I am currently finishing my last semester as an undergraduate the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.  I'll be graduating with a dual degree in Economics and Program in the Environment.  My undergraduate experience has been astounding.  I've developed a strong passion for environmental issues and sustainability.  In particular, I'm very interested in sustainable agriculture and how it can be implemented to reduce world hunger and poverty while also largely eradicating major environmental issues.

This past year I spent three and half months studying abroad in Costa Rica.  The program taught me about the socioeconomics of Costa Rica, the political economy and CAFTA, the ecology of both managed and natural ecosystems in Central America, and Costa Rican agriculture in the context of globalization.  I was able to see firsthand the negative effects of transnational agribusiness while on the other hand meet with alternative farmers who focus on local, sustainable agriculture

In addition,  I conducted an independent research project comparing organic and conventional coffee and cattle farms to a permaculture agricultural system.  I was able to create a report that offered solutions to the farmers on how they could farm in a more ecologically, economically, and socially sustainable manner.                                                                                                   

About a month and half after returning from Costa Rica, I traveled to Southern Africa and spent six weeks backpacking with my boyfriend through South Africa, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, and Botswana.  Once again, I was able to take in a completely different perspective of globalization and poverty than you get living in the United States.

After graduation in April, I'll be spending two weeks in Chiapas, Mexico learning more about sustainable agriculture from the farmers in the region.  I'm very excited about the opportunity!

My plan is to move to San Francisco, CA by the end of this summer and find a job where I can make a positive impact on society and work towards a more sustainable future.  Eventually, I would like to return to graduate school in order to study, in some capacity, sustainable agriculture and how it can implemented more completely in the US and throughout the world.

Mozambican sunset in the mangroves