Supplemental Essays

Serving as a youth organizer for an environmental youth group, Future Fighters, it has been my goal to become the mentor I wanted at their age, someone who can show younger generations how to comprehend the emotional impact of global crises, and build the skills to convert that energy into action. By applying my experience in communicating complicated environmental lessons, I would strengthen the quality of environmental communication at The University of Pennsylvania as a member of The Daily Pennsylvanian and the youth-oriented UnEarthed Penn. My participation in these publications would also allow me to gain additional experience with leadership in journalism, while tapping into a community of dedicated and passionate students who share my interests and goals.

Building off my experience and progress with Future Fighters by getting involved with Penn's Students for Environmental Equity group, I would support the growth of and development of youth and adult teams prepared to address specific environmental concerns and needs in the Philadelphia community. Additionally, through a connection to the group organizer Anna Balfanz, I would apply these values to the initiatives of the Penn Office of Sustainability and support my peers in our collective pursuit of meaningful social change.

Between writing and editing for my school's newspaper, devoting time to research about the impacts of social pressure on youth engagement in climate action, and enrolling in literary theory courses covering topics of gender and identity, my academic interests vary across subject matter. While I am interested in a variety of topics, I maintain a deep respect for the way that stories bring people together, and value the use of writing as a tool to address systemic problems. Because of this, I am curious about the Communication and English programs at the University of Pennsylvania. By taking courses such as Media, Infrastructures, and the Environment I could use my journalism experience to spark productive environmental discourse on The Daily Pennsylvanian while gaining an in-depth English Literature education through The Core, and a concentration in Literature, Journalism, and Print Culture. Finding an intersection between these academic disciplines, I would strengthen my persuasive communication skills, recognizing that solutions for systemic problems require group understanding and collaboration, and gain an appreciation for the way writing and literature are interconnected with political and cultural phenomena.

I come from a family of readers and writers. In our home, overflowing bookshelves are a fact of life, and instead of "normal" presents on the eight nights of Hanukkah, my twin brother and I receive a book each night, in my family's rendition of the holiday, "Bookkakah." Throughout my childhood, bedtime stories turned into fantasy novels, which grew into reading the authors who inspired my parents to become writers, and each evening, dinner conversations gave me a platform for my voice as a young literary critic. Ever since I could hold a pencil, I have understood the value of expressing myself in writing, as well as the opportunity for building community around others who have come to the same realization.

As a seventh grader, that understanding guided me into the school newsroom. I waded through a sea of uniform skirts and Jansport backpacks and sat among 30 girls crammed into a room with a capacity for 15, where the walls buzzed with energy. Since then, I have edited dozens of stories, from promposals to plastic surgery to parking struggles, and published 20 issues of a newspaper covering the lives of a 500+ student body. Through disagreements about story angles and last minute brainstorming sessions, the values of my bookworm family have guided me as I have made my way from staff writer to Co-Editor-in-Chief of The UltraViolet. I hold deep respect for the way that stories bring people together, and I value the responsibility for writing's utility as a tool to address systemic problems. These values have guided me through years of building trust and credibility in the newsroom and my school community.

I am attracted to The University of Michigan's College of Literature, Science, and Art because of the opportunities it provides for specialized study. By allowing students until the end of sophomore year to declare a major, LSA encourages a culture of exploration. Because I am open to multiple possible career paths and academic opportunities, I see this as an asset. Whether it was spending six summers at farm camp during my childhood, or pursuing courses in environmental science in high school, I hold a deep interest in humanity's impacts on the environment. The Environmental Writing and Communication Social Science specialization of the LSA Environment major offers an ideal fit for my experience with writing, interviewing, and journalistic storytelling. The program's multidisciplinary approach integrates the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities, which appeals to my passion for environmental activism. Through classes such as Environmental Journalism and Communicating Sustainability, I could apply my journalism experience toward efforts to increase the accessibility of conversations around climate change. Ultimately, I hope to continue my current efforts as an organizer of Future Fighters, a youth environmental education and action group, by joining a dedicated community of peers working towards a more sustainable future.

I am also drawn to LSA's research opportunities for undergraduates in the Environmental Communication Lab, examining how communication strategies can improve engagement and climate change related social outcomes. I am extremely interested in this topic, and with a highly collaborative research environment and focus on social science techniques, this program will offer me a chance to build upon work completed through my school's Honors Research in the Social Sciences program. I am currently working with a mentor on a project that examines the impact of emotions and social pressure on climate engagement in youth and adolescents, and I am enthusiastic about extending my interest in this topic into college-level research at Michigan. The Environmental Communication Lab, run by Professor Sol Hart, studies how to create effective climate change messaging that crosses ideological divides. I believe Dr. Hart's work represents the innovative and adaptive research process I hope to emulate in my own exploration of climate change communication.

Additionally, LSA's communication program places an impressive emphasis on hands-on practice and learning. Through required Communication in Action courses that develop oral and written communication skills, I would explore topics such as Environmental Communication or Marketing for Social Change, which address media depictions of environmental issues and the role of media in influencing public opinion and policy actions. Through my work with Future Fighters, I have practiced my communication skills and gained experience teaching complex topics, and I would seek opportunities at LSA to advance my proficiency in those areas.

By joining The Michigan Daily, I would be able to connect with the Ann Arbor community and combine my extracurricular and academic interests by contributing to, or developing, a climate and environment beat. I hope to tap into a group of supportive and welcoming students who share my interest and goals, similar to those I have found in my high school newspaper.