I was born in rural upstate NY in a farming community; my closest memories were that of watching the seasons change, the cow herds wander, and the rivers split through the valleys. When I was eight I moved to a bustling NYC suburb and I felt like I had been stripped from everything I knew: farms, wildlife, forests and silence. At first, adjusting here was difficult, the sounds and the diversity was much different from what I had known. As I settled in, I realized that growing up in two completely different environments allowed me to have a unique perspective on the relationship between people and places. This same perspective brought me to overcome my fears going into a three-week summer program in Iceland right before my freshman year, at a time when everything felt uncertain. This trip was my first time traveling without my family and because it was after Covid, social interaction felt unfamiliar and intimidating. I was overwhelmed about traveling to a new country with strangers, but I also knew how much this opportunity would bring for me. So despite my concerns, I went. Beyond personal growth, the program opened a whole new pathway to environmental science. I learned how the island used geothermal and hydroelectric energy, toured their biggest power plant, and climbed on glaciers. Being able to see firsthand how people and places can adapt, and how Iceland could balance sustainability with culture inspired me to carry my interest throughout my high school career. I became more involved in my science classrooms and connected my learning with what I had witnessed. Whenever I feel curiosity about a new topic, I can find myself returning to the excitement I felt in Iceland. What began as an intimidating leap into the unknown soon became a pivotal experience. Iceland didn't just light the way for my academic path, but it gave me the confidence I needed for that next chapter in my life. In the future I hope to contribute more to this cause as I pursue my career in Marine Biology. I am set on making sure our environment is safe for all animals, and that their habitats are not destroyed by our failure to keep it clean. Making matters worse, climate change impoverishes our environment and is an issue I have witnessed throughout my life, from an early age at girl scouts as I cleaned up trash on the side of the road, to my crew practices on the river watching debris float by. Now, my AP class in Environmental Science has furthered my knowledge on what most think are small issues like pollution and waste, but are greatly adding to global warming. Rising temperatures due to GHGs continue to damage the air quality, ocean and wildlife around us. Without immediate action these problems will continue to worsen for future generations. To help these efforts, recycling and sustainability are mandatory for reducing waste, conserving natural resources and lowering our emissions. Simple actions can resolve these issues - such as reducing single use plastics, reusing materials, and properly recycling - ensuring waste will not end up in oceans or landfills. These ideas can also be combined with government policies that can implement more drastic actions to ensure that people are doing the right thing. By combining education, innovation and a care for our Earth I believe I can play a valuable role in protecting and helping build a sustainable future.

I was born in rural upstate NY in a farming community; my closest memories were that of watching the seasons change, the cow herds wander, and the rivers split through the valleys. When I was eight I moved to a bustling NYC suburb and I felt like I had been stripped from everything I knew: farms, wildlife, forests and silence. At first, adjusting here was difficult, the sounds and the diversity was much different from what I had known. As I settled in, I realized that growing up in two completely different environments allowed me to have a unique perspective on the relationship between people and places. This same perspective brought me to overcome my fears going into a three-week summer program in Iceland right before my freshman year, at a time when everything felt uncertain. This trip was my first time traveling without my family and because it was after Covid, social interaction felt unfamiliar and intimidating. I was overwhelmed about traveling to a new country with strangers, but I also knew how much this opportunity would bring for me. So despite my concerns, I went. Those short three weeks taught me far more about the environment, but also about myself. At first it was hard to form connections, but being surrounded by a small group of people in a foreign country, I was forced to step out of my comfort zone. Day by day we grew closer, and the ability to quickly form friendships gave me the confidence I needed heading into high school. This taught me that connection doesn't have to be easy, but it requires a willingness to let people in, even after being closed off for so long. These friendships helped me to walk into my new school as not a quiet and reserved person but outgoing, as I knew I could find my place. Beyond personal growth, the program opened a whole new pathway to environmental science. I learned how the island used geothermal and hydroelectric energy, toured their biggest power plant, and climbed on glaciers. Being able to see firsthand how people and places can adapt, and how Iceland could balance sustainability with culture inspired me to carry my interest throughout my high school career. I became more involved in my science classrooms and connected my learning with what I had witnessed. Whenever I feel curiosity about a new topic, I can find myself returning to the excitement I felt in Iceland. What began as an intimidating leap into the unknown soon became a pivotal experience. Iceland didn't just light the way for my academic path, but it gave me the confidence I needed for that next chapter in my life. In the future I hope to contribute more to this cause as I pursue my career in Marine Biology. I am set on making sure our environment is safe for all animals, and that their habitats are not destroyed by our failure to keep it clean. By combining education, innovation and a care for our Earth I believe I can play a valuable role in protecting and helping build a sustainable future.

