I grew up in Louisianna where a passion for fishing taught me to notice small things — water clarity, or the creep of invasive plants and species — and to feel responsible for them. I plan to study environmental science and business so I can translate that duty into practical impact. Scientific training will give me the tools to identify and measure problems. Business knowledge translates those findings into investable projects with sustainable outcomes. You must have both, as a good idea that can’t attract financing or fit into existing systems won’t reduce emissions at scale. I believe that to mitigate climate change, we must create a global ecosystem that is business-minded and can also be profitable. There are many small steps that everyone can take to reduce their carbon footprint, none of which are radical on their own but together they change habits, markets, and expectations. The key is to find a cause that you are passionate about and bring other friends and family members along to help support it. My passion continues to circle-back to fishing. On one of these trips, I noticed a large amount of clothing being disposed of in waterways. I discovered that the average American throws away 80 pounds of clothing every year. I thought this was crazy, given older clothing was more stylish and less expensive. I began thrifting disposed clothing and selling some on-line and donating the remainder to students at my dad’s middle school who were financially disadvantaged. It was a great way to help the environment, others, and give me a little extra money. Protecting the environment began for me as a personal love of fishing and protecting our waterways. My studies will turn that into scalable solutions, that are good for the ecosystem, community and economy.

I grew up in Louisiana, where a passion for fishing taught me to notice small changes—water clarity, returning birds, the slow creep of invasive plants—and to feel responsible for them. I plan to study environmental science and entrepreneurship so I can translate that responsibility into practical impact. Scientific training will give me the tools to identify and measure problems—water chemistry, carbon fluxes, biodiversity trends—and to evaluate solutions rigorously. Business training will turn those solutions into investable projects with sustainable outcomes. Both are essential: a brilliant idea that can’t attract financing or a business that isn’t profitable won’t survive. My goal is to help businesses become eco-friendly and profitable, because they can be both. My love of fishing and protecting waterways has grown into community action and a small business idea. After lacrosse practice, a few teammates and I often fish a nearby pond or stream and always pick up trash as we wait for our next bite. On one of those trips, I noticed a surprising amount of clothing in the water. When I researched the issue a bit further, I learned the average American discards more than 80 pounds of clothing a year. That stuck with me—older vintage clothing is often more stylish and cheaper than new items—so I began rescuing clothes that would otherwise end up in landfills. My mom taught me basic stain removal and mending. I started selling some restored pieces through an online store and donating the rest to students at my dad’s middle school who were financially disadvantaged. It was my first taste of entrepreneurship: helping the environment, supporting my community, and earning a little money. Volunteer efforts and community cleanups create value but rarely scale without market mechanisms. Entrepreneurship lets me design financially viable ventures that persist beyond initial goodwill. I’m developing a business plan for a “Community ThreadLoop,” an ecosystem to divert wearable clothing from landfills by making repair, reuse, and resale easy, affordable, and social. This will require new skills, community partnerships, and engaging events that attract support and build momentum for both a cause and a business. A robust business plan—one that includes clear metrics to track impact—will convert a local idea into a replicable model that protects waterways, uplifts neighbors, and shows stewardship can be both ethical and economically viable. I bring curiosity, initiative, and a drive to improve how things are done. Further education in environmental science and entrepreneurship will let me turn local action into scalable, measurable solutions that benefit ecosystems, communities, and the economy. I’m ready to do the work that makes those solutions last.

