Nature is a constant reminder that there is inherent beauty in our existence. There is nothing more comforting than spending a day outside with beautiful weather. Personally, I spend a lot of time outdoors with my friends. Often, we’ll go sit outside at a park or a natural swimming hole with our pets and spend the entire day outside. I feel as though the act of being outside immediately relieves the weight of our responsibilities we carry throughout our days. Nature acts as a catalyst to deepen our connections with others, as well as our connection to ourselves. Spending time outside is a way for me to practice gratitude and staying present. Being a student, my most valuable memories are not the times my friends and I have spent at parties or downtown, but the nights we spent camping and the week-long road trips where we sat in silence in the car, appreciating the lives we are lucky enough to live. To lose these experiences would be detrimental to me; not having this outlet would mean less beauty in the world to appreciate, as well as more difficulty putting my life into perspective. 

Sustainability has been something I have been actively trying to address for a while. As a biology student, sustainability is a field I am hoping to get into in the future. I am vegetarian, for a lot of reasons, one of them being the environmental impact. I mainly shop second-hand, I either walk, bike or take public transportation everywhere, and do my best to reduce my electricity use.

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Creativity is a form of self-love. When people have hobbies, regardless of skill level, they are devoting that time and attention to bettering themselves. Storytelling is a special skill where someone is able to translate that love to others by sharing experiences and lessons with the goal of bettering the listener. When I realized my passion for STEM, I had the  notion that I had to choose between science and creativity. I thought I wouldn’t be able to have both. As I’ve aged, I’ve realized that anybody, in any position of life, is able to be creative. Creativity is being present and actively making the effort to control your train of thought. The more energy that is devoted to developing this skill, the more original ideas will be available to come together and do something substantial. 

Via collaboration with The Creative Process I am able to spread messages that are of importance to me such as sustainability and an appreciation for what surrounds us, including nature, people, and ourselves. 

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This past year, I have been working on several independent research projects in areas that I am really passionate about. As a lover of music, I have spent a lot of time researching the Haitian experience of Rara, and how it provides Haitians with an outlet of expressing their political opinions. Additionally, I have been working on a field research project studying the relationship between soil pH and density of Chinese Privet, a highly invasive plant in Austin, TX. 

I have so many things planned for my future and am filled with excitement when I think about its possibilities. On the more tangible side, putting my biology degree to use and participating in field research is one thing I’m really looking forward to. I also am planning on participating in programs where you are able to teach English abroad. While I have been studying French, my dream would be able to teach somewhere in East Asia. I love to travel and plan on doing a lot of that. 

In a broader sense, I am excited to better know myself and others as I grow and mature. Over the past year, I have begun to view every person as someone who I can either learn something from or teach something to. Practicing this has changed the relationships in my life completely, including my relationship to myself. I have been able to grow to a point where I am able to be my favorite company and have been a large advocate of this being the case for everyone. I’m excited to meet new people who are able to teach me more about life and growth, either directly or through observation. I think that as long as growth continues to remain my goal, I will continue to be satisfied with the life I live.