverty behind. Growing up, meals were simple beans and tortillas, and for the longest time, all of our clothes had to be bought second hand. My sister’s and I quickly realized that if we wanted to improve our quality of life, and our mom’s, we would have to take measures into our own hands. Everyone in my childhood home worked, kids, guests, everyone. I think I’ve worked for as long as I can remember. When I was in grade school, I joined my uncle on construction sites, helping to dig holes and sweep up loose nails. In middle school, I began cleaning offices with my mother and sisters after hours, and as soon as it was legal to, I even got a job of my own to help with personal expenses. When I wasn’t cleaning offices, or lucky enough to land a paid internship, I was selling newspaper subscriptions door to door. It was not uncommon for me to work my sales job after school, only to come home to my mother and sisters waiting for me to head out to our second job as a family. I firmly believe that it was because of the grueling responsibility of 2 jobs, homework, and the many extracurricular endeavors I took part in, that I was able to maintain over a 4.0 up until graduating. I often find myself pondering if my life would have been easier if I didn’t have to work from such a young age. Persevering in that environment turned me into someone who will be forever grateful for what they have but will always strive to achieve more for the sake of himself and those he loves. My dream is to live a life free of the everyday stress that food and financial insecurity creates. I not only want the ability to financially support myself, I want to be able to teach those around me how to support and better themselves as well by living and growing food more sustainably. This is what this scholarship would mean to my secondary education. It's an opportunity to better myself and lift up all those around me at the same time. If there's anything currently standing in my way other than my financial status, it would have to be my own insecurity. As a returning student, there is definitely the fear that I am wasting my time yet again pursuing a degree that might not bear job prospects in the future. Additionally, the majority of schools I am interested in would require me to move to another city, or perhaps even out of state, leaving everything familiar to me behind. This very fear has stopped me from considering what is best for me as a student and I've stopped short of applying to several schools with unique degree programs for this reason. I've since decided to embrace the unknown, and am currently applying to more and more schools, despite the distance. I'm comforted by the fact that I won't have to make a final decision until I hear from all of them, and in the meantime I am doing research on every University and their respective surrounding areas.