I grew up in Louisianna where a passion for fishing taught me to notice small things — water clarity, returning birds, the slow creep of invasive plants and species — and to feel responsible for them. My passion for fishing and protecting our waterways has stayed with me as I grew up. On several of my fishing trips with a few friends, I was surprised to find a large amount of clothing being disposed of in waterways. It was decent clothing that just needed a few stains removed to be useful to someone and prevent polluting my fishing pond. I did some research and learned that the average American throws away over 80 pounds of clothing every year. I thought this was crazy, given the older vintage clothing was more stylish and less expensive than new clothing. I started collecting old clothes that would have been disposed of, cleaning it and then selling some through my on-line store and donating the remainder of the clothes to students at my dad’s middle school who were financially disadvantaged. It was a great way to help the environment, others, and give me a little extra money- my first entrepreneurship experience while supporting my passion. I plan to study environmental science and entrepreneurship so I can translate my duty for the environment into practical impact. If I had the money and resources available, I would create a “Community ThreadLoop”- an ecosystem focused on diverting wearable clothing from landfills by making repair, reuse and resale easy, fun and affordable. This will require new skill development, community partnerships and fun social events that attract support and build momentum for a good cause and business opportunity. My mom taught me several good ways to remove stains from the clothing I collected by mixing products found around the house or how to sew a new button on a shirt. But to support a broader community initiative will require developing new skills focused on sewing, mending, alterations and creative upcycling (repurposing unusable clothing into new products like purses, bags or art). These skills can be taught and learned through local sewing clubs, vocational schools or even high school home economics classes. Teaching these skills can allow for monthly “pop-up repair cafes” where those skilled to do the work are matched and paid to make repairs on clothing that would otherwise have been thrown away. Partnering with local schools, churches, businesses and non-profit organizations can allow for easy collection and donation of unwanted clothing for repair, resale or upcycling. Hosting donation campaigns or upcycling competitions at schools are great ways for increasing awareness and turning a good cause into a social event. Creating a robust platform for peer-to-peer swap and resale should include both a virtual platform for posting items and in-person swap and sales events. These events should be fun social events with food and music featuring suppliers with unique styles and products. I have been to “thrift fests” with some of the most unique vintage styles. One guy only collected Harley Davidson clothes and another girl upcycled damaged clothes into hats for your pet. The vendors get to know each other and style creating a supportive ecosystem. Building a business plan including metrics to track our impact (weight diverted, repairs/upcycles completed, volunteer hours, estimated CO2 emissions avoided) will expand a local idea into a replicable model that protects waterways, uplifts neighbors, and proves that stewardship and sustainability can be both ethical and economically viable.

I grew up in Louisianna where a passion for fishing taught me to notice small things — water clarity, returning birds, the slow creep of invasive plants and species — and to feel responsible for them. I plan to study environmental science and entrepreneurship so I can translate that duty into practical impact. Scientific training will give me the tools to identify and measure problems — water chemistry, carbon fluxes, biodiversity trends — and evaluate solutions rigorously. Business knowledge translates those findings into investable projects with sustainable outcomes. You must have both, as a good idea that can’t attract financing or a business that is not profitable will not survive. My goal is to help businesses become ecofriendly and profitable- as they can do both. My passion for fishing and protecting our waterways continues to evolve, getting more community support and finding new business opportunities. I have a couple teammates on my lacrosse team that share my passion for fishing, so we go out to a local pond or stream after practice and throw a few lines in while picking up trash and debris. On one of these trips, I noticed a large amount of clothing being disposed of in waterways. I did some research and learned that the average American throws away over 80 pounds of clothing every year. I thought this was crazy, given the older vintage clothing was more stylish and less expensive than new clothing. I started thrifting clothes that would have been disposed of, then selling some through my on-line store and donating the remainder of the clothes to students at my dad’s middle school who were financially disadvantaged. It was a great way to help the environment, others, and give me a little extra money- my first entrepreneurship experience while supporting my passion. An entrepreneurial path bridges the gap between projects and broader adoption. Volunteer efforts and community cleanups create value but rarely scale without market mechanisms. Entrepreneurship allows me to design financially viable ventures—for example, restoration projects that generate credible carbon credits, circular-economy platforms for textiles, or local services that lower emissions and create jobs. Business skills will allow me to structure financing, measure return-on-impact, and build systems that persist beyond my initial enthusiasm. I have an innate curiosity, initiative, and desire to learn. I am constantly looking for ways to improve or do things differently. Furthering my education will turn my passion into scalable and measurable solutions, that are good for the ecosystem, community and economy.

I grew up in Louisianna where a passion for fishing taught me to notice small things — water clarity, returning birds, the slow creep of invasive plants and species — and to feel responsible for them. I plan to study environmental science and business so I can translate that duty into practical impact. Scientific training will give me the tools to identify and measure problems — water chemistry, carbon fluxes, biodiversity trends — and evaluate solutions rigorously. Business knowledge translates those findings into investable projects with sustainable outcomes. You must have both, as a good idea that can’t attract financing or fit into existing systems won’t reduce emissions at scale. I believe that to mitigate climate change and protect human rights, we must create a global ecosystem that is business-minded and can also be profitable. There are many small steps that everyone can take to reduce their carbon footprint, none of which are radicial on their own but together they change habits, markets, and expectations. A few recommendations that I give my family include driving less and choosing to ride a bike more often, making their home more efficient with smart thermostats, LED lightbulbs and unplugging unused electronics, supporting clean energy and recycling. The key is to find a cause that you are passionate about and bring other friends and family members along to help support it. My passion continues to circle-back to fishing in Louisianna and protecting our waterways. I have a couple teammates on my lacrosse team that share my passion for fishing, so we go out to a local pond or stream after practice and throw a few lines in while picking up trash and debris. On one of these trips, I noticed a large amount of clothing being disposed of in waterways. I did some research and learned that the average American throws away over 80 pounds of clothing every year. I thought this was crazy, given the older vintage clothing was more stylish and less expensive than new clothing. I started thrifting clothes that would have been disposed of, then selling some through my on-line store and donating the remainder of the clothes to students at my dad’s middle school who were financially disadvantaged. It was a great way to help the environment, others, and give me a little extra money. Protecting the environment began for me as a personal love of fishing and protecting our waterways. My studies will turn that into scalable solutions, that are good for the ecosystem, community and economy.

