Breadth. Depth. Connections. And impact. These words describe how attending higher education will help me reach my objectives of creating a positive impact on our planet. First, breadth. I love going to college (and am excited for veterinary school) because of the many opportunities to explore new, unfamiliar fields. During college, I majored in Biology and Chinese Studies, minored in Environmental Studies and Music, and took courses outside of these disciplines, including documentary filmmaking, scuba diving, and archery. I participated in other types of extracurriculars, such as roleplaying United Nations (UN) diplomats to address global issues as part of the Model UN team, horseback riding with the Equestrian Club, and knitting blanket squares to make blankets for the homeless as part of a service-based fiber arts group. Through these experiences, I developed the critical skill to effectively learn new things that I do not have previous knowledge or experience with. In veterinary school, I plan on honing this skill and continuing to discover everything I can about different areas of veterinary medicine and types of treatments across a wide range of species. In addition to breadth, I want to dive deeper into the field of veterinary medicine and science and explore how they intersect with public health and environmental health. During my senior year of undergraduate study, I conducted an Independent Study (IS) thesis investigating whether integrating Chinese herbal remedies with antiviral drugs could be effective in treating influenza. I analyzed the impacts of prescribing only Chinese herbal medicine, antiviral drugs alone, and a combination of Chinese herbs with antiviral drugs on the rate of improvement and the average time for fever reduction, cough alleviation, and sore throat alleviation. I was excited to discover the potential benefits of looking into other treatment options as possible solutions for mitigating disease outbreaks in both humans and animals, especially as changes in the climate expand the geographic range of disease vectors and existing treatments continue to lose their effectiveness due to the rapid emergence of new variants over time. In veterinary school, I want to research and uncover other possible solutions that could more effectively treat existing and emerging diseases affecting both humans and animals. My third reason—connections—is multifaceted. On one level, I pursue higher education because I want to develop valuable critical and complex thinking skills in forming connections between seemingly disconnected disciplines. Through my classes and Model UN involvements, I discovered how interconnected governmental policies are to the health and well-being of people across the globe, especially as issues from pollution to poverty continue posing serious health threats. I want to empower those from underprivileged, marginalized communities to be more active in shaping policies that govern their health (and that of their animals) and their access to adequate healthcare. I also want to foster greater collaboration between veterinarians and physicians to prevent and mitigate zoonotic disease transmission and outbreaks, especially in recognition of the close connection between human and animal health through disease spillovers. I want to further research the integration of alternative and complementary medicine with biomedicine to improve medical treatments for animals (and humans), expand healthcare access, and make medical care more cost-effective in rural, underprivileged, and/or developing regions. On another level, by connections I also mean relationships. Pursuing higher education allows me to explore other cultures, languages, and worldviews. I could connect with many new people and thus establish lifelong relationships with my peers, professors, and others I work with in veterinary school. Networking is crucial to building another family far from home. As an Indonesian studying at an international college in rural Ohio, I constantly navigate cultural differences, explore new cultures, and have grown accustomed to greeting every person I encounter each day, even strangers. Now, I understand the community well enough to know how I could best serve the people around me. I want to be part of a similar tight-knit community and create a positive impact. In addition to the abovementioned impacts I plan to make, I pursue higher education because I aspire to be a public health veterinarian protecting animals, humans, and the environment. I find meaning in making a greater impact beyond the clinic. When I helped a red-shouldered hawk with physical therapy, tube-fed orphaned baby rabbits, or released grown orphaned opossums at a wildlife rehabilitation center, I felt a strong sense of fulfillment. I not only ensured the animal’s health, but also contributed to conservation efforts, supported the surrounding ecosystem, and mitigated human-wildlife conflicts. This is the work I want to do.

