The problem, pertaining to the ever-encroaching climate catastrophe, that interests me most is the existential threat it poses to our species. My immediate community is located in central Massachusetts, and it will not see the most devastating effects of climate change. It will, however, be greatly affected by the increasing average temperatures and the changes in the normal pattern of precipitation. These more localized and personal threats also interest me greatly. Since the beginning of last summer, I have been involved in political and environmental activism. I was a paid field organizer for an electoral campaign that unsuccessfully ran a candidate for the Massachusetts statehouse. I have also been an active member of my county’s local chapter of the Sunrise Movement. As part of this organization, I have helped assist local electoral campaigns, participated in rallies, lobbied politicians over zoom, gave a presentation to high school students, and engaged in other community outreach projects. I am also a delegate to the Massachusetts Youth Climate Coalition. Due to the limitations imposed on me because of my age and the lack of a relevant career my only ability to help rectify the negligence of climate inaction on a global, national, state, and local level is through activism like I detailed above. In high school, I enrolled in the most difficult offered science course each year, and I was a member of the Science National Honor Society. Now that I will be starting college soon, I am considering majoring in conservation biology which is my school’s interdisciplinary major encompassing both biology and environmental science. I would like to pursue my collegiate studies in a field and that will prepare me to be able to help eventually be part of the solution to the issue of climate change. Most appealing to me at the present moment is working towards a career as a researcher or policy planner in a federal science department or agency such as the Environmental Protection Agency, the Centers for Disease Control, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Department of the Interior, etc. To adequately address the threat of climate change we all must actively advocate for net-zero carbon emissions by at least 2050 in our immediate communities. On a national level, we must agitate for the implementation of a Green New Deal program, greater world collaboration around climate change, and the gradual elimination of capitalism as our major economic system.

Education (specifically; proper and well-resourced education) is integral to the functioning of our society and in the development of individuals capable of effectively engaging with all aspects of our society. The role of education in my life has been to provide me with the information and skills needed to comprehend and to interact with the many components of the world to a degree that has, and in the future, will continue to enrich my life greatly. I have fully embraced the educational system that is needed to unlock many opportunities in life. My experience thus far through K-12 public education has allowed me to acquire the skills that are imperative to my success. From mathematics to English language conventions, I have learned the basic skills to adequately participate in society and to consume its culture. Education has also intrapersonally developed me. It has made me more self-confident and collaborative. The education system has taught me how to navigate relationships and how to interact with the many people in my life. It has fueled friendships that I hope will last a lifetime. It has also encouraged my civic engagement. Education has allowed me to better understand the failures of our American system and it has driven me to pursue activism. Education has allowed me to construct a foundation for a future career that will be instrumental once I begin participating in the workforce full time. Importantly, all the hard work that I have put into engaging with the education system has afforded me the opportunity to enroll in a phenomenal college; Middlebury College. Education has taught me how the world works which has allowed me to better appreciate it. This has caused an emergent love of science, and it has shaped my career aspirations. I intend to extensively enroll in science programs in college and to double major in biology and environmental science. In the future, I hope that I will be able to work for one of the many federal science agencies like the EPA, CDC, NOAA, DOI, etc. Throughout my twelve plus years in the public education system, I have developed a lasting love of learning. I frequently read books, watch documentaries, listen to engaging podcasts, and spend a great deal of time in nature. I am looking forward to college where I may continue my academic career.