Crinkles of my unshapely Gore-tex suit poke at my bare skin. The indecisive clouds require the use of my gardening galoshes, which slightly sink with each careful step into the decomposing forest floor. Trees of great breadth pass by slowly as I dodge blossoms reaching for nourishment. For now, the flowers swallow the few narrow rays extended to them through the patchy canopy of sticks and leaves. My dark suit absorbs some of this energy. Smiling, I pause. Branches of glossy needles drape over the slight clearing in which I stand. Everything is still, fresh, alive.

To my left, the forest is thick. To my right, it thins. Past the evergreen that towers above me, shrinking vegetation is exposed to the vast sky-–the sky that decides the plants’ fate. Each species pops up sporadically through a layer of man-made bark, leaving gaps in the vegetation. I wonder if they will survive the cold, or if the area will overflow with water, damaging the plants like last winter.

A few years ago, I stood in this same place, planting some of the smaller plants I stare at now. This was after trees had been taken down in order to pave a road and parking lot connecting the King County Brightwater Treatment Facility and the Environmental Center. Now, whenever the dew solidifies on the leaves, a pool of water freezes on top of the asphalt. When the sun returns from its slumber, it creates a stream, leaving the plants vulnerable and nearly helpless. This illustrates the challenge of balancing urban growth with sustainability, the challenge I embrace.

The purpose of the Environmental Center is to educate the public on their impact on the environment. It was built as “green,” or sustainable, as possible. I will never forget the groundbreaking ceremony. My heart beat fast, knowing that many important representatives of my community were present. My ponytail itched under my hard hat. After a count of three, we kicked our golden shovels into the ground, excited to start the construction. From that day forward, I have felt an unshakeable desire to maintain the health of our surrounding ecosystem.

All of our actions affect our environment in some way. What species have been depleted in order to build factories and stores? In 100 years, will our natural streams, forests, and other resources even exist? I want to learn how the Earth has survived 3.5 billion years so far, and use this knowledge to create technology that will allow the earth to prosper for generations to come. I want my grandchildren to inhale the same fresh oxygen I do, anywhere in the world, including under this great evergreen.

Leaves begin to quiver. The sky darkens. Feeling content and protected under the weathered tree, I pull on my hood. Tiny shoes trample toward me.

“Hailey, Hailey what are these?”

A small finger points to brushy, erect plants that stand between my three small summer camp students and myself.

“That’s horsetail! Be careful not to squish it!” I respond.

They take me seriously. A picture is snapped. A pencil sketches the shape. They are excited to learn which plants are needed most in this area, and where to plant them.

“Is horsetail a ground cover?”

“Why does it stand like that?”

“Why is it under this tree?”

I explain a little, but cannot answer all of these questions. I, too, am curious. I want every person, including myself, to learn more about the environment, so that we can protect it. Only then can we truly understand how we are severely altering it, and finally begin to adapt our lifestyles to help it stay healthy. If everyone cared as much as these four little hearts in the rainy clearing, there is much to be hopeful for.

Two years later, I found myself on a plane to Italy, ready to study abroad at Gonzaga’s campus in beautiful Florence, and especially excited for a class on Renaissance Architecture. I struggled with my engineering classes there, though – more than I had ever struggled before. I panicked when I realized I had failed my Dynamics midterm. However, this was honestly the best thing to happen because it fueled my fire to improve myself.

Megan O'Connor

I learned to love learning by doing practice problems step-by-step until I actually understood thinking processes, rather than completing assignments only to check them off in my planner. I learned that with every mistake and success, I become the innovative, problem-solving engineer that I want to be, so that I can achieve my goal of helping people and the environment. This goal became my core motivation, and I aced my final, knowing the material better than I ever would have thought I could. Even though this class was a struggle, I found a balance of working hard towards my goals while still leaving time to explore and experience life independently and in a different culture.

I am now even more excited and prepared to take on next semester with my refreshed, positive, hard-working mindset, in order to actually learn material and become the best Civil Engineer I can be. My schooling will help me strive for excellence in my journey to protect biodiversity, and to help show people that they matter. I want to design wastewater treatment plants in order to protect our current ecosystems and our precious, limited resource, water. I also want to help build a community of tiny houses in the Spokane area to help get people off the streets and to help them see their own infinite worth, feeling loved and appreciated. In ten years from now, this is what I see myself doing. I would live in a tiny house within the new community as an advocate for social justice and environmental sustainability. Everyday of school I get closer to making these dreams a reality, and everyday of summer I am constantly motivated.

As an intern, I am learning the skills to make construction plans a reality, and as a STEM camp counselor, I am inspired by our future, the kids that I am privileged to guide and teach. I am excited for the next decade of my life, and as much as I strive for my goals, I am open to change, and am grateful for every opportunity I have been blessed with. Everything happens for a reason, or as I think of it, God has a plan. I am constantly learning and loving everyone that is part of the special moments that make up this journey of life, and I never want that to change! As long as I am doing things for and with others while living in an environmentally sustainable way, I will be happy.

Jon Holt