A Fight for the Environment by Ashlynn

A Fight for the Environment by Ashlynn - May 2023 Scholarship Essay

Ever since I was a young child I’ve been fascinated by the outdoors. I spent many of my days tromping through mud puddles and catching earthworms and frogs. Other kids asked for action figures or doll houses for Christmas, but I asked for a new pair of rainboots and mini insect habitats. My curiosity would lead me to wonder how so many beautiful living things, from my small, wriggly earthworms to a forest full of plants and animals, were all connected. I spent countless hours examining hundreds of different parts of the mini ecosystems on my family's property. I wanted to watch the tadpoles swim to understand their “personalities”, or break rocks open to see the different layers inside. There was nothing more captivating than the outdoors to little me. My youthful curiosity soon blossomed into a love for learning. I went from examining small ecosystems on my family's property to diving into documentaries, books, and online resources about the inner workings of our planet. In elementary school, I joined the Green Team club and participated in science fairs. As I crept into my middle and high school years, I filled my schedule with earth and environmental science related classes and extracurricular activities. I dedicated my free time to becoming a STEM leader in my community, teaching young kids at local elementary schools all about the amazing aspects of science.

But as my love for science and my involvement in STEM pursuits grew, so did my awareness of the state of our planet. I went from learning about how all the parts of an ecosystem work together, to learning about how each of those parts were in jeopardy. This endangerment of our planet and all of its different environments caught my attention rapidly, and I was soon taking any opportunity I could to learn more. I wrote my English papers on the effects of different energy sources and the hidden effects of global warming. I signed up for local tree plantings, invasive plant removals, and environmental workshops. As I learned more about the never ending threats to the environment, my desire to be a part of positive change for our planet grew exponentially. It had become a goal of mine to not only positively impact the environment, but to encourage others to do the same.

It soon became time to think more in depth about my future, and there was no doubt that I wanted environmental conservation to be the main focus in my higher education and future career. After exploring copious universities, degrees, program plans, and more, the pathway of Environmental Science was the thing that stuck out to me the most. I learned that by pursuing a degree in Environmental Science, I could learn more about the indepth physical, chemical, and biological interactions of the natural environment. I can then pursue a career in Environmental Science, and work towards my goal of preserving our natural environment, and encouraging others to do the same.