What the Miami Experience means to me
My goal is to save the world. That's literally what it says on my résumé. I plan to go to law school after graduation and then I want to work for a non-profit agency that promotes green energy or sustainable food systems.
When I first came to Miami, I wasn't sure what I would major in; I just knew I liked science. Then I met Dr. David Gorchov, my adviser and professor of botany. He was so excited to have me and so welcoming. I've been doing undergraduate research with him ever since. I really appreciate the fact that Miami encourages students to get involved in undergraduate research. Professors here have only a few, if any, graduate students they're working with, so their main focus is on undergraduate teaching and research.
Last year, Dr. Gorchov encouraged me to enter the Miami Interdisciplinary Technology Development Challenge, a competition where students from a variety of majors form teams and invent something. My team won second place for a device we created to transform food waste into an energy source. I'm also working on a project that involves cataloguing native plants in a natural area on campus called Bishop Woods to show Miami's administration the value of preserving that space.
I've really enjoyed doing research, but last summer I found a new passion. I worked as an intern for the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. I helped them fight two proposed coal plants in the Atlanta area. I went to hearings, met with community members, and wrote letters to the editor. Those experiences convinced me that I want to work in environmental policy.
