Nature is always something that has greatly fascinated me. The way the branches of trees wave “hello” as you pass by, the way plants can make their food, the way water ripples at even the slightest of movements, and the way every part of nature mimics that of human life are all beautiful and captivating. However, I understand that future generations may not be able to experience the true beauty of what we see currently, due to the rapid effects of climate change all around the world that are causing oceans to become acidic, ice caps to melt, increased natural disasters, and so many other effects. This hurts my heart because they may miss out on such an extraordinary part of life. This is exactly why I chose to study environmental science/sustainability studies. Looking towards the future, I want to pursue research with businesses and, possibly, the government on a global scale to combat these environmental issues that are highly prevalent. To combat these issues, it is important to look at the bigger industries inputting these damages and those in charge of actions and laws to create change. This is why I want to try and work closer with them to help enact change from within to create a more sustainable system. In addition to researching sustainable routes, I also want to research more effects of climate change all over. For instance, something that I would like to possibly research and interests me is how changing currents, due to water temperature changes, are causing/may cause migration patterns for many ocean organisms to change. In addition to this, I may also love to research fire ecology due to the increase in wildfires all over the world. Overall, I want to conduct research to further the understanding of the current and possible future issues with climate change and the environment. However, to do what I want, it involves way more than just sitting and watching. My current goal I am working towards is to get a degree at UT Austin in Environmental Studies or Sustainability Studies. This is letting me gain the important knowledge to conduct what I would like to do. Furthermore, I am going to get involved in research and an internship in these last few years of my education to further network with people in the field and gain insight into the many possibilities within my major. Overall, my main goal is to make a difference, no matter how tiny or huge it may be. I want to leave behind a legacy for those after me, and I want to work towards a future that is green and keeps the beauty of nature for future generations.

Nature is always something that has fascinated me in so many ways. The way the branches of trees wave “hello” as you pass by, the way plants can make their food, the way water ripples at even the slightest of movements, and the way every part of nature mimics that of human life are all beautiful and captivating. However, I understand that future generations may not be able to experience the true beauty of what we currently see, due to the rapid effects of climate change all around the world that are causing oceans to become acidic, ice caps to melt, increased natural disasters, and so many other effects. This hurts my heart because they may miss out on such an extraordinary part of life. This is exactly why I chose to study environmental science/sustainability studies. Looking towards the future, I want to pursue research with businesses and, possibly, the government on a global scale to combat these environmental issues that are highly prevalent. To combat these issues, it is important to look at the bigger industries inputting these damages and those in charge of actions and laws to create change. This is why I want to try and work closer with them to help enact change from within to create a more sustainable system. In addition to researching sustainable routes, I also want to research more effects of climate change all over. For instance, something that I would like to possibly research and interests me is how changing currents, due to water temperature changes, are causing/may cause migration patterns for many ocean organisms to change. In addition to this, I may also love to research fire ecology due to the increase in wildfires all over the world. Overall, I want to conduct research to further the understanding of the current and possible future issues with climate change and the environment. However, to do what I want, it involves way more than just sitting and watching. My current goal I am working towards is to get a degree at UT Austin in Environmental Studies or Sustainability Studies. This is letting me gain the important knowledge to conduct what I would like to do. Furthermore, I am going to get involved in research and an internship in these last few years of my education to further network with people in the field and gain insight into the many possibilities within my major.  Overall, my main goal is to make a difference, no matter how tiny or huge it may be. I want to leave behind a legacy for those after me, and I want to work towards a future that is green and keeps the beauty of nature for future generations.

“Yes! I got in!” I exclaimed when I opened MyStatus and saw I was accepted into the University of Texas at Austin. Excitement swept through me like never before. I was going to be the first in my family to get a college degree. Although it was scary to think that I would be going through such a hard time by myself, it was also exciting.  Getting a college degree is very important to me because it has been something I have worked towards all my life. This is mainly because of my family. Many jobs nowadays require some sort of degree, and if I wanted a good-paying job, I would need a degree. I want to be able to support my family because, without them, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I was raised by a single mom, which was not easy, and she gave me so much support throughout all of my years, no matter what. Without her, I wouldn’t be where I am today, so I want to get my degree, so she can feel proud of who she raised.  Currently, in college, I am studying Environmental Science, but will potentially be switching to Sustainability Studies with a Communications minor. Nature has always been important and so beautiful to me. Every little aspect is so fascinating, and I want future generations to be able to see the beauty we see every day. This is the main reason I am studying this major. One of my career goals is to do research for businesses, or even the government, on many environmental problems or solutions. In addition to this, I also want to use my degree to combat environmental discrimination in many different places around the world; however, to do that, I have to start with research, so that is one of my main career and educational goals. Being the first in my family to get a college degree has been a challenging route for me, but I am not giving up. There is a lot I am working towards, both in my personal life and career-wise. To create the change I want to, both in my family and outside, I have to start with getting my degree and using the knowledge I receive for good. In addition to this, I want to be able to set an example in my family for generations to come. I want them to realize that no matter what, they can achieve their goals and never give up, no matter how hard it gets.