I aspire to be a public health veterinarian who protects both wildlife and people, as I find purpose and meaning in making a greater impact beyond the clinic. When I helped a red-shouldered hawk with physical therapy or tube-fed orphaned baby opossums at a wildlife rehabilitation center, I felt a strong sense of fulfillment knowing that my work improved an animal’s life and protected populations of vulnerable, threatened, and endangered species. This is the kind of work I want to do. My interest in veterinary medicine began in middle school after reading The Dolphin Tale books and watching the movies. Like the main character, Sawyer, I wanted to rescue animals and bond with them. As a volunteer intern at the Kevin P. Clinton Wildlife Center two summers ago, I cared for injured wildlife ranging from screech owls to rabbits. As I exercised a red-tailed hawk or hand-fed a nighthawk, I was ecstatic to not only interact with a wide range of personalities and care for various animals, but also realize that I was contributing to conservation efforts. It reminded me of the joy I feel when helping others, which fueled my interest in also ensuring public health through my veterinary career. When I took Cornell University’s online Conservation Medicine course during high school, our professor recommended Zoobiquity: The Astonishing Connection Between Human and Animal Health. I was surprised to learn the similarities in medicine and shared diseases between humans and animals, and my fascination grew when I saw this connection firsthand this summer. The veterinarian I shadowed uses biomedicine and classical Chinese medicine. Many herbal remedies and acupuncture points used on animals can also treat similar human conditions. Each time he used an activator to relax a lumbar point or prescribed Chinese herbs, I thought about whether my mom, who has back pain, might benefit from the same approach. Watching him integrate traditional knowledge with biomedicine on animals deepened my understanding of how closely human and animal health are linked. Through my career as a public health veterinarian, I want to foster greater collaboration between veterinarians and physicians to prevent the spread and outbreaks of zoonotic diseases and further research the integration of alternative and complementary medicine with biomedicine to expand healthcare access and make medical care more cost-effective in rural, underprivileged, and/or developing regions. My drive to ensure animal and human health also aligns with my desire to protect the environment, something deeply meaningful to me. When I joined Speech and Debate in high school and started writing a speech on endangered species, I first learned the effects of climate change on wildlife. Later, in Cornell’s Conservation Medicine course, I discovered the One Health approach that connects human, animal, and environmental health. As a public health veterinarian, I could bring all my passions together. I saw how One Health plays out in the real world during that summer internship at the wildlife rehabilitation center. In helping care for animals injured from human-wildlife conflicts, I addressed not only the animal’s health and well-being but also supported the surrounding ecosystem. I felt an overwhelming sense of fulfilment from this work when I was asked to release three orphaned opossums I had helped raise after their mother got hit by a car. I was so excited that evening that I took my mom along to a nearby forest. The surreal experience of setting the kennel down, opening the door, and watching them re-enter the wild reminded me of why I wanted to be a vet. It felt like coming full circle to that moment years ago when I first read Dolphin Tale.

I aspire to be a public health veterinarian who protects both wildlife and humans, as I find purpose and meaning in making a greater impact beyond the clinic. When I helped a red-shouldered hawk with physical therapy or tube-fed orphaned baby opossums at a wildlife rehabilitation center, I felt a strong sense of fulfillment knowing that my work helped improve an animal’s life and protect populations of vulnerable, threatened, and endangered species. This is the kind of work I want to do. My interest in veterinary medicine began in middle school after reading the Dolphin Tale books and watching the movies. Like the main character, Sawyer, I wanted to rescue animals and bond with them. As a volunteer intern at the Kevin P. Clinton Wildlife Center two summers ago, I cared for injured wildlife ranging from screech owls to rabbits. As I exercised a red-tailed hawk or hand-fed a nighthawk, I was ecstatic to not only interact with a wide range of personalities and care for various animals, but also realize that I was contributing to conservation efforts. It reminded me of the joy I feel when helping others, which fueled my interest in also ensuring public health through my veterinary career. When I took Cornell University’s online Conservation Medicine course during high school, our professor recommended Zoobiquity: The Astonishing Connection Between Human and Animal Health. I was surprised to learn the similarities in medicine and shared diseases between humans and animals, and my fascination grew when I saw this connection firsthand this summer. The veterinarian I shadowed uses biomedicine and classical Chinese medicine. Many herbal remedies and acupuncture points used on animals can also treat similar human conditions. Each time he used an activator to relax a lumbar point or prescribed Chinese herbs, I thought about whether my mom, who has back pain, might benefit from the same approach. Watching him integrate traditional knowledge with biomedicine on animals deepened my understanding of how closely human and animal health are linked. Through my career as a public health veterinarian, I want to foster greater collaboration between veterinarians and physicians to prevent zoonotic disease spread and outbreaks and further research on the integration of alternative and complementary medicine with biomedicine to expand healthcare access and make medical care more cost-effective in rural, underprivileged, and/or developing regions. My drive to ensure animal and human health also connects with my desire to protect the environment, something deeply meaningful to me. When I joined Speech and Debate in high school and started writing a speech on endangered species, I first learned the effects of climate change on wildlife. Later, in Cornell’s Conservation Medicine course, I discovered the One Health approach that connects human, animal, and environmental health. As a public health veterinarian, I could bring all my passions together. I saw how One Health plays out in the real world during that summer internship at the wildlife rehabilitation center. In helping care for animals injured from human-wildlife conflicts, I addressed not only the animal’s health and well-being but also supported the surrounding ecosystem. I felt an overwhelming sense of fulfilment from this work when I was asked to release three orphaned opossums I had helped raise after their mother got hit by a car. I was so excited that evening that I took my mom along to a nearby forest, set the kennel down, and opened the door. The surreal experience of watching them re-enter the wild reminded me of why I wanted to be a vet. It felt like coming full circle to that moment years ago when I first read Dolphin Tale.

