Major Application Essay

What is your intended major? Discuss how your interest in the subject developed and describe any experience you have had in the field — such as volunteer work, internships and employment, participation in student organizations and activities — and what you have gained from your involvement.

My intended major is Environmental Studies at the University of California Santa Barbara. While thinking back to when my interest in the subject was sparked, all I could think about was growing up in Oregon, where my dad and I lived on a two-acre piece of property in a very small town outside of Portland. I remember being outdoors constantly whether it was climbing trees in the forest or having mud fights with my childhood friends in my backyard. I just

I currently work at Channel Island Outfitters which is an organization that provides guided trips to the Channel Islands that are not only fun, but inform the guests of the extremely rare area they’re enjoying. CIO also provides kayak and paddleboard rentals which is where I currently work. I am currently in training to become an island guide for the spring and summer of 2016 as well. CIO has taught me a significant amount about sustaining a profitable business while being environmentally aware. CIO is a certified B Corporation, where 1% of all of their profits are donated to local organizations that aim to protect our oceans. I have also recently applied for an internship with Isla Vista Surfrider Foundation. The position I am hoping to get reaches out to local businesses in an attempt to allow the foundation to help them change their landscaping into something that is more eco-friendly. I have had an interview, and I am eagerly awaiting a response so I can become apart of another team that has the same goals that I

This summer I worked at a rental shop at Goleta Beach and one day about 50 high school students with a USC summer camp came to rent kayaks from us. Whomever made the reservation also told a small fib that the students could all swim, which I quickly found was not the case. As me and my partner at the shop, Steve, were handing out life jackets and paddles we heard a few comments under the breaths of the students that most of them actually couldn't swim. Allowing any customer to paddle board who cannot swim is against company policy but we just didn't have the heart to them all no. The counselors ensured us that the kids would be fine so we gave our general safety and instruction presentation that we give prior to every paddle board session and pointed them toward the beach. Initially, everything was going smooth. That was until they got to the foot of the beach. Within 5 minutes of them entering the water it all went to shambles. Kids were flipping over in their kayaks, paddles were flying in all directions, sandals were washing up on shore and it was clearly a disaster. Steve and I ran down to the beach and helped make sure everyone was okay and there were no injuries. Eventually we resettled the group and Steve and I took matters into our own hands. Their counselors were clearly uncomfortable and uninformed with of the ocean; so instead we carefully launched each boat one by one. We spent the