Personal Statement: Growing Up In Dublin, Ohio

Essay Questions

1) Growing up in Dublin, Ohio has given me many opportunities to influence my decision to apply to be a Doris Duke Conservation Scholar. Firstly, Dublin is a Tree City USA. Being that, an atmosphere of conservation surrounded me from a young age, surrounded by metro parks and restoration projects — returning farmlands to grasslands. Additionally, the school district strongly nurtured a love for learning that sticks with me today. Teachers would always find ways to make the topics enjoyable and creating opportunities for students to learn about topics in which they were interested by letting students pick topics for individual projects. For example, I researched deforestation in the Amazonian rain forest, a topic that interested

In marching band, I was a squad leader. This gave me the responsibility to make sure my squad knew their music and knew where to be on the field. In concert band, I was first chair. I was responsible for distributing and collecting parts, and helping students learn the parts. As a result of these music experiences in high school, I also taught seventh grade percussion at my old middle school. I taught the students various techniques, helped them learn contest music, and taught them several percussion ensemble pieces. While at the middle school, I also student-directed their play. I assisted the faculty directors and worked with students on various aspects, including acting, lighting, set changes, and music. My senior year of high school I became a co-leader for Teen Institute, a club which tries to show that people can have fun without drugs or alcohol. This gave me the opportunity to present three seminars at the annual Dublin Teen Institute Retreat. My seminars covered the topic of being “non-judgmental.” At the moment, my leadership roles include being secretary of the Herpetological Information and Science Society and president of the Environmental Appreciation Club at Miami University. My goal of starting the Environmental Appreciation Club is to show the members and people who participate in our events the beauty of nature and evoke a desire to take action to protect it. With these clubs, I hope to revive the love and appreciation for the environment which has been lost in the age of