Climate change is an issue I have witnessed throughout my life, from an early age at girl scouts as I cleaned up trash on the side of the road, to my crew practices on the river watching debris float by. My AP Environmental Science class has further shown me how all of the small issues like pollution and waste are slowly adding to global warming. Rising temperatures due to these issues along with GHG's continue to damage the air quality, ocean and wildlife around us. Without immediate action these problems will continue to worsen for future generations. To help these efforts, recycling and sustainability are mandatory for reducing waste, conserving natural resources and lowing our emissions. Simple actions can resolve this - such as reducing single use plastics, reusing materials, and properly recycling - ensuring waste will not end up in oceans or landfills. These ideas can also be combined with government policies that can implement more drastic actions to ensure that people are doing the right thing. In the future I hope to contribute more to this cause as I pursue my career in Marine Biology. I am set on making sure our environment is safe for all animals, and that their habitats are not destroyed by our failure to keep it clean. By combining education, innovation and a care for our Earth I believe I can play a valuable role in protecting and helping build a sustainable future.

One of the most significant educational opportunities I’ve taken advantage of was a three-week summer program in Iceland right before my freshman year, at a time when everything felt uncertain. This trip was my first time traveling without my family and because it was after Covid, social interaction felt unfamiliar and intimidating. I was overwhelmed about traveling to a new country with strangers, but I also knew how much this opportunity would bring for me. So despite my concerns, I went. Those short three weeks taught me far more about the environment, but also about myself. At first it was hard to form connections, but being surrounded by a small group of people in a foreign country, I was forced to step out of my comfort zone. Day by day we grew closer, and the ability to quickly form friendships gave me the confidence I needed heading into high school. This taught me that connection doesn't have to be easy, but it requires a willingness to let people in, even after being closed off for so long. These friendships helped me to walk into my new school as not a quiet and reserved person but outgoing, as I knew I could find my place. Academically, the program opened a whole new pathway to environmental science. I learned how the island used geothermal and hydroelectric energy, toured their biggest power plant, and climbed on glaciers. Being able to see firsthand how people and places can adapt, and how Iceland could balance sustainability with culture inspired me to carry my interest throughout my high school career. I became more involved in my science classrooms and connected my learning with what I had witnessed. Whenever I feel curiosity about a new topic, I can find myself returning to the excitement I felt in Iceland. These experiences have powered the way I have gone about my high school career, and especially my senior year as I prepare to transfer to the college level. I am taking AP classes in Environmental science and Biology, as well as an elective course in Marine Biology. Taking these college level classes have shown me the work and the effort I will be able to drive with throughout my college career. What originally began as an intimidating leap into the unknown soon became a pivotal experience. Iceland didn't just light the way for my academic path, but it gave me the confidence I needed for that next chapter in my life.

One of the most significant educational opportunities I’ve taken advantage of was a three-week summer program in Iceland right before my freshman year, at a time when everything felt uncertain. This trip was my first time traveling without my family and because it was after Covid, social interaction felt unfamiliar and intimidating. I was overwhelmed about traveling to a new country with strangers, but I also knew how much this opportunity would bring for me. So despite my concerns, I went. Those short three weeks taught me far more about the environment, but also about myself. At first it was hard to form connections, but being surrounded by a small group of people in a foreign country, I was forced to step out of my comfort zone. Day by day we grew closer, and the ability to quickly form friendships gave me the confidence I needed heading into high school. This taught me that connection doesn't have to be easy, but it requires a willingness to let people in, even after being closed off for so long. These friendships helped me to walk into my new school as not a quiet and reserved person but outgoing, as I knew I could find my place. Academically, the program opened a whole new pathway to environmental science. I learned how the island used geothermal and hydroelectric energy, toured their biggest power plant, and climbed on glaciers. Being able to see firsthand how people and places can adapt, and how Iceland could balance sustainability with culture inspired me to carry my interest throughout my high school career. I became more involved in my science classrooms and connected my learning with what I had witnessed. Whenever I feel curiosity about a new topic, I can find myself returning to the excitement I felt in Iceland. These experiences have powered the way I have gone about my high school career, and especially my senior year as I prepare to transfer to the college level. I am taking AP classes in Environmental science and Biology, as well as an elective course in Marine Biology. Taking these college level classes have shown me the work and the effort I will be able to drive with throughout my college career. What originally began as an intimidating leap into the unknown soon became a pivotal experience. Iceland didn't just light the way for my academic path, but it gave me the confidence I needed for that next chapter in my life.