High School Student Kaitlyn Kwan
Kaitlyn Kwan
High School Student
• Favorite Quote or Motto: "We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars." - Oscar Wilde
• Work Experience:  High School Student 
• Find me on:  Instagram

My Story

External Video

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I am...

a rising senior at Carlmont High School who is passionate about climate action and conservation. I intend to study Environmental Science at a university.

I chose to be a High School Student because...

I chose to pursue environmental science as my career because I am passionate about finding solutions to the climate crisis. I recognize and experience first-hand the effects of climate change. Living in California, it's impossible to ignore the vast amounts of smoke polluting our air from wildfires each year. It saddens me that lots of large corporations knowingly sacrifice environmental ethics, and ethics in general, for monetary wealth. Because our environment does not have a voice of their own, dedicating my career to being their voice and advocating for climate action by finding solutions is what brings me the most fulfillment. When I do conservation work such as weeding invasive plant species, picking up trash in local parks and learning about the climate crisis and spreading the word, I feel the most content. Thinking about a safe environment for future generations of all plants and animals is what drives me and my passion to become an environmental scientist.

I like my job because...

I enjoy learning about STEM because I love learning about the nature of the world around me. Each branch of science brings me a new perspective and changes how I look at the world. For example, biology allows me to see the world through life and evolution. In contrast, chemistry allows me to see the world through the composition of different elements and substances. Lastly, physics allows me to see the world through energy and force.

My typical day at work involves...

My typical day involves going to school, attending my school's varsity dance team practice and afterwards, attending dance rehearsals at my local dance studio. Some days, I attend school club meetings such as Key Club (a community service club) and STEM Club. After school, I also participate in a stewardship program. This involves a handful of students and I meeting at a local park to learn about the ecosystem there and to rehabilitate it by removing invasive plant species. This is my favorite part of the week because I love learning how to identify native plant species and ethnobotany. The rest of my time is mostly dedicated to completing loads of homework and studying. To wind down, I enjoy watching Netflix, reading books and listening to music.

I want others to know...

I want others to remember to prioritize their happiness. While this may seem like an obvious statement, many of us tend to unknowingly push aside our own happiness for the sake of others. This can look like choosing a career path based off of its reputation rather than following your passions. It can also look like changing out of an outfit you love to fit in with the crowd, or even, avoiding being outgoing in fear of judgement. It is important to remember that no matter how hard one tries, it is impossible to please everyone and avoid all judgement. It is also important to remember that it is not your job to. Life should be about finding your own state of happiness, not trying to please society and everyone around you.

My STEM education has helped me ...

My STEM education has helped me discover my passion for environmental science. In the future, my STEM education will continue to help me by helping me find solutions for the worldwide climate crisis or even just climate issues within individual ecosystems.

This is My Story

My name is Kaitlyn and I was born and raised in the California Bay Area. My Ikigai, or purpose in life, is to pursue environmental science. I know this because environmental science unites two of my greatest passions, our environment and STEM. Ever since I was young, I admired nature. I admire nature's ability to be peaceful and tranquil, yet also be strong and ever changing. As I got older, my affinity with nature only strengthened. I enjoy almost everything that has to do with it: gardening, playing with animals, hiking, traveling, camping, etc. STEM also plays a big role in my life because I've known I wanted to have a career in STEM for as long as I can remember. I was always a curious kid and STEM was a place for curious people. In school, I found that science classes were the easiest for me to understand and they piqued my interest far more than any other school subject. These two passions started to come together when I began to experience a growing sense of climate change and learn about all the havoc that mankind has released on our environment. However, the actual moment when these two passions fused was in my junior year of high school when a friend of mine asked if I planned to major in environmental science in college. At first, I didn't know how to answer. For some reason, prior to their question, I had never even thought of it. Nevertheless, I knew at that moment that environmental science was right for me because it fit my values, interests, strengths and overall, who I was as a person. Ever since then, pursing a path in environmental science has led to a sense of passion, fulfillment and belonging that I have never experienced before. This story is how I found that environmental science is my Ikigai.

Hobbies and interests

language-learningdancingreadingtravelingcommunity serviceclimate activismspending time in nature

What skills have been most important to your career?

The skills that have benefited me the most in my career is my diligence and work ethic. Throughout life, there are lots of opportunities for shortcuts. However, the price to pay is that these shortcuts oftentimes lead to a lower quality of work. Making the choice to be diligent and maintain a good work ethic, despite all of the challenges it comes with, has greatly benefited me in my career because I am always presenting my best foot forward. Furthermore, choosing work ethic over speed has differentiated me from many of my peers and helped me achieve my goals because challenging myself and overcoming obstacles allows me to grow as a student, person, scientist and much more. I find that personal development through one's integrity is more valuable than how quickly and easily one can perform a task.

Examples of Projects I've Worked On

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