I have known in my heart since I was a little girl what I wanted to be when I grew up. It was not a stereotypical child’s dream such as a doctor or an astronaut; my vision was instead something that has shaped my actions and decisions throughout my life. In the last few years I have realized that my passion for conserving the environment is a natural calling that I am destined to follow. This intuitive notion solidified while visiting my mother in Maryland a few summers ago. In my old bedroom my mother has kept framed memorabilia from my childhood. One night before I went to sleep I looked on the bed-stand to find an old article that dated back to my third year of elementary school. After rereading this article thirteen years later, with a smile, I recognized my destiny is and has always been devoting my career to the conservation and preservation of our ecosystems.