As a junior environmental science major at Claflin University, my academic interests and career goals are directly linked. They are defined by what I want to achieve as I matriculate through college, and by what I want to do after my undergraduate experience. Ultimately, I’m interested in pursuing a career as a successful environmental scientist, and as an influential leader in environmental management, political ecology, and in environmental sustainability. In order to accomplish my career goals, I plan on building the foundation of my career plans on a “solid educational ground,” with the internships, research, and leadership opportunities I obtain as the essential building blocks. With this in mind, I will be able to use my undergraduate experiences to help better prepare me for post-undergraduate life, and my future endeavors.
My academic interests revolve around graduating with honors from Claflin, earning my Bachelors of Science degree in Environmental Science, and attending Graduate School so I can earn my Masters in Environmental Engineering. Therefore, to accomplish these academic goals, I plan on making the most out of my undergraduate experience by maintaining a high level of academic performance, and by pursuing leadership positions. For instance, as an Honors College student, a Presidential Scholar (4 year, full academic scholarship), and a part of the rigorous Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) major program, it’s imperative that I maintain a 3.5 GPA or better in order to compete with other students for opportunities. I understand it is essential for me to continue to develop good study habits, time management skills, and test taking strategies so I will be better prepared when the amount and the intensity of coursework increases. Without the development and application of these skills, it will be very challenging for me to graduate on time, and even get accepted into Graduate School. Fortunately, so far I have earned a 3.61 cumulative grade point average out of a 4.0 scale, and will continue to strive for improvement. Secondly, since my freshman year, Claflin has stressed the importance of “visionary leadership.” Visionary leadership is the ability to “know the way, show the way, and go the way.” Therefore, I believe that in order to become an influential leader in the professional and scientific community, I need to first develop as a leader on campus! I have been elected as the Treasurer of an environmental awareness organization called, “Friends of the Earth” (FOE) for the second straight year. As the Treasurer of FOE, I not only deal with budgets and finances, but I’m responsible for planning and organizing environmentally based service projects. For example, two events this year that I was able to successfully organize and plan for were an, “Recycling Day Event: Pimp You Bin” and “Adopt-A-Highway.” The former was an activity where we collected cardboard boxes from around the campus, and encouraged students to decorate them into their own recycling bins! The latter event was when FOE and other student volunteers cleaned up a local highway by picking up trash and recyclable materials. I’m hopeful that my leadership experiences now and in the future will help me develop both the vision and the leader that is within me.
In addition, my academic interests include participating in a summer internship or research experience until I graduate, and studying abroad for a semester. By applying for summer internships and research opportunities, I will be gaining valuable experience and exposure if selected. For example, by working within my field of study, and under the supervision of experienced professionals, I will gain first-hand experience in conducting research, be able to develop technical and laboratory work skills, network with other aspiring individuals, and get a better perspective of the type of work I may be doing in the future. These types of experiences will not only look great on my resume, but I will be able to apply and build on the knowledge and skills that I have gained throughout my academic career. Also, I’m interested in studying abroad in San Jose, Costa Rica for a semester. This unique experience will allow me to study environmental science based courses at Veritas University, where I can take advantage of career-building internships, participate in the conservation partnership program, get involved in the community, and practice my Spanish-speaking skills. Overall, by studying abroad I will grow academically, professionally, and personally, while gaining an open mind and a global perspective.
Now in regards to my career goals, after I earn my Masters in Environmental Engineering, I want to become involved with research concerning different ways how to implement renewable technologies in everyday life, and the potential that future technology will have in conserving, remediating, and protecting the environment. This is very vital to the future of our planet because, we need to move towards a more environmentally sustainable world. Environmental sustainability is very important because of our deadly dependence on nonrenewable energy resources, which are polluting and damaging our world’s hydrological, terrestrial, and atmospheric environments. As a result, we are directly impacting the health of our planet not only for us, but for future generations. However, as a future environmental scientists/engineer I believe I would be able to work with the scientific community to try to prevent this continued environmental degradation. After gaining experience and expertise in my research, I hope to one day become involved in the environmental energy policy, so I can eventually be qualified enough to be a high ranking official at DOE. Overall, I hope to make a difference in this world in a very “sustainable way!”
This past summer, I had the unique opportunity to conduct research with my mentor from Claflin University at Brookhaven National Laboratory in Long Island, NY. The undergraduate research internship program I was apart of was called, The Visiting Faculty Program. The selection process was very competitive, and I was one of 15 other undergraduate students selected to participate in this program, out of a large pool of applicants across the country. During this 10 week summer internship, I participated in research regarding using an environmentally-friendly material (garlic) to improve the bioremediation capabilities of a heavy metals and contaminants of certain strain of bacteria. After completion of this internship, my mentor and I will be continuing our research during the school year, and I plan on presenting my research at conferences and at university seminars.
