After months of preparation and anticipation, the day of the AP environmental science exam was here. I was jittery and bouncing off the walls. The sound of the metal desks in the gym was reverberant and hollow, as if taunting me. However, I was very excited to take this test. I had written notes, flash cards on every unit, and taken the practice test several times. This class, my junior year, was one of the first times I was excited to come to class every day. I couldn’t wait to do activities no other class offered, like collecting water samples from the creek next to school. Even if I was wearing a t-shirt and it was raining, being outside was better than sitting in a concrete building. The best part was when the class would walk across the street to Meadowbrook Pond. Even amongst the hustle and bustle of the city, this hopeful pond was brimming with wildlife. Ducks, geese, frogs, and if you’re lucky you'd see a blue heron or beaver. School has its ups and downs but when I was studying outdoors, I was truly living in the moment. I wasn’t worrying about other assignments or overthinking social situations. It wasn’t just the outdoors that made me love the class - the concepts I learned about felt meaningful, like I was genuinely making a difference. There are many things I like to do in my free time. Photography, playing guitar, hiking - I'm sure I would really enjoy doing them for a living but none of them speak to me as careers. The idea of making a real life impact with a science career drew me in. Photographers aren't an endangered species, and neither are mediocre guitarists. However keystone species like salmon could be if we continue to pollute. Our connection with nature and our environment is part of what makes us human. Being in nature is one of the few activities that is both self-fulfilling and productive in making a difference in the world. I’ve had many positive experiences with nature - hiking with my grandparents, or watching a shimmering golden sunset. These are things that can be seen around the world every day. As much as I like history or math, it’s hard to see certain historical events or trigonometry in my everyday life. As a society, we are constantly seeing news about climate change, whether it's an article, on TV, or in our classes. Even though we are constantly being fed this news, it feels distant. Polar ice caps are melting, but that's far away - it won't affect me. Global temperatures are rising but it's only a few degrees - that's not that much. These kinds of misconceptions are everywhere. Maybe education is my path, maybe field work, I don't know yet. What I do know is I want to be involved in helping protect our world. I want to help people open their eyes to what is happening in ways they can understand and sympathize with. I want others to experience the joy I did from learning about our ecosystems. That's why I want to be involved in the field of environmental science.

After months of preparation and anticipation, the day of the AP environmental science exam was here. I was jittery and bouncing off the walls. The sound of the metal desks in the gym was reverberant and hollow, as if taunting me. However, I was very excited to take this test. I had written notes, flash cards on every unit, and taken the practice test several times. This class, my junior year, was one of the first times I was excited to come to class every day. I couldn’t wait to do activities no other class offered, like collecting water samples from the creek next to school. Even if I was wearing a t-shirt and it was raining, being outside was better than sitting in a concrete building. The best part was when the class would walk across the street to Meadowbrook Pond. Even amongst the hustle and bustle of the city, this hopeful pond was brimming with wildlife. Ducks, geese, frogs, and if you’re lucky you'd see a blue heron or beaver. School has its ups and downs but when I was studying outdoors, I was truly living in the moment. I wasn’t worrying about other assignments or overthinking social situations. It wasn’t just the outdoors that made me love the class - the concepts I learned about felt meaningful, like I was genuinely making a difference. There are many things I like to do in my free time. Photography, playing guitar, hiking - I'm sure I would really enjoy doing them for a living but none of them speak to me as careers. The idea of making a real life impact with a science career drew me in. Photographers aren't an endangered species, and neither are mediocre guitarists. However keystone species like salmon could be if we continue to pollute. Our connection with nature and our environment is part of what makes us human. Being in nature is one of the few activities that is both self-fulfilling and productive in making a difference in the world. I’ve had many positive experiences with nature - hiking with my grandparents, or watching a shimmering golden sunset. These are things that can be seen around the world every day. As much as I like history or math, it’s hard to see certain historical events or trigonometry in my everyday life. As a society, we are constantly seeing news about climate change, whether it's an article, on TV, or in our classes. Even though we are constantly being fed this news, it feels distant. Polar ice caps are melting, but that's far away - it won't affect me. Global temperatures are rising but it's only a few degrees - that's not that much. These kinds of misconceptions are everywhere. Maybe education is my path, maybe field work, I don't know yet. What I do know is I want to be involved in helping protect our world. I want to help people open their eyes to what is happening in ways they can understand and sympathize with. I want others to experience the joy I did from learning about our ecosystems. That's why I want to be involved in the field of environmental science.

