This is my final semester of undergrad, and I am more anxious than excited about what happens next. Even if I didn’t want to think about it, last fanuchånan1, I took steps to prepare for the eventual tassel-turning, hand shaking and diploma posing. I got a haircut, paid the graduating fee and now have a pair of some cool, new black slacks to use as I parade onto the stage. Of course, my hair will grow out by then, but my vision is to weed out all the imperfect cuts before the photo ops.
Two years ago, if you asked me what I wanted to do, I would’ve said that I wanted to make a positive, meaningful impact in protecting Guam’s environment. And throughout last summer, I pondered what that might actually look like for me and if I was truly happy with where I was going and what I was doing. After meeting my person and having many, many conversations, I reaffirmed my conviction in serving my community as a professor and researcher focusing on invasive species management. Because I firmly believe that science, conducted by and for the people, is the only way to be truly effective and equitable.
By the end of this semester, I will have completed my bachelor’s of science in integrative biology with a minor in crop and environmental protection science. Because of my love for the island, I know that I need to train and seek higher education to meet the needs and challenges Guam and greater Micronesia continue to combat. Along the way, I hope to build upon a future that prioritizes islander community perspectives and leadership.
Looking into the future, I applied to several programs–It’s uncanny how four years ago, I was praying for the same thing–to graduate and get accepted into a program. Only now, I’m praying super, duper hard. As I anxiously wait for this semester to come and go, so too, do I welcome this new chapter of my young environmental journey.
- CHamoru word for ‘rainy season’ (August to December); also known as Fall (academic calendar)
This was written on the indigenous lands of the CHamoru people.
