Professional Statement

            I cannot think of a time in which I did not want to be an educator. Growing up, I was a passionate learner and invested myself in schoolwork. My grandma spent hours after school with me practicing flashcards, doing worksheets, and checking my homework. It was her commitment to my education that turned me into a lifelong learner. I had so many positive experiences with schooling that I hoped to pass on my passions and help my future students become lifelong learners as well. Though I always knew I wanted to teach, what I wanted to teach has not always been clear to me. It was not until I started college that I found my passion: environmental education.

As a child, I spent a significant amount of my time outdoors. I was always getting dirty, exploring, and playing games with my friends. When I wasn’t at my home in the East Bay, I was with my family and friends at our cabin in Stanislaus National Forest. There I was able to explore the forest and all of the wonders nature had to offer. When I started college, it seemed natural for me to gravitate towards environmental studies. As I worked my way through lower-division coursework, I took interest in sustainability and zero-waste practices. Around that time, I realized I could focus my studies and future career on environmental education. My goal became to educate others on ecosystem and environmental management, sustainability and zero-waste, and restoration.

Going to school in the Monterey Bay Area, I have had many opportunities to volunteer in environmental education. I began volunteering at Highland Elementary School in Seaside. There, I planned and executed my first lesson for a group of second-grade students. I had a very positive experience and became comfortable with designing lesson plans and activities. Since January 2019, I have volunteered at MEarth, an environmental education center near Carmel Middle School. At MEarth, I have been able to develop my skills as an educator. I have been given the opportunity to lead lessons on my own and assist in lesson plan coordination with the educators on staff. This volunteer experience has allowed me to grow as an educator and better prepared me for a career in environmental education.

I have also had the privilege of working at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in the guest experience department. My job allows me to support the aquarium’s mission to inspire conservation of the ocean by working to best enhance the experience of all guests that visit the aquarium. By working at the aquarium, I have been able to talk to people from all over the world and share stories and information about conservation, sustainability, and aquarium research. Through this position, I developed interpretation skills that I was able to translate into becoming a certified interpretive guide.

            As I advance in my field, I hope to inspire my future students to find their own passions as I had found mine and further their learning both in and outside the classroom. I aspire to help my students also become lifelong learners with the same commitment that my grandmother showed to me when I was young. Throughout my career, I will run an engaging, enriching classroom using adaptive management and creative problem-solving. I will always encourage all students to make changes, big or small, in their own lives to protect their planet and the world around them.