I have always had the dream to grow up and become a marine biologist. There were many factors. I had always seen the ocean and its creatures portrayed as magnificent and otherworldly in movies and TV shows I would watch as a child. My family's connection to the Philippines meant the ocean and the coastal environment were natural to me. The ocean provided both an endless world of new and familiar, and that captivated me. As I've grown up and the conversation of climate change and global warming has shifted, the possibilities that marine biology offered also shifted. I didn't want to lose the opportunity to study what I've always dreamed of, which is why I want to do field work and research to preserve the ocean, to conserve the environment, and to further my connection with the ocean and what it offers my culture and identity. We are at the point in history where I have to fight for the very future of our Earth to pursue and protect my dream. The fight to preserve the Earth is a major factor that motivates me to pursue marine biology and conservation, because standing idle would end disastrously. As a young, queer woman of color, the topic of identity is complicated. I have spent most of my life trying to solve the question of what culture do I belong to, what category, what community? I feel that my identity as a mixed Asian American is fragmented and ever-changing, and constantly under scrutiny. Through my love of science and biology, and connection to nature, I have found that the Earth and all of the biodiversity within it, is it’s own unwavering community. The complex world that nature has to offer is not discriminatory, the land welcomes all of us. Every person deserves to have the opportunity to find comfort in the land, to reap the benefits of our environment, to connect and appreciate our Earth. I offer a multitude of intersections within my identity, along with my beliefs as an avid activist for environment health and safety, as well as social justice and equity for minorities. I strive to include and make intersectionality a cornerstone within my future work within the STEM field, not only in my studies and research, but within my community of scientists. As a researcher, I want to be a part of a team that also values intersectionality, that incorporates ties to their culture identity to their work. Representation and unity within the STEM field is important, and requires constant effort to make the STEM field inclusive and a safe space, a diverse and equitable field . My future research and fieldwork will focus on studying the effects of climate change/global warming within the marine ecosystems, intersecting the effect on the biodiversity and environment and the effect on the cultures and peoples indigenous to that area. Environmental racism is prominent today and is detrimental to many third world countries, especially islands or coastal communities.

I have always had the dream to grow up and become a marine biologist. There were many factors. I had always seen the ocean and its creatures portrayed as magnificent and otherworldly in movies and TV shows I would watch as a child. My family's connection to the Philippines meant the ocean and the coastal environment were natural to me. The ocean provided both an endless world of new and familiar, and that captivated me. As I've grown up and the conversation of climate change and global warming has shifted, the possibilities that marine biology offered also shifted. I didn't want to lose the opportunity to study what I've always dreamed of, which is why I want to do field work and research to preserve the ocean, to conserve the environment, and to further my connection with the ocean and what it offers my culture and identity. We are at the point in history where I have to fight for the very future of our Earth to pursue and protect my dream. The fight to preserve the Earth is a major factor that motivates me to pursue marine biology and conservation, because standing idle would end disastrously. As a young, queer woman of color, the topic of identity is complicated. I have spent most of my life trying to solve the question of what culture do I belong to, what category, what community? I feel that my identity as a mixed Asian American is fragmented and ever-changing, and constantly under scrutiny. Through my love of science and biology, and connection to nature, I have found that the Earth and all of the biodiversity within it, is it’s own unwavering community. The complex world that nature has to offer is not discriminatory, the land welcomes all of us. Every person deserves to have the opportunity to find comfort in the land, to reap the benefits of our environment, to connect and appreciate our Earth. I offer a multitude of intersections within my identity, along with my beliefs as an avid activist for environment health and safety, as well as social justice and equity for minorities. I strive to include and make intersectionality a cornerstone within my future work within the STEM field, not only in my studies and research, but within my community of scientists. As a researcher, I want to be a part of a team that also values intersectionality, that incorporates ties to their culture identity to their work. Representation and unity within the STEM field is important, and requires constant effort to make the STEM field inclusive and a safe space, a diverse and equitable field . My future research and fieldwork will focus on studying the effects of climate change/global warming within the marine ecosystems, intersecting the effect on the biodiversity and environment and the effect on the cultures and peoples indigenous to that area. Environmental racism is prominent today and is detrimental to many third world countries, especially islands or coastal communities.

I have always had the dream to grow up and become a marine biologist. There were many factors. I had always seen the ocean and its creatures portrayed as magnificent and otherworldly in movies and TV shows I would watch as a child. My family's connection to the Philippines meant the ocean and the coastal environment were natural to me. The ocean provided both an endless world of new and familiar, and that captivated me. As I've grown up and the conversation of climate change and global warming has shifted, the possibilities that marine biology offered also shifted. I didn't want to lose the opportunity to study what I've always dreamed of, which is why I want to do field work and research to preserve the ocean, to conserve the environment, and to further my connection with the ocean and what it offers my culture and identity. We are at the point in history where I have to fight for the very future of our Earth to pursue and protect my dream. The fight to preserve the Earth is a major factor that motivates me to pursue marine biology and conservation, because standing idle would end disastrously. As a young, queer woman of color, the topic of identity is complicated. I have spent most of my life trying to solve the question of what culture do I belong to, what category, what community? I feel that my identity as a mixed Asian American is fragmented and ever-changing, and constantly under scrutiny. Through my love of science and biology, and connection to nature, I have found that the Earth and all of the biodiversity within it, is it’s own unwavering community. The complex world that nature has to offer is not discriminatory, the land welcomes all of us. Every person deserves to have the opportunity to find comfort in the land, to reap the benefits of our environment, to connect and appreciate our Earth. I offer a multitude of intersections within my identity, along with my beliefs as an avid activist for environment health and safety, as well as social justice and equity for minorities. I strive to include and make intersectionality a cornerstone within my future work within the STEM field, not only in my studies and research, but within my community of scientists. As a researcher, I want to be a part of a team that also values intersectionality, that incorporates ties to their culture identity to their work. Representation and unity within the STEM field is important, and requires constant effort to make the STEM field inclusive and a safe space, a diverse and equitable field . My future research and fieldwork will focus on studying the effects of climate change/global warming within the marine ecosystems, intersecting the effect on the biodiversity and environment and the effect on the cultures and peoples indigenous to that area. Environmental racism is prominent today and is detrimental to many third world countries, especially islands or coastal communities.