When I was three, my father abandoned my family and left. Overnight, my mother turned into the sole breadwinner and single parent for raising my then eighteen-month-old brother and me. Despite limited financial resources, my mother always persevered in providing us with the best learning opportunities and life experiences. She took us to China when I was four so we could connect with our Chinese heritage. After hundreds of applications to secure a job, she went straight to work just to provide for us and ensure we could continue our own schooling there, even though she could have finished her language education to receive a certificate. Two years later, she moved us back to Indonesia to raise us in Indonesian culture. After I finished fifth grade, she relocated us to the US so we could pursue better education and opportunities, even if that meant working the only job available to her then—as a hotel custodian—to make ends meet, despite the fact that she has two Master's degrees. Witnessing my mother’s resilience over the years inspired me to do my best to overcome challenges and transform moments of struggle into seeds of resilience. When I began sixth grade in the US, I knew barely any English and struggled to understand and communicate fluently. As someone who had consistently ranked in the top 3 in my class in Indonesia, I was crushed when I earned my first C in my language arts class. I got frustrated in science because I could not understand what prokaryotes meant or what cells had to do with the body. Nevertheless, I pushed through and tried to pick up the language as fast as I could. I began reading many books and practiced communicating only in English. With my mother’s support, I eventually grasped the language and ended my first academic year here with straight A’s. Two years later, I won the Spelling Bee competition in my school, and the following year, I began taking Advanced Placement (AP) courses—starting with AP Physics and AP European History—as a freshman. I graduated from high school ranking third in my class of 249. My academic accolades are the fruits of my mother’s fight for me to pursue a better education, her guidance as I struggled through difficulties, and her unwavering support that helped me rise above challenges and succeed. My mother not only inspires me never to give up and always keep going in moments of adversity, but also pushes me to always learn the lessons from those times of hardships and take advantage of any opportunities to learn new knowledge and skills. Her emphasis on education shaped my discipline in achieving academic success, and her dedication to exposing us to various cultures sparked my curiosity and eagerness to explore new cultures, learn new knowledge, and gain new skills, as evident in my academic portfolio. As a Biology and Chinese Studies double major with minors in Environmental Studies and Music in college, I even took courses outside of these disciplines, including scuba diving, archery, highland dancing, United Nations System, violin, and Scottish bagpipes. My mother also pushed me to use my scholarships to take two documentary filmmaking courses abroad, not only to practice my Spanish in an immersive environment but also to try filmmaking, learn tango and flamenco, and explore Argentinian and Spanish cultures. Her constant encouragement and enthusiastic support for me to learn new things (without letting financial costs or anything ever be a barrier) shaped me into a curious learner who seeks out new learning opportunities, perseveres through challenges, and turns adversities into moments of lessons and growth.

Growing up in Jakarta, the frequently inundated Indonesian capital actively threatened by rising sea levels and sinking into the ocean, I remember being stuck in school for hours waiting for floodwaters to subside before my brother and I could safely go home. I was also exposed daily to suffocating air pollution and intense heat commuting to and from school due to the urban heat island effect. The heat felt unbearable ten years ago—and it is only getting worse as our planet exceeds the 1.5°C rise in global temperatures. More of the planet is experiencing intensifying heat waves and extreme weather events such as wildfires and hurricanes, forcing millions of people to be displaced. Many animals are also becoming endangered and displaced from their habitats, putting them in closer contact with humans and thus escalating human-wildlife conflict, threatening not only the safety of humans and animals but also intensifying zoonotic disease spread. Immediate global action is thus critical to prevent our planet from reaching the tipping point. Through working in intergovernmental institutions such as the United Nations, I want to promote international cooperation among governments and non-governmental organizations to tackle this global crisis by boosting resilience in vulnerable regions and addressing inequalities, especially since developing countries contributing the least to climate change are the most heavily impacted and the least equipped to adapt. I aim to empower less privileged communities to take action and encourage governments to prioritize addressing this issue, which is not only environmental but also threatens health, social justice, economic growth, peace, and security. A change at the scale we need may seem difficult nowadays, but a single straw of hay that can easily be carried away by a stream of water can also form bales of hay with other straws to create a formidable flood barrier.