I grew up in Louisianna where a passion for fishing taught me to notice small things — water clarity, returning birds, the slow creep of invasive plants and species — and to feel responsible for them. I plan to study environmental science and business so I can translate that duty into practical impact. Scientific training will give me the tools to identify and measure problems — water chemistry, carbon fluxes, biodiversity trends — and evaluate solutions rigorously. Business knowledge translates those findings into investable projects with sustainable outcomes. You must have both, as a good idea that can’t attract financing or fit into existing systems won’t reduce emissions at scale. I believe that to mitigate climate change and protect human rights, we must create a global ecosystem that is business-minded and can also be profitable. There are many small steps that everyone can take to reduce their carbon footprint, none of which are radicial on their own but together they change habits, markets, and expectations. A few recommendations that I give my family include driving less and choosing to ride a bike more often, making their home more efficient with smart thermostats, LED lightbulbs and unplugging unused electronics, supporting clean energy and recycling. The key is to find a cause that you are passionate about and bring other friends and family members along to help support it. My passion continues to circle-back to fishing in Louisianna and protecting our waterways. I have a couple teammates on my lacrosse team that share my passion for fishing, so we go out to a local pond or stream after practice and throw a few lines in while picking up trash and debris. On one of these trips, I noticed a large amount of clothing being disposed of in waterways. I did some research and learned that the average American throws away over 80 pounds of clothing every year. I thought this was crazy, given the older vintage clothing was more stylish and less expensive than new clothing. I started thrifting clothes that would have been disposed of, then selling some through my on-line store and donating the remainder of the clothes to students at my dad’s middle school who were financially disadvantaged. It was a great way to help the environment, others, and give me a little extra money. Protecting the environment began for me as a personal love of fishing and protecting our waterways. My studies will turn that into scalable solutions, that are good for the ecosystem, community and economy.

On the varsity lacrosse team, the senior group defined what “fitting in” looked like: late-night parties, casual hookups, and an active social life. As a younger player, I felt the pressure to follow that path but didn’t sit right with me. I was quieter and cared about fishing and the quiet routines of conservation work — hobbies that felt distant from the team’s social scene. Rather than folding myself into someone I wasn’t, I decided to stay true to myself. When teammates brought up weekend parties, I declined. When conversations veered toward gossip and conquest, I steered them to other topics or excused myself. A few older players teased me, and there were moments when I questioned whether I’d made the right choice. But by staying consistent, I attracted attention from a few teammates who respected restraint more than spectacle. A few of my teammates who didn’t get much playing time but were committed and showed up every day spent most games sitting on the bench. I started engaging them to find out what other interests or hobbies they had and asked them if they would like to learn how to fish. I taught them how to line poles and different ways to tie hooks. They learned which bait to use for catching fish in different seasons. We would also take the opportunity to pick up trash and liter at the creeks and ponds that we fished. I always kept a roll of trash bags in my truck and we usually left with at least 2 full bags of trash. I also helped my friends understand which fish to keep (and to only keep the amount that you are going to eat) and to return the smaller ones. We all agreed that these simple actions were our duty to keep the ponds clean and healthy so we could continue to fish them in the future. The three of us started to keep our fishing gear in our cars, so after a tough practice- we would go find a pond and throw a few fishing lines in to unwind and relax. After a week or so, a few other teammates noticed our fishing gear and asked what we were doing. Before long, we had a couple of other players joining us and it expanded to weekend fishing excursions and fast food runs after. It turned into a fun and supportive “fishing club” that spawned from openness on the bench of a lacrosse team. Staying true to myself didn’t just spare me the discomfort of pretending. It created space for others to be themselves. By choosing values over conformity and organizing a group centered on respect and shared purpose, I helped turn a few quiet fishing trips into a more inclusive culture that continues to grow.