After months of preparation and anticipation, the day of the AP environmental science exam was here. I was jittery and bouncing off the walls. The sound of the metal desks in the gym was reverberant and hollow, as if taunting me. However, I was very excited to take this test. I had written notes, flash cards on every unit, and taken the practice test several times. This class, my junior year, was one of the first times I was excited to come to class every day. I couldn’t wait to do activities no other class offered, like collecting water samples from the creek next to school. Even if I was wearing a t-shirt and it was raining, being outside was better than sitting in a concrete building. The best part was when the class would walk across the street to Meadowbrook Pond. Even amongst the hustle and bustle of the city, this hopeful pond was brimming with wildlife. Ducks, geese, frogs, and if you’re lucky you'd see a blue heron or beaver. School has its ups and downs but when I was studying outdoors, I was truly living in the moment. I wasn’t worrying about other assignments or overthinking social situations. It wasn’t just the outdoors that made me love the class - the concepts I learned about felt meaningful, like I was genuinely making a difference. There are many things I like to do in my free time. Photography, playing guitar, hiking - I'm sure I would really enjoy doing them for a living but none of them speak to me as careers. The idea of making a real life impact with a science career drew me in. Photographers aren't an endangered species, and neither are mediocre guitarists. However keystone species like salmon could be if we continue to pollute. Our connection with nature and our environment is part of what makes us human. Being in nature is one of the few activities that is both self-fulfilling and productive in making a difference in the world. I’ve had many positive experiences with nature - hiking with my grandparents, or watching a shimmering golden sunset. These are things that can be seen around the world every day. As much as I like history or math, it’s hard to see certain historical events or trigonometry in my everyday life. As a society, we are constantly seeing news about climate change, whether it's an article, on TV, or in our classes. Even though we are constantly being fed this news, it feels distant. Polar ice caps are melting, but that's far away - it won't affect me. Global temperatures are rising but it's only a few degrees - that's not that much. These kinds of misconceptions are everywhere. Maybe education is my path, maybe field work, I don't know yet. What I do know is I want to be involved in helping protect our world. I want to help people open their eyes to what is happening in ways they can understand and sympathize with. I want others to experience the joy I did from learning about our ecosystems. That's why I want to be involved in the field of environmental science.

After months of preparation and anticipation, the day of the AP environmental science exam was here. I was jittery and bouncing off the walls. The sound of the metal desks in the gym was reverberant and hollow, as if taunting me. However, I was very excited to take this test. I had written notes, flash cards on every unit, and taken the practice test several times. This class, my junior year, was one of the first times I was excited to come to class every day. I couldn’t wait to do activities no other class offered, like collecting water samples from the creek next to school. Even if I was wearing a t-shirt and it was raining, being outside was better than sitting in a concrete building. The best part was when the class would walk across the street to Meadowbrook Pond. Even amongst the hustle and bustle of the city, this hopeful pond was brimming with wildlife. Ducks, geese, frogs, and if you’re lucky you'd see a blue heron or beaver. School has its ups and downs but when I was studying outdoors, I was truly living in the moment. I wasn’t worrying about other assignments or overthinking social situations. It wasn’t just the outdoors that made me love the class - the concepts I learned about felt meaningful, like I was genuinely making a difference. There are many things I like to do in my free time. Photography, playing guitar, hiking - I'm sure I would really enjoy doing them for a living but none of them speak to me as careers. The idea of making a real life impact with a science career drew me in. Photographers aren't an endangered species, and neither are mediocre guitarists. However keystone species like salmon could be if we continue to pollute. Our connection with nature and our environment is part of what makes us human. Being in nature is one of the few activities that is both self-fulfilling and productive in making a difference in the world. I’ve had many positive experiences with nature - hiking with my grandparents, or watching a shimmering golden sunset. These are things that can be seen around the world every day. As much as I like history or math, it’s hard to see certain historical events or trigonometry in my everyday life. As a society, we are constantly seeing news about climate change, whether it's an article, on TV, or in our classes. Even though we are constantly being fed this news, it feels distant. Polar ice caps are melting, but that's far away - it won't affect me. Global temperatures are rising but it's only a few degrees - that's not that much. These kinds of misconceptions are everywhere. Maybe education is my path, maybe field work, I don't know yet. What I do know is I want to be involved in helping protect our world. I want to help people open their eyes to what is happening in ways they can understand and sympathize with. I want others to experience the joy I did from learning about our ecosystems. That's why I want to be involved in the field of environmental science.

After months of preparation and anticipation, the day of the AP environmental science exam was here. I was jittery and bouncing off the walls. The sound of the metal desks in the gym was reverberant and hollow, as if taunting me. However, I was very excited to take this test. I had written notes, flash cards on every unit, and taken the practice test several times. This class, my junior year, was one of the first times I was excited to come to class every day. I couldn’t wait to do activities no other class offered, like collecting water samples from the creek next to school. Even if I was wearing a t-shirt and it was raining, being outside was better than sitting in a concrete building. The best part was when the class would walk across the street to Meadowbrook Pond. Even amongst the hustle and bustle of the city, this hopeful pond was brimming with wildlife. Ducks, geese, frogs, and if you’re lucky you'd see a blue heron or beaver. School has its ups and downs but when I was studying outdoors, I was truly living in the moment. I wasn’t worrying about other assignments or overthinking social situations. It wasn’t just the outdoors that made me love the class - the concepts I learned about felt meaningful, like I was genuinely making a difference. There are many things I like to do in my free time. Photography, playing guitar, hiking - I'm sure I would really enjoy doing them for a living but none of them speak to me as careers. The idea of making a real life impact with a science career drew me in. Photographers aren't an endangered species, and neither are mediocre guitarists. However keystone species like salmon could be if we continue to pollute. Our connection with nature and our environment is part of what makes us human. Being in nature is one of the few activities that is both self-fulfilling and productive in making a difference in the world. I’ve had many positive experiences with nature - hiking with my grandparents, or watching a shimmering golden sunset. These are things that can be seen around the world every day. As much as I like history or math, it’s hard to see certain historical events or trigonometry in my everyday life. As a society, we are constantly seeing news about climate change, whether it's an article, on TV, or in our classes. Even though we are constantly being fed this news, it feels distant. Polar ice caps are melting, but that's far away - it won't affect me. Global temperatures are rising but it's only a few degrees - that's not that much. These kinds of misconceptions are everywhere. Maybe education is my path, maybe field work, I don't know yet. What I do know is I want to be involved in helping protect our world. I want to help people open their eyes to what is happening in ways they can understand and sympathize with. I want others to experience the joy I did from learning about our ecosystems. That's why I want to be involved in the field of environmental science.