When I was three, my father abandoned my family and left my mother to single-handedly raise my then eighteen-month-old brother and me. With my mother being the only parental figure and sole breadwinner for the family, I took on greater responsibilities by selling toys and candy to my classmates during elementary school to help my mother earn more money, keeping my brother out of trouble, doing my family’s laundry, and ironing our school uniforms and my mother’s suits since turning six. Then, my mother miraculously relocated us from Indonesia to the US. Knowing barely any English, I began sixth grade struggling to understand and communicate fluently. As a disciplined student who had consistently ranked in the top 3 of my class in Indonesia, I was crushed when I got my first C in language arts. In science, I was frustrated to the point of tears because I could not understand what prokaryotes mean. Nevertheless, I pushed through and tried to adapt as fast as I could. With my mother earning minimum wage, my family could not afford tutoring or private lessons, so I relied on other ways to quickly pick up the language on my own. I read as many books as I could borrow through the library. Gradually, I began to grasp more of the language, ending my first academic year here with straight A’s. My academic accolades quickly accumulated from that point. Two years later, I won the Spelling Bee competition at my school, and the following year, I began taking college-level Advanced Placement (AP) courses—starting with AP Physics and AP European History—as a freshman. By the end of my high school career, I graduated Summa Cum Laude, ranking third out of 249 in my class. Throughout my four years in high school, I earned high scores on all of my 13 AP tests so I could begin accumulating college credits during high school. This allowed me to utilize my time in undergrad to take more advanced courses, explore courses outside of my discipline (such as environmental chemistry), and gain new skills (such as scuba diving and the Scottish bagpipes) by taking lessons I otherwise would not have been able to afford if I were to pay out of pocket. Growing up in a low-income family pushed me to create my own learning experiences (through self-teaching myself new skills) and take advantage of all available opportunities I come across to learn something new, even if those opportunities may not necessarily connect with my previous areas of interest. Now, I will soon graduate from The College of Wooster with majors in Biology and Chinese. I will attend veterinary school to become a public health veterinarian who rescues wildlife, prevents the transmission of zoonotic diseases between human and animal populations, and protects our environment. After navigating through all my life obstacles, I have learned many valuable lessons that I wish to share with others. First, there is always a solution to every problem. There will always be a light at the end of the tunnel, even though it may seem at the moment that the tunnel is never-ending. The most important action is to always ask questions and seek help, support, and resources. Second, to help maintain this mindset that there will always be a way, it is really important to keep our dreams alive. Dreams are the motivational driver pushing us forward. No matter how hard it seems, we must continue to push through. Only with perseverance, only with determination, and only by moving forward one step at a time, can we reach the end of the tunnel.

When I was three, my father abandoned my family and left my mother to single-handedly raise my then eighteen-month-old brother and me. With my mother being the only parental figure and sole breadwinner for the family, I took on greater responsibilities. I sold toys and candy to my classmates during elementary school to help my mother earn more money. I watched and kept my brother out of trouble whenever my mother was at work. Since turning six, I also hung-dried and folded my family’s laundry, and ironed our school uniforms and my mother’s suits. Then, my mother miraculously managed to relocate us from Indonesia to the US when I began sixth grade in middle school. Knowing barely any English, I struggled to understand and communicate fluently during my first year here. As a disciplined student who had consistently ranked in the top 3 of my class in Indonesia, I was crushed when I got my first C in language arts. I was frustrated and confused in science class because I could not understand what prokaryotes and eukaryotes mean, felt isolated in orchestra because I never learned to play the violin in an ensemble before and could barely keep up with everyone else, and stared cluelessly when someone asked whether I support Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump, which, back then, were two names I had never heard of before in my life. Nevertheless, I pushed through and tried to adapt as fast as I could. With my mother earning minimum wage, my family could not afford to pay for tutoring or private lessons, so I had to rely on other ways to quickly pick up the language (and other skills, such as violin) on my own. I read as many books as I could borrow through the library, carefully observed rehearsals to quickly grasp the rules of playing in an orchestra, and started practicing the violin more frequently at home. Slowly but surely, I began to grasp more of the language and play the violin more confidently in the orchestra. I eventually ended my first academic year in the US with straight A’s and landed myself in the first violin section of the orchestra. My academic achievements quickly accumulated from that point. Two