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While growing up, my favorite place to visit was my grandfather’s house. When entering his garden, the sour citrus scent of lemons and oranges instantly hit me. My cousins, siblings, and I weave in and out of the bright grape and tomato vines while playing tag. I take a glance over my right shoulder and spot the best hiding spot amongst the thick, lush leaves in the large abundance of bushes. 

 

This is how my childhood looked like every single weekend while growing up. As time passed, my grandfather’s garden slowly began to disappear. It was difficult for him to keep up with the maintenance of a garden in smoldering Los Angeles heatwaves. 

 

As I furthered my education at UCSB, I learned more about how our climate is changing and why it is necessary to mitigate this change. More than anything, I learned that my grandfather’s desolate garden was not all due to old age, as I had always believed, but an effect of global warming. 

 

Watching my grandfather’s garden disappear was heartbreaking for my entire family and me–we all shared so many memories in his beautiful garden. However, his love for plants and nature has pushed me towards the environmentally conscious person I aspire to be. After completing my undergraduate, I intend on going to law school to eventually earn a degree in environmental law, so I can work towards pushing policies that will save our earth and future gardens.