From choosing to turn the sink off when I'm brushing my teeth, to turning the lights off when there is plenty of natural light, I take a step towards reducing my carbon footprint and contributing to a healthier planet for my generation and those to come. Even through small changes, if enough people cultivate this mindset and adopt these hobbies, we could make a huge difference in reducing our footprint. For me, sustainability is a reminder that every choice we make in our daily lives affects the environment. I'm a sophomore at Penn State, majoring in Environmental Resource Management, and every day I make it a goal to learn one new thing I can do to make a positive impact on the environment. Growing up in Lancaster, PA, I've always been drawn to the outdoors. My father introduced me to an agricultural lifestyle through his work, and it's something that has stayed with me. One of my favorite hobbies is growing my own vegetables in our garden and harvesting my own food. My mom and I love canning homemade jellies and pickling vegetables and fruits from our garden every year. We also own a piece of land that we're trying to reforest and protect from potential mining. From growing my own food, to reusing and preserving what we harvest, these actions help me reduce waste and live independently. Reforesting our land is another step toward renewing and giving back, by protecting local ecosystems and reducing carbon emissions. Everything I do I hope to minimize my carbon footprint with and create a lifestyle that goes with my values of respecting and preserving the environment. Agribusiness is one of the main human causes of excess emissions and something I'm passionate about and want to look into once I get my degree. The consumers and producers struggle to find ways of making sustainable agriculture a part of their everyday lives, so population growth and consumer awareness contribute to sustainable agriculture and limit the risk of food insecurity, profit loss, and excess emissions. Consumers globally are feeling the effects of unsustainable agriculture. These emissions inflate climate change and make it hard to farm in certain areas. Due to unfit farming conditions or reduced amounts of space for the crops needed, farmers are forced to deforest. This is very concerning to the consumer because it is aiding in climate change, however, it is also depleting the risk of food insecurity because farmers are able to produce crops in greater quantities. More farms mean more water depletion, poor irrigation systems, and increased use of pesticides which can pollute waterways. The effects of pollution originating from the agricultural industry can be at least lessened. There are many ways to go about changing to more sustainable practices. The fight between demand and sustainability is continuous. However, people still find ways of farming that are better for the environment and are beneficial to the economy. Though it is hard to use certain practices most of the time, these practices are better for the environment and get the job done more efficiently. In society, population growth is detrimental to persons in the agricultural industry, so they must work around problems that pop up when farming to prevent the risk of food insecurity. Now, it is important to people from the agribusiness and the consumers to work around food insecurity while being able to prevent excess emissions and profit loss. Lowering my carbon footprint and inspiring others to do the same, we can help mitigate the impact of global warming, which affects not only us, but all living organisms.

Agriculture has always been a big part of my life. My dad used to be a farmer, and I am now going to Penn State for environmental resource management. I hope to pursue a career in agriculture where I can help preserve our resources and help implement sustainable agriculture. Today, due to unfit farming conditions or a reduced amount of space for the crops needed, farmers are forced to cut down trees for the space they need. This is very concerning to the consumer because it is aiding in climate change; however, it is also depleting the risk of food insecurity because farmers are able to produce crops in greater quantities. More farms mean more water depletion, poorer irrigation systems, and more use of pesticides, which can pollute waterways. The effects of pollution originating from the agricultural industry can be at least lessened. There are many ways to go about changing to more sustainable practices, and I want to be a part of helping implement these practices. I have fortunately been able to present in front of the World Food Prize Foundation and become a Borlaug scholar. Throughout that experience, I was able to learn about the importance of agriculture and how food insecurity impacts other countries. Consumers and producers struggle to find ways of making sustainable agriculture a part of their everyday lives, so population growth and consumer awareness contribute to sustainable agriculture and limit the risk of food insecurity, profit loss, and excess emissions. Consumers around the world are feeling the effects of unsustainable agriculture and I want to help combat this. The fight between demand and sustainability is continuous. However, people still find ways of farming that are better for the environment and beneficial to the economy. Though it is hard to use certain practices most of the time, these practices are better for the environment and get the job done more efficiently. In society, population growth is detrimental to people in the agricultural industry, so they must work around problems that pop up when farming to prevent the risk of food insecurity. And now it is important for people in agribusiness and consumers to work around food insecurity while being able to prevent excess emissions and profit loss. I want to help find sustainable ways to preserve our topsoil and resources. Agriculture has and always will be my passion because it doesn't just affect a few people; it affects the world, and I want to make sure that the world stays safe and healthy.

Anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions worsen environmental aspects and contribute to climate change. In fact, agribusiness is one of the main human causes of excess emissions. Consumers and producers struggle to find ways to make sustainable agriculture a part of their everyday lives, so population growth and consumer awareness contribute to sustainable agriculture and limit the risk of food insecurity, profit loss, and excess emissions. Consumers around the world are feeling the effects of unsustainable agriculture. These emissions inflate climate change and make it hard to farm in certain areas. Due to unfit farming conditions or a reduced amount of space for the crops needed, farmers are forced to deforest. This is very concerning to the consumer because it is aiding in climate change; however, it is also depleting the risk of food insecurity because farmers are able to produce crops in greater quantities. More farms mean more water depletion, poorer irrigation systems, and more use of pesticides, which can pollute waterways. The effects of pollution originating from the agricultural industry can be at least lessened. There are many ways to go about changing to more sustainable practices. The fight between demand and sustainability is continuous. However, people still find ways of farming that are better for the environment and beneficial to the economy. Though it is hard to use certain practices most of the time, these practices are better for the environment and get the job done more efficiently. In society, population growth is detrimental to people in the agricultural industry, so they must work around problems that pop up when farming to prevent the risk of food insecurity. And now it is important for people in agribusiness and consumers to work around food insecurity while being able to prevent excess emissions and profit loss.

As a child, I always knew I liked science and anything that had to do with the outside. My parents were always the outdoorsy type and had me outside twenty-four-seven. Growing up and going into high school, I always thought about higher education and what I wanted to do when I grew up. It never occurred to me that my parents never really went to college or what it took to get into college. The only thing I thought about was what I wanted to do in the future. My mom always told me that I never needed to go to college but that she would always support me if I wanted to go. Deciding what I wanted to pursue was always based on what my mom always told me; she always said she wanted to raise her kids to be better than herself. I took this to heart and started thinking harder about it. If I were to have kids of my own, what could I do to raise them to be better than myself and to give them the best life possible? This is why I chose to follow my passion for science and the outdoors because I want to make sure that the world my future child grows up in will be clean and healthy. As a first-generation college student, it was very hard to adapt to college life. Even though my parents didn't go to college and found it hard to help me through the process, I would still say my mom has impacted my life the most. As I was applying to college, I wasn't sure where to apply or how many schools I should apply to. Even though both my mom and I didn't have the slightest idea of how to start, she stuck with me, always encouraging me to keep going. While applying, it was hard for me to find the motivation to write for scholarships and college essays because it felt almost as if I was by myself in this process. After all, my mom didn't have most of the answers when it came to college. However, me feeling alone never lasted long when she was around because she would always push me to do my best and to keep going. Now, being at Penn State as a first-generation college student, I feel like I belong, and I'm never afraid or ashamed to ask for help. My mom was always there for me, and she gave me the motivation I needed to pursue my dreams of going into higher education.