years later, I won the Spelling Bee competition at my school, and the following year, I began taking college-level Advanced Placement (AP) courses—starting with AP Physics and AP European History—as a freshman. By the end of my high school career, I graduated Summa Cum Laude, ranking third out of 249 in my class. Throughout my four years in high school, I took 13 AP courses and earned AP scores of 4 or higher for 12 of them. I worked towards earning high scores on all of my AP tests so that I could begin earning college credits during high school, which later allowed me to utilize my time in undergrad to take more advanced courses, explore courses outside of my discipline (such as environmental chemistry), and gain new skills (such as scuba diving and the Scottish bagpipes) by taking lessons that I otherwise would not have been able to afford if I were to pay out of pocket. Growing up in a low-income family pushed me to create my own learning experiences (by self-teaching myself new skills) and to take advantage of any opportunities I came across to learn something new, even if they did not necessarily connect with my previous areas of interest. Now, I am a graduating senior from The College of Wooster with majors in Biology and Chinese Studies. I am passionate about Biology because I want to contribute to the field of veterinary medicine and science, species conservation, and environmental protection, particularly through the interdisciplinary approach of One Health, which emphasizes the connection between human, animal, and environmental health. As part of my graduation requirements, I had to conduct an Independent Study (IS)—a mentored, independent research project—in my senior year. For this thesis, I investigated whether integrating Chinese herbal remedies with antiviral drugs could be effective in treating influenza. I did a literature search for scientific journal articles and past clinical studies on a group of Chinese herbal remedies aimed to relieve upper respiratory tract infections (such as those caused by influenza) and performed a meta-analysis of the studies I had found. During this research, I analyzed the impacts of prescribing only Chinese herbal medicine, antiviral drugs alone, and a combination of Chinese herbs with antiviral drugs on the rate of improvement and the average time for fever reduction, cough alleviation, and sore throat alleviation. I was excited to discover the potential benefits of looking into other treatment options as possible solutions for mitigating disease outbreaks in both humans and animals, especially as changes in the climate further impact disease spread and existing treatments lose their effectiveness due to rapid structural changes to viruses such as influenza that result in new variants emerging over time. My IS experience sparked my interest in continuing to explore the potential for combining other forms of medicine with biomedicine. I aim to develop new treatment approaches against existing and emerging diseases, but also promote the integration of multiple medical systems to form more comprehensive treatment solutions that are accessible to those in underprivileged and underserved communities. As a future public health veterinarian, I plan to bring together medical doctors, veterinarians, scientists, and public health professionals for greater interdisciplinary collaboration and knowledge exchange to prevent the transmission of zoonotic diseases and epidemic outbreaks among human and animal populations. In my future career, I want to ensure human and animal health and well-being, prevent and mitigate human-wildlife conflict, contribute to species conservation efforts (especially in protecting endangered species), and tackle the climate crisis to protect our planet.

I grew up in Jakarta, the frequently inundated capital city of Indonesia that is actively threatened by rising sea levels while simultaneously sinking into the ocean. Flooding is a common occurrence, particularly during the rainy season. I remember being stuck in school for hours waiting for the water to subside before my brother and I could safely go home. Due to the urban heat island effect, I was also exposed to suffocating air pollution and intense heat commuting to and from school each day. The heat already felt unbearable ten years ago—and it is only getting worse as our planet exceeds the 1.5°C rise in global temperatures. More of the planet is experiencing intensifying heat waves and extreme weather events such as cyclones, wildfires, and hurricanes, forcing millions of people to be displaced. Additionally, as an aspiring veterinarian who is passionate about species conservation, I am deeply concerned about growing biodiversity loss. Climate change is threatening the survival of a wide range of species and forcing them to migrate to new habitats and be in closer contact with humans, intensifying human-wildlife conflicts. Moreover, climate change poses significant public health implications as disease vectors expand their geographic range, epidemic outbreaks intensify, closer human-wildlife interactions heighten the risk of zoonotic disease transmissions, and the melting of the permafrost releases pathogens previously buried. These are why I am deeply passionate about protecting the environment. As a Biology major and Environmental Studies minor, I have taken many courses from Environmental Contaminants to Ecology and the Environment to learn about various environmental issues, their impacts on different demographics and populations, and how to effectively raise awareness of and tackle environmental challenges. I learned that climate change impacts