Colorado School Of Mines And What Helped My Interest In Environmental Engineering

Why do I see myself at Mines and what sparked my interest in environmental engineering?

Upon two visits to the Colorado School of Mines, I see myself here because of the emphasis placed on creating solutions to address our society’s greatest challenges. When addressing these challenges it is equally important to consider the applications of math and science as well as the multiple perspectives related to environmental stewardship. As a part of the IB Diploma Requirements, each student completes a 50-hour service project that incorporates action and service. For my project, I partnered with Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado to restore and build trails throughout Colorado. This project that sparked my interest in environmental engineering

Drainages were a key aspect of our work when this restoring trail. It was important to make sure that running water is diverted off of the trail in order to prevent erosion and to maintain the tread of the trail. When water falls on a hillside it is dispersed in sheets called sheet flow. Once all of the plants have absorbed enough water, the water flows downhill. When puddles of water occur on a trail, it often causes the trail to become wider, as hikers walk around the puddle and onto the foliage, which can be potentially harmful to the ecosystem. The impact of humans on the environment is an important consideration as well. Understanding the impact of humans and the environmental concerns allowed us to better install water bars and construct drainage ditches to facilitate the proper movement of water down the mountain slope. Assessing the terrain also plays a fact in the type of drainage system that is built. For instance, grade reversals tend to be more obtrusive however they take advantage of the natural dips in the terrain and the presence of trees or rocks on the trail. In cases where the trail is flat or barren, it would be illogical to construct a grade reversal because it obtrusion may result in an increased wear on certain sections the trail causing it to be uneven or unstable. When constructing these drainages we try to leave the environment the way it is and we try to

I enrolled in AP Physics my junior year, however, my grade in that class resulted in an automatic fail. My intent was to drop the class and then retake AP Physics my senior, however with my required courses for IB I could not fit it into my schedule. Therefore I will be taking PHY 211 at Red Rocks Community College in the Spring of 2018. I was also misguided by one of my counselors who told me that if I drop the class, it would not appear on my transcript nor would it affect my GPA. I decided to drop AP Physics, not because I didn't understand the content but due to family commitments. At the time my grandmother had been going through dementia for the past few years. Her symptoms began to get more and more severe. There would be times where she would get into her car and wander off. Perhaps she would just go to her church but other times she would drive to other states. It was an incredibly worrisome time for my parents and I. It was unsafe for her to drive and to be alone. She refused to be placed in a home and in the meantime while we found a caregiver to take care of her, everyone in my family would help out. I would go to her house in the morning to watch her and help her with her daily routine until someone else could. There were times where I was frustrated, some days were easier than others, some days she remembered who I was and other days