Molly McCurdy
"Dawn saves wildlife."
Senior Molly McCurdy waits for the commercials to pass. The infamous Dawn Dish Soap commercial clicks on and she watches as the animals are cleaned from oil with the magic blue liquid called Dawn. Then and there, a spark of interest was born.
McCurdy's view has since then expanded and brought her to the field of environmental science, and more specifically, ocean conservation. "A time I realized the environment needs help is when I watched TikToks about the icebergs melting with the polar bears on them," she explained. "I thought that was really sad."
As an environmental scientist, there is a need for passion to protect the earth as a whole. There are a lot of issues in the world as of now, and mostly all of time. Some examples of these issues include wildfires, global warming, pollution and many more emitted and created mostly by human beings.
McCurdy plans on sticking to the environmental side of things. "I think it would be sad to work with animals, to be honest," she said. "I've seen videos of turtles that have trash stuck to them and it is very sad to me." Even with a popular hashtag, "#SaveTheTurtles," animals continue to suffer from plastics and non-breathable air.
Time passes in a blink of an eye, and McCurdy already has a plan for her future in her head. In 10 years, McCurdy plans to be living in a nice house on the coast with hopes of joining a company working in the field of environmental science. Being on the coast comes with a lot of aquatic duties. "I think if I work with the ocean, then it's indirectly helping animals," she said.
Seniors Molly McCurdy (left) and Megan Siereveld on a hike
Photo Courtesy of Molly McCurdy
On the path to success, McCurdy has big plans in this field of work. "Hopefully, it reverses climate change; I think especially since they're looking for new designs and stuff to help them with problems," she said. "If you found something groundbreaking then you can find success, fame or respect in the field."
Many conservationists work very hard and efficiently to try to achieve the goal of reclaiming a sum of land or water to try to treat effectively. Many of these scientists also work in situations dealing with acid rain, toxic waste cleanup, and a big factor near the coast, where McCurdy wants to work, is pollution in bodies of water across the world.
To be in a more advanced position, including a career as a program manager or a project leader, one would need a master's degree, as it is usually required in most cases. To become someone in this field, it requires hard work and dedication, and McCurdy is up for this challenge.
"I'm going to go to grad school, hopefully at the University of Vermont, which is the best for environmental science," she said. "Hopefully my success reverses climate change."
Story by Chloe Sumner