Yes it is true our (humanity's) actions have been detrimental to our Earth. Yet I believe there is a growing trend and thus consensus to where our future lies. We need to do what we can to help preserve and restore the planet we call home. Though, again, it is true that the majority of carbon emissions and the greatest contributors to climate change are large transnational corporations, we can do our best to make small changes that gradually surmount to large ones. The most common form of this comes as the profession we choose to take on. 

I will be attending an American University in the Fall and there, I plan to study mechanical engineering, computer science, and sustainability. My life has been driven by finding ways to innovate and helping those around me and within various communities. I love to garden, so I started and helped create a small urban garden for my community near an underserved neighbourhood in my city, where residents can take and cook vegetables to eat. In addition to solar lights/bottles, solar ovens(and many more easy to make green DIY tech and experiments/upcycling), I taught them the importance of saving energy and the knowledge of simple tips. As well as conducting statistical data analysis using code for environmental datasets. Whether it be as a humble gardener supplying sustainable food for his community or a data scientist looking for ways to optimize environmental policy/regulations I know that somehow I will contribute to the solutions of our current environmental problems.

In those moments, I knew my actions aren’t monumental but they serve as the basis to what I believe in and ultimately what I see the future needs. In my community, I am exposed to children's stories about power outages and using street lights to read. This is reinforced in the rural communities I visit, and in conversations with my coaches who can’t afford air conditioning-the urgent need for cheaper electricity is all too real.  

Now, I plan to take advantage of my new surroundings and explore the opportunities that I have to make a difference in the grander scheme of things. In my time in America, I will look for internships among America’s rising renewable energy companies or groups with similar missions to what I believe to be serving society most efficiently. 

Some of them I will list here:

“Vcharge”: A providence based startup, focusing on smart grids–developing algorithms to optimize households’ use of electricity and heaters. 

“Accio Energy”: A renewable energy startup emphasizing the power of wind energy. This company aims to make this type of energy more affordable and easier to distribute to communities around the world. 

Furthermore, I will explore research experiences both in the lab and in foreign countries working alongside professors who have dedicated their lives to furthering knowledge that will propel humanities horizons. For example, I am looking forward to a specific lab that focuses on solar photovoltaic devices and hydrogels that can harvest light, and generate solar fuels. I hope my research into topics such as hybrid organic-inorganic materials will prove fruitful.  

-Sincerely, Keitaro