“Start stretching, everyone,” I said loudly to my circle of teammates, most ready with a golf club in hand. My co-captain, while a nice person and spirited captain most of the time, was fooling around. He was shouting and chatting away like he did during most practices. He had the whole team wrapped around his finger - everyone’s favorite captain. How could I blame them? After all, ninety percent of the team is boys; naturally they will gravitate towards another boy. “You weren’t really a captain this year,” one of my female teammates told me. Since she was my only girl teammate on the varsity team, we had grown quite close and often joked in this manner. I knew she was joking, but this comment really stung and stuck with me. How was I supposed to be a good captain when half the team doesn’t listen to me? I knew most of the reason for this was because I’m not as outgoing as my co-captain, but I thought I had been doing an alright job. I couldn’t help but think part of the reason they didn’t listen to me was because I’m a girl. Some might be discouraged by this situation. For a while I was, but that’s why I love golf; I can get away from all the issues circling in my mind and be myself. My introvertedness could come out and I could focus. Just me, the golf course, and my skills. The smell of the fresh evergreen trees in my nose, the wind in my hair, and the whooshing noise of my golf ball zipping through the air. For other sports I’ve played such as basketball, you are dependent on your teammates and them on you. At times, you can feel tempted to relax and let your teammates do the work. With golf, there’s no room for error and you have to be focused. As frustrating as a day on the golf course can be, in the long run that can be a good thing. You learn the importance of making good choices and self control. Actions have consequences on and off the course. One example is how awesome it would be to have a perfect shot out of the bushes right onto the green. However, it’s much more likely that shot would put me backwards, and it'd be a better choice to take an unplayable. Another example is when I decided to finish watching the new season of Stranger Things before school. I almost missed a test in my chemistry class because I lost track of time. Golf has taught me a lot, but the most important things being strategic, independent, and trusting in my abilities. It is so rewarding to be good at something through your own effort and practicing, not on the backs of anyone else. Being a woman in a sport dominated by men can be frustrating, but that’s all the more motivation to keep practicing and get better.

A refreshing gust of wind grazed my face as the sun peeked out from behind the clouds and landed on my back. All I could see for miles was rolling, forested green hills. The smell of fresh pine trees was heavenly. There's nothing quite like sitting on a rock after a long hike and gazing at the scenery. Unfortunately, it's not a realistic goal to hope to be on top of a mountain every day. Thankfully, nature is everywhere; even if it's just a single tree, or a pigeon fluttering around the city. That is why AP Environmental Science was by far my favorite class I've ever taken. I loved going outside multiple times a week and collecting data from the creek next to my school. Even if it was raining, being outside was better than sitting in a concrete building for an hour. The best part was when the class would walk across the street to Meadowbrook Pond. Although my school is in a dense suburban/urban area, this pond was brimming with wildlife. Ducks, geese, frogs, and if you’re lucky you might see a blue heron or a beaver. Being in nature and studying the environment is one of the few activities that is both self-fulfilling and productive in helping the world. Other passions of mine such as playing guitar or being part of sports teams are meaningful too - they are great ways to connect with people and make a lasting impact. However, being in nature can do those things too, and protecting our natural environment has an even greater lasting impact than human connection on its own. Every person has positive experiences with nature, whether it’s sitting atop a mountain, watching a shimmering golden sunset, seeing a herd of deer grazing in a meadow, or a flock of birds flying in formation. Nature is something that not only unites us all with one another but unites us with our planet. Our connection with nature and our natural environment is part of what makes us human. Due to human-caused climate change, species populations are decreasing and nearing extinction. Forests are burning more than ever before. Climate change is no longer merely affecting wildlife, it negatively affects us too. As a society, we are constantly seeing news about climate change, whether it's an article, on TV, or in our classes. Even though we are constantly being fed this news, it feels distant. Polar ice caps are melting, but that's far away - it won't affect me. Global temperatures are rising but it's only a few degrees - that's not that much. These kinds of misconceptions are everywhere. I want to not only be involved in helping protect our world but also to help people open their eyes to what is happening in ways they can understand and sympathize with. Especially legislators and leaders in big corporations who are contributing substantially to carbon emissions. That's why I want to be involved in the field of environmental science.