My story begins with me as a young person, Monica Orozco. Monica Orozco believed she was good at science and math. In fact, I was better at numbers than people. When I discovered my love for the environment and my passion for improving it, I thought it could be achieved through technology, laboratory research, and engineering. I ignored environmental policy, government initiatives, and advocacy possibilities. However, my Gold Award project where I started a food waste project showed that I have the skills to bring groups of people together for a specific purpose and improve communities through organizing and environmental action. . I thought majoring in environmental studies at USC would give me the opportunity to keep the door open for both futures.
Perhaps the biggest problem facing our planet, climate change poses a major threat to our lives and the future of our planet. When I first discovered that I could act to slow or stop this crisis, I decided to use my skills and passion to improve the health of our planet and stop the climate crisis. While science and technology are certainly ways to apply innovative solutions to this problem, another important part of my first year at USC was to advocate for specific environmental causes and promote sustainable We realized that it was about convincing local leaders and communities to take steps towards a better future. At first I didn’t think I could do this important job, but I decided to give it a try and see if I had the right skills for this important job and if I could find love in it. To find out more, I decided to apply for an internship at Environment Texas.
I decided to apply for a summer internship at Texas College of the Environment to give my environmental work a chance. At first, I was hesitant about taking the job because it was unpaid and it was a field I didn’t think I was interested in, but I decided to take the job and further assess whether it was a field I wanted to pursue. Thanks to the Scully Undergraduate Scholarship, one of the Wrigley Institute Environmental Summer Awards, the unpaid nature of the internship no longer prevented me from trying out a career in a field I had never considered.
At the beginning of my internship, my supervisor tasked me with primarily focusing on working with the Houston City Council to resolve its chemical recycling partnership with ExxonMobil. Chemical recycling is a form of recycling that is known to be unsustainable and worse than throwing plastics into landfills. I attended Congressional budget sessions to advocate for environmental sustainability through fiscal year 2025 funding.
After this job, I helped PIRG, a public interest research group, survey the factories of about 100 different companies to compile a list of manufacturers that make plastic pellets. They then combined this information with the work of others to create a map showing which plants produce plastic pellets. This allows us to more accurately identify who is at fault and which waterways are affected.
We then used this map to organize a plastic pellet cleanup at a local beach. I can say this was my most memorable experience. I was able to bring some friends to the beach when I published the map. First, they were given 10 min to pick up as many pellets as possible. The group collected about 1,000 pellets in the first 10 minutes alone. Afterwards, my friend wanted to continue collecting pellets, so we stayed on the beach until we realized that everyone else was gone. Even though we were in the 95-degree, humid Texas heat, friends who normally don’t care much about environmental protection found out about my campaign to remove pellets from beaches and were excited to get involved. I was doing it.
Over the summer, I also wrote various research articles for the Environment Texas website. My first research investigated why petrochemical plants emit extra emissions during extreme weather events. This was very relevant as my hometown of Houston, Texas was being hit by various tropical storms and even hurricanes. Another unforgettable experience related to this topic was when a local woman offered to come over to my boss’s house with me because she had a beautiful view of all the refineries as well as the Houston Straits. It’s time. Listening to her story about her community and how it has changed, while seeing her beautiful views blocked by so many polluting plants, stayed with me. Finally, I researched Biden’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program, specifically the grant awarded to Houston and its allocation, as well as the various nuances of plastic recycling for a research paper.
This internship taught me that even though I initially rejected the humanities side of environmental studies, I definitely had what it took and still had countless interests. Ta. As I progress through my undergraduate education, I will definitely keep the door open to a career in environmental advocacy and policy, and may even pursue other internships in the field. Additionally, I have definitely gained even more admiration for the people who work in advocacy organizations. Their work convincing community and local government leaders is some of the most difficult work, but critical if we want to create more sustainable communities.
Successful efforts to improve the environment and limit the effects of climate change require the support of local leaders as well as communities. Thanks to my summer internship experience with the Texas Department of the Environment, I know this.
