08 Jun Settling the Dust of Graduation Anxiety

My name is Daniel Lopez. Born in Mexico Nuevo, just under an hour away from the center of Mexico City, my family and I traveled to the US when I was 5, and I can recall only the hills and very few faces of my time in Mexico. Sixteen years later, I am 15 days away from graduating with a double major Bachelor’s degree in Linguistics and Anthropology at the University of California, Riverside. Most people will ask “What will you do with a linguistics degree?” To which I will answer, “I am not sure, but I earned it.” I have had the pleasure of meeting such a vast array of individuals while at UC Riverside and one of the greatest experiences was being asked to spearhead the development of a food pantry at our campus by the undocumented student organization P.O.D.E.R.(Providing Opportunities Dreams and Education in Riverside). With this project I delved into a huge side of sustainability I did not know existed, food security and food access. Now I seek to work with university students and community members on addressing food insecurity, particularly in poverty-struck areas. Now the opportunity to interact with a whole new set of people arose as I was selected to be an intern at Coronado National Memorial in Southern Arizona. I am excited for to immerse myself into this position as I have always found pleasure and excitement and challenges by working with others. This opportunity will provide me with not only new knowledge of the National Park Service, but a greater understanding of people across this nation and their interaction with the outdoors. New and ancient perspectives of how we all fit into the larger context of the environment. Stay tuned to witness our shared experiences flourish out of the desert of Southern Arizona.