Looking at the theme for this specific year’s Met Gala, one may think that it involves the outdoors, tents, and many other things. However, it means a completely different thing. Camp is a slang word that describes behavior, style, or a performance that is appealing because of the way it’s overly exaggerated, and how it fuses many different styles to create a coherent piece. It can be considered ridiculous, unexpected, against the norms, and many other things. In 2019, this was the theme of the Met Gala, “Camp: Notes on Fashion.” Throughout the night, many celebrities adorned fabulous and insane looks. As someone who enjoys looking at this style, it was especially hard to pick a favorite; however, there was one look that, in my eyes, was the campiest and stood out the most. Wearing Versace, Lupita Nyong’o’s outfit played on both unique shapes and contrasting fabrics. The bright rainbow ribbon/tulle type fabric against the seethrough pink star fabric created a contrast but also created harmony throughout the look. In addition to this, not only did Lupita use her clothing to stay on theme, but she also used both her makeup and hair to further this theme. The use of bold eye makeup and a black lip contrasted nicely against the rest of the outfit. Not to mention, the gold hair picks used in her hair made the piece stand out. It took use of an everyday item in black culture, and brought beauty and couture to it, which embodies the camp theme as a whole. Overall, her look is one of the most extravagant looks of the nice, and I think she and her team understood what it meant to be camp. As stated before, camp, in this sense, is supposed to address fashion that is absurdly exaggerated and out of this world. However, in my opinion, there is one person that may need to go back to the drawing board. For the “Camp: Notes on Fashion: theme, Demi Moore was adorned in a black dress from Saint Laurent. Although the top half was a sort of blazer that was pretty risky, in comparison to the others, this specific outfit was very lackluster. Although beautiful, I do not think this celebrity took on as much of a risk as others and wasn’t, in my opinion, camp. It was a very simple outfit that you could see anyone wear during any event. The outfit did not seem to play with any various shapes, colors, patterns, etc. I think if the shape was a little bit different and out there, or if there was a play on colors or patterns on the outfit or even extravagant makeup, it would’ve been significantly better. With a plain base as such, I believe there was a lot that could’ve been added that really could’ve made the look “pop” and stand out.  As social media continues to expand, "embarrassment" and the need to hide one's true self continue to also grow as well. No one wants to be judged, so they become a different version of themselves. However, I think the Met Gala's 2019 theme helped showcase that it is okay to be different and out of the box by showcasing out-of-this-world fashion and style. This is why it is considered one of my favorite themes. The whole idea of camp is to truly be yourself, and that it is okay to stand out, which I am continuously trying to teach myself. It is okay to be extravagant and exaggerated and the "camp" theme brought that to life.

In a crazy world full of hardships, there is one person who brings light to everything, no matter how hard the situation is. Someone who always makes it work, no matter what is handed to them. They continue to work hard to give me a life worth living, and even though there are only two days in the year specifically dedicated to them, I think they deserve every single day. My mother comes from a challenging background full of sadness, death, struggle, and so much more. Because of this, she raised me with high expectations that, in reality, should have choked me like a silent hand around my neck, but instead pushed me to be the best version I could be. I want to be able to give her everything she deserves later on and to feel proud of herself for seeing my success because she raised me to be me. One thing that I always noticed from my mom is that she has always supported me no matter what I want to do. I wanted to try out theatre? I was staying at my aunt’s house next summer to go to a theatre camp. I wanted to try out softball? A bat, mitt, helmet, and softballs were in my room the next day as she was calling coaches. How about drill team/dance? She was there for every single game and performance I had and put me in a studio to gain experience. Even though these are physical things, she still helped me through so much more Being a mixed child raised by a single, white mom raised challenges both within me and in the outside world. Identity crisis funneled through me throughout my entire life, especially when the majority I was around did not look like me. However, my mom reminded me that, just because I was different, did not mean I was any less special. She helped me navigate through so many challenges I had, whether it be something as simple as not being able to get a knot out of my curly hair or something as complex as many mental health issues. Overall my mom has greatly helped me in all of my educational goals. I would not be here without her. She pushed me throughout my schooling years before college and even continues to give me support throughout all the hardships of college and life outside of home. Without her, I would not be where I am educationally, mentally, and even physically. She deserves the world, and because of everything she has supported me through, I hope I can give it to her.