As a senior in High School I've known for a long time that I wanted a job that would help others. But that comes in a lot of different forms. Helping people could mean physically like a doctor, or educationally like a professor. I see helping others as looking at the big picture. If I can contribute to something that is experienced by everyone, I'll be able to make a huge difference. I see that opportunity through environmental science. I envision using skills I can learn about conservation and our planet's health to benefit the standard of living in eventually more places than just my city. Columbia Basin Community College is my ticket to achieving what I want to pursue. There are programs provided that cater specifically to solve problems experienced in the area. A large problem we are experiencing is Ozone pollution and hot spot areas. My area is also known for the Hanford Site, one of the most contaminated radiation sites in the world. The toxic properties once produced have left a lasting scar on our cities, and cleanup is vital to the health and safety of the hundreds of thousands of people living here. My grandfather worked in close association with the Handord Site and has been battling cancer and other health issues since. My grandfather and countless others who risk their lives day to day for the better of our community inspire me to make a difference too. I believe that I possess the dedication and raw emotion connected to helping our ecosystems recover from pollution. One reason why is because of my commitment to one school club that changed my life. Ecology Club is a club that educates its members on the importance of environmental awareness and the physical labor put into making a greener world. For each of the three years I have been in the club, we have grown, sold, and donated roughly 600 plants in total. From these intensive projects, I have gained a network of people and organizations who protect ecosystems for a living. Seeing what they do and how much joy it brings them enforces my views on this career path. Reducing these issues is a large reason why I want to work in this career field. I know that many communities are being torn apart and weakened by the poor living conditions provided to them. Water, air, and ground can all be polluted and inevitably affect a community's survival. This growing awareness drives me to make a change and to care for people and their lives personally. Hispanic communities and other people of color are one of the most exposed groups to pollutants. The thought that others are suffering without resources to aid them has inspired me to fight for those in need. Whether my education drops me into a career where I can physically collaborate with low-income communities or improve their way of life, I will be fulfilled in knowing that I made a difference. When I was a junior I always found myself answering questions about my future career plans with “I don't know yet”. That indecisiveness was hard to break out of. I have gained a huge amount of knowledge since then and face that question now once again, knowing that I want to help Hispanic communities worldwide battle pollution. With the generous aid and kindness delivered in this scholarship, I would love to pursue a career that pushes the boundaries of helping our climate and strengthening our communities.

I've known for a long time that I wanted a job that would help others. But that comes in a lot of different forms. Helping people could mean physically like a doctor, or educationally like a professor. I see helping others as looking at the big picture. If I can contribute to something that is experienced by everyone, I'll be able to make a huge difference. I see that opportunity through environmental science. I envision using skills I can learn about conservation and our planet's health to benefit the standard of living in eventually more places than just my city. Columbia Basin Community College is my ticket to achieving what I want to pursue. There are programs provided that cater specifically to solve problems experienced in the area. A large problem we are experiencing is Ozone pollution and hot spot areas. My area is also known for the Hanford Site, one of the most contaminated radiation sites in the world. The toxic properties once produced have left a lasting scar on our cities, and cleanup is vital to the health and safety of the hundreds of thousands of people living here. My grandfather worked in close association with the Handord Site and has been battling cancer and other health issues since. His dedication to his job came with many sacrifices but I have never been more inspired by him. My grandfather and countless others who risk their lives day to day for the better of our community inspire me to make a difference too. Reducing these issues is a large reason why I want to work in this career field. I know that many communities are being torn apart and weakened by the poor living conditions provided to them. Water, air, and ground can all be polluted and inevitably affect a community's survival. This growing awareness drives me to make a change and to care for people and their lives personally. Hispanic communities and other people of color are one of the most exposed groups to pollutants. The thought that others are suffering without resources to aid them has inspired me to fight for those in need. Whether my education drops me into a career where I can physically collaborate with low-income communities or improve their way of life, I will be fulfilled in knowing that I made a difference. When I was a junior I always found myself answering questions about my future career plans with “I don't know yet”. That indecisiveness was hard to break out of. I have gained a huge amount of knowledge since then and face that question now once again, knowing that I want to help Hispanic communities worldwide battle pollution.

I've known for a long time that I wanted a job that would help others. But that comes in a lot of different forms. Helping people could mean physically like a doctor, or educationally like a professor. I see my opportunity in environmental science. I envision using skills I can learn about conservation and our planet's health to benefit the standard of living in more places than just my city. College is my ticket to achieving what I want to pursue. There are programs provided that cater specifically to solve problems experienced in the area. My area is known for the Hanford Site, one of the most contaminated radiation sites in the world. The toxic properties once produced have left a lasting scar on our cities, and cleanup is vital to the safety of everyone living here. My grandfather worked closely with the Handord Site and has been battling health issues since. His dedication to his job came with many sacrifices but I have never been more inspired by him. My grandfather and countless others who risk their lives day to day for the better of our community inspire me to make a difference too. Reducing these issues is a large reason why I want to work in this career field. I know that many communities are being torn apart and weakened by pollution which inevitably affects a community's survival. This growing awareness drives me to make a change and to care for people and their lives personally. When I was a junior I always found myself answering questions about my future career plans with “I don't know yet”. I have gained a strong desire to aid in global action since then and face that question now once again, knowing that I want to help Hispanic communities worldwide battle pollution.

I've known for a long time that I wanted a job that would help others. But that comes in a lot of different forms. Helping people could mean physically like a doctor, or educationally like a professor. I see helping others as looking at the big picture. I see that opportunity through environmental science. I envision using skills I can learn about conservation and our planet's health to benefit the standard of living in eventually more places than just my city. A degree in environmental science has been my top goal since deciding to pursue a higher education. Help from generous scholarships like these are my ticket to achieving my dreams. There are programs in my area that cater specifically to solving problems experienced locally. A large problem we are experiencing is Ozone pollution and hot spot areas that harm our land and water. My area is also known for the Hanford Site, one of the most contaminated radiation sites in the world. The toxic properties once produced have left a lasting scar on our cities, and cleanup is vital to the health and safety of the hundreds of thousands of people living here. I understand that my city is a long way from the ocean, but just imagining the damage radiation could do to our oceans pushes me to have an interest in this field. My grandfather worked in close association with the Handord Site and has been battling cancer and other health issues since. His dedication to his job came with many sacrifices but I have never been more inspired by him. My grandfather and countless others who risk their lives day to day for the better of our community inspire me to make a difference too. Reducing these issues is a large reason why I want to work in this career field. I know that many communities are being torn apart and weakened by a lack of clean water provided to them. Water, air, and ground can all be polluted and inevitably affect a community's survival. This growing awareness drives me to make a change and to care for people and their lives personally. Hispanic communities and other people of color are one of the most exposed groups to pollutants. The thought that others are suffering without resources to aid them has inspired me to fight for those in need. Whether my education drops me into a career where I can physically collaborate with non-profits to clean up our oceans, I will be fulfilled in knowing that I made a difference. When I was a junior I always found myself answering questions about my future career plans with “I don't know yet”. That indecisiveness was hard to break out of. I have gained a huge amount of knowledge since then and face that question now once again, knowing that I want to help Hispanic communities worldwide battle the pollution of our oceans.