ReturningtoPeruAnna

ReturningtoPerutovisitmyfathershomeland,Iwasdisturbedbythesignificantpollution,land
degradation,unsustainablepractices,andlackofcleanwatersurroundingme.Thememoryofadestitute
boy,surroundedbywaste,consumingwaterfromafilthycommunaltapinadilapidatedshantytownof
Lima,Perustillhauntsme.
Explorationdrivesdiscovery.Thispivotalexperienceformulatedmypassionandcareerobjective:
preservingtheenvironmentandprotectingourresources.
Sincemydiscovery,Ihaveneverstoppedpreparingforafutureinenvironmentalengineering.Ive
immersedmyselfinrigorousclassesofenvironmentalscience,chemistry,biology,math,physics,and
geology.IhaveorganizedaWalkforWatertoraiseawarenessofwaterconservation,worked
extensivelywiththeChesapeakeBayFoundationandYouthOceanConservationSummit,andeven
receivedmyfirstgrantforaprojectdesignedtoinstallagreenroof,rainbarrels,andaraingardenatmy
school.
Forbillionsofyears,Earthsstructureandcompositionhasdevelopedtomaintainabalanceoforderforthe
prosperityoflife.Unfortunately,humanshavenotreturnedthefavor.Instead,wehavecreated
unprecedentedamountsofhabitatdestruction,resourcedepletion,toxicwaste,andwaterinsecurity.
Environmentalengineeringistheintegrationofscienceandengineeringprinciplestodevelopsolutionsto
theseeminentandfuturecrises.Iwanttocollaboratewiththetopschoolofpublichealthtoaddressthe
risksofcontaminatedwater,anddevelopefficientwaystoconserveandpurifywaterresourcesglobally
whilepreservingmajorecosystems.Iwanttoendlanddegradationinendangeredandvulnerablebiomes
suchasmyfathershomeland.Iwanttocreatealternativestoproducecleanenergy.Iwanttoreducethe
ecologicalfootprintleftbyourspecies.
TheHopkinsOvernightMulticulturalExperienceallowedmetoappreciatethespiritofexplorationand
discoverythatradiatesfromstudentsandteachers,andstillfrommyparentswhometduringtheirdoctoral
studiesatJohnsHopkins.Hopkinsstudentsdontsubmitthemselvestodemandinginternshipsorresearch
duetorequirement;theyyearnfromadeeperunderstandingofwhatisathand.ThatiswhoIam:self
drivenanddeterminedtogobeyondwhatisnecessary.Ilovedimmersingmyselfinaculturallydiverse
environment,interactingwithpassionateindividuals,andbeingconstantlystimulatedbynewideas.Iwant
tobedeeplyconnectedwithmyoriginalwork,knowingthatIwillmakeadifferenceintheworldyetstill
beabletoabsorbstreaminginformationaroundmethroughoutmylife.
Naturally,Iwillalwayscontinuemyloveformusic,soccer,art,andtheoutdoors.Mypassionforthe
environmentservesasmyroots,connectingmetotheveryearthwhichnaturedme.Myinterests
continuetoanchormyidentity,whilebranchesgrowofambitionandcuriosity.Explorationanddiscovery
flowerasthefruitofmytree,asIstrivetorevealasmuchaspossibleaboutnotonlymyself,buttheworld
weinhabit.Iremainintriguedbytheongoingstreamofwhatisalreadyknown,andwhatremainstobe
exposed.

By Anna