are not only limited to the natural world; it also concerns public health, economic, political, and social stability, and global peace. This semester, I am taking a Carbon Accounting Practicum course, in which I learn how to calculate any organization’s carbon footprint based on data of their operations and develop a report to inform the organization on areas in which they could reduce their carbon footprint. I not only developed the technical expertise in carbon accounting, but also gained new perspectives on ways to lower emissions on a larger scale. I will use the skills and knowledge I have gained through my studies to contribute to environmental protection and species conservation in my future career. Most of our carbon emissions arise from food consumption and travel. Therefore, the first advice I would give to my friends and family is to limit meat consumption, particularly red meat like beef. Cattle farming emits tons of methane—a far more potent greenhouse gas compared to carbon dioxide. Reducing meat consumption may thus dramatically lower one’s carbon footprint. Another suggestion is to consider commuting to school and/or work via walking and biking. If one has a farther commute, I suggest using public transportation, driving electric or hybrid vehicles, and carpooling. Other advice I have includes reducing the use of single-use plastics, limiting food waste, taking cold showers (or shortening showers), purchasing products in bulk and in-store (as opposed to online) to prevent multiple trips, reducing packaging waste, and limiting vehicle emissions. I also encourage my friends and families to create meaningful dialogue and conversations within the community about climate change and sustainability, and advocate for climate-friendly policies to local, state, and national governmental officials. All in all, the most important advice I have for my friends and family is that what we do matters—there is carbon emission associated with every activity we perform, every purchase we make, and everything we consume.

When I was three, my father abandoned my family and left my mother to single-handedly raise my then eighteen-month-old brother and me. With my mother being the sole breadwinner for the family and parental figure, I took on greater responsibilities. In elementary school, I sold toys and candy to my classmates to help my mother gain additional earnings. I watched and kept my brother from trouble whenever my mother was away. Since turning six, I also hung-dried and folded my family’s laundry, and ironed our school uniforms and my mother’s suits. Then, my mother relocated us from Indonesia to the US when I began sixth grade in middle school. Knowing barely any English, I struggled to understand and communicate fluently during my first year here. As someone who had consistently ranked top 3 in my class in Indonesia, I was crushed when I got my first C in my language arts class. I got frustrated in science because I could not understand what prokaryotes mean. Nevertheless, I pushed through and tried to pick up the language as fast as I could. I began reading many books and practiced communicating only in English. I eventually grasped the language and ended my first academic year here with straight A’s. Two years later, I won the Spelling Bee competition in my school, and the following year, I began taking Advanced Placement (AP) courses—starting with AP Physics and AP European History—as a freshman. Witnessing my mother’s resilience over the years inspired me to do my best to overcome challenges and minimize her burden, transforming those moments of struggle into seeds of resilience. In tenth grade, my mother pushed me to join the Speech and Debate team. As a shy introvert, I was horrified to speak in front of anyone, so I cried. Nonetheless, I gathered the courage to try out and shortly after made the team as an Informative Speaker. For my first speech, I wanted to talk about endangered species. However, I soon realized that the reason behind growing extinction rates lies in a much bigger problem: climate change. Climate change is impacting not only animals and the natural world but also humans, yet there remains inadequate action to prevent it from escalating beyond the tipping point. This discovery inspired me to spread awareness about the urgency of the issue. This speech was the starting point of my passion for environmental protection. The more I learn about climate change, the more I am horrified. Growing up in Jakarta, the frequently inundated capital city of Indonesia that is actively sinking into the ocean, I remember being stuck in school due to flooding and waiting hours before my brother and I could safely go home. I was also exposed to suffocating air pollution and intense heat commuting to and from school each day. The heat already felt unbearable ten years ago, but it is only getting worse as our planet exceeds the 1.5°C rise in global temperatures. I have thus been taking action to do my part to help our planet. As a sustainability peer educator at The College of Wooster, I designed and implemented educational outreach programs to promote sustainable behavior among my peers and spoke with the Board of Trustees to garner support for sustainability initiatives. I assisted with wildlife rescue and rehabilitation efforts at the Kevin P. Clinton Wildlife Center. I also volunteer with the non-partisan Citizens’ Climate Lobby to communicate with Congressional members and advocate for climate-friendly policies. I plan to contribute more to global species conservation and environmental protection efforts by becoming a public health and wildlife veterinarian.