My name is Kathleen Knight, but you can call me Kat. I am a first year Environmental Science major and Spanish minor, with my major concentrations focusing in Conservation Biology and Environmental Systems and Sustainability.
I'll answer the first question I'm always asked when people hear my study plans: why Spanish?
I fell in love with the Spanish language after taking it for four years in high school. I loved being able to speak a different language, and I was fascinated by the culture of different Latin American countries. I hope to study abroad in Costa Rica during my third year and do a Spanish/Environmental Science program, as well as eventually visit every Latin American country. I'm interested in moving to somewhere in South America to go to graduate school, and then work on endangered species and habitat conservation research projects after I graduate. Eventually I plan on moving into the field of environmental policy, and I want to influence sustainable environmental laws in both the US and in developing countries. With that being said, maybe it will make more sense to you how Environmental Science and Spanish tie together!
I grew up in Laguna Niguel, California, which is a small beach town about a hour and a half south of LA. I have two younger brothers and a dog named Chance. During the summers, I work as a beach lifeguard for the California State Parks, and also travel to Montana every year with my family to vacation at our lake cabin. At home, I volunteer at the J.F. Shea Therapeutic Horseback Riding Center, which is a horseback riding facility for children and adults with mental and physical disabilities. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWRS7dOk_xA
Here's a picture of my office!
And here are my brothers, Colin (16) and Kyle (11).
From this class, I hope to gain a better understanding of just how important both science and art are, and the different influences they have on our everyday and professional lives. I'm interested in learning about up-and-coming science/art technologies, especially ones that are related to the field of environmental science and improving human sustainability while reducing our impacts on the natural world. Through this class, I hope to be able to discover new sustainable technologies and explore the design ideas that I have concerning technology and it's role in the field of environmental science. As an aspiring scientist, technology will play a vital role in my career path and in the way in which our natural environment is influenced, and I hope to widen my knowledge of existing and potential technologies that incorporate both art and science as primary factors of their design and function.
