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Sophia Rains

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Finalist

General information

Hobbies & Interests

  • Painting and Studio Art
  • Dance
  • Cleaning
  • Student Council or Student Government
  • Community Service And Volunteering
  • Agriculture
  • Showing Livestock

Reading

  • History

I read books multiple times a month.

Bio

I'm currently majoring in Ecology & Conservation Biology at Texas A&M with a minor in Secondary Education. Currently at Texas A&M, I am a Staff Assistant for the Big Event, a member of the Society of Conservation Biology, and on The TAMU Club Gymnastics team. I also volunteer with Junior Rodeo Committee for the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. In high school, I was in FFA leading me to be passionate about raising animals. I also love to paint in my free time. Another extreme passion of mine is volunteering. In the past, I was Webmaster, Treasurer, and most recently Vice President of my high school's Key Club. Other organizations I participated in were Student Council and Latin Club. Along with those clubs, I was a member of National Honor Society (NHS), Science NHS, and Mu Alpha Theta (Math NHS). After college, I hope to be either heavily involved in conservation and to educate others on the environment.

Education

Texas A&M University- College Station

Bachelor's degree program

2023 – 2027

Majors:
  • Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology
  • Education, Other
  • Education, General
  • Natural Resources and Conservation, Other
Minors:
  • Education, General

Lone Star College System

Associate's degree program

2020 – 2023

Klein Collins High School

High School

2019 – 2023

Miscellaneous

Desired degree level:
Bachelor's degree program
Majors of interest:
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology, Natural Resources and Conservation, Other, Education, General

Career

  • Substitute Teacher

    Education · College Station ISD

    Jan 2025 – Present

  • Employee/Cashier

    Retail · Monster Fireworks

    Jan 2022 – Jan 2023

Miscellaneous

Dream career field:
Education
Dream career goals:
Teacher and Conservation Biologist
Has nursing license:
No

Future Interests

  • Advocacy
  • Volunteering
  • Philanthropy
  • Entrepreneurship
Muir Way Scholarship
Let it Grow! “You can’t reap what you don’t sow, Plant a seed inside the Earth, Just one way to know its worth, Let’s celebrate the world’s rebirth, We say let it grow!” These lines from the cinematic masterpiece…The Lorax, perfectly illustrates how I feel about conservation. Through my future career as an Environmental lawyer or wildlife biologist and my past experiences positively contributing to the environment my passion for conservation and environmental science is seen. Living in Houston there are many environmental issues that I can help solve as an Environmental Lawyer and wildlife biologist. Houston is a growing city that relies on oil and gas production and various factories. As a lawyer, I hope to defend the environment around me while still finding a solution with these powerful oil companies. As a wildlife biologist, I would research how fracking and extracting oil can affect the surrounding environment. It has already been confirmed that when water from fracking is not properly stored or transported the ground is contaminated with harmful chemicals. However, I would like to investigate how the small earthquakes resulting from contaminated water being put in the Earth affect the environment it is under. Houston is a concrete city and with concrete comes runoff. Another topic I intend to research is where all the water flows, what chemicals are in it, and if it changes surrounding vegetation growth. With this research and my hopeful career as a lawyer, I will be able to produce more information about my local environment as well as enact policies to protect it. My love for environmental science was confirmed when I walked into room 422 two years ago. This was my AP Environmental Science class, Ms. Broussard was my teacher, and I could not stop asking questions. I joined the Environmental Club which led to me being the most active member. Unknowingly our officer team and members lived by the “Let it Grow” lyrics. We cleaned out our school’s garden area that had gone unused for several years due to COVID and we “plant a seed inside the Earth” because “you can’t reap what you don’t sow.” First, we weeded the garden then planted local flowers and vegetation along with some in-season crops that we could eventually harvest. I recycled some old 1-gallon water jugs to use as watering cans. With the guidance of my teacher, we were taught how to test for different nutrients in the water by creating and then maintaining our own ecosystems. This is where my love for environmental science blossomed. Taking a geoscience course my senior year opened my eyes to how truly devasting oil or other forms of fossil fuel can be to the environment. This is where my interest in the previously mentioned fracking stems from. In conclusion, I know my love for environmental science and conservation is shown as well as my dedication to my upcoming profession as a wildlife biologist and lawyer. Conservation is an ever-changing field that is vastly diverse. I believe that this profession is necessary to make our future a livable place with plentiful resources. I intend to use this scholarship money to fund my college education at Texas A&M University as an Ecology & Conservation Biology major. I will use my knowledge to protect the city and wildlife I grew up around. The last piece of information I would like to leave you with is this lyric from the famous town of Thneedville that was heavily affected by deforestation, “It’s time to change the life we lead, Time to let it grow.”
Sophia Rains Student Profile | Bold.org