Sarah Fink

Ever since I was little and someone would ask me what my happy place is, I would immediately say outdoors in a garden. I have always loved nature and the outdoors; it instantaneously increases my happiness and serotonin. When I was in 4th grade I was placed with a group of kids like me that needed a little bit of extra help with schoolwork and that teacher decided to start an early morning hydroponics club. Hydroponics is the process of growing plants without soil. I soon became highly passionate about hydroponics and plants in general, so I decided to grow plants hydroponically at home. This was the stem of my passion for botany, which only continued to grow as I got older. Eventually when I got to 5th grade my mom had discovered tinker kits, these were mini engineering projects that I got monthly for about a year. Soon I started to realize how badly I wanted to be an engineer and have the ability to make a positive impact on the world with my future profession. So in 7th grade I finally came up with the idea of becoming an environmental engineer, it seemed like the perfect fit, I got to be outdoors, build stuff and help others. Each summer from 9th-12th grade I went on a teen tour involving something within the realm of STEM. Within each trip I learned more about sustainable and alternative energy sources, this eventually became a passion of mine. This year I decided to do a research project for AP seminar on algae biofuel, and through this project I learned how little research there is on sustainable energy sources. This fueled my passion helping me understand that through pursuing environmental/chemical engineering I will be able to truly make a positive impact on the world.

People would describe me as compassionate and empathetic because I tend to put myself in others' shoes to an extent that I will do almost anything to help others. One example of this is when I was younger and I met an older gentleman who had experience hearing loss, he saw me with a service dog in training and he came up to me. He had explained to me how he was beginning to lose his hearing at a rapid rate and was interested in getting a service dog. After talking to this man for a little bit, I truly began to understand how much of an impact something as simple as helping someone train a service dog once a week would have on someone's life. This man reached out to me a few years later thanking me for all the work I do with service dogs and this made me truly understand the positive impact I am having on others, all due to my compassion for others. In addition I am extremely determined and persistent, especially in terms of my school work. Whenever I struggle with a unit in any subject, I put every ounce of effort I have within me to fully comprehend and understand the unit. For example, I will constantly go for extra help, ask questions in class, do extra practice, and study for several nights leading up to the test. No matter how difficult the subject may be, I will always refuse to give up and I will be persistent in my work to ensure that I will always be ready for any test, project, or presentation. A great example of this was for the rational functions test. Leading up to the test I was extremely nervous, but instead of letting myself panic I asked questions and studied for several hours, I was determined to perform to the best of my ability. Overall each of these qualities has allowed me to grow both as an individual and a student.

Ever since I was little, I have always loved all kinds of animals, but especially dogs. While my parents never allowed me to get one, I was very fortunate to meet a woman named Caryl Swain. Caryl volunteers her time to train service dogs for the organization Canine Companions for Independence (CCI). When I was around 6 years old I met Caryl at my local tennis club and since I was too young to play I would hang out with Caryl's service dogs in training (Caryl was the instructor). As I grew older, I began to go to Caryl's house more frequently. While I was there, I would help train her service dogs or go with her to a CCI event. Eventually COVID-19 happened, and we were all stuck in quarantine; during this time, Caryl was forced to take on another puppy in training. At this point, she had 2 service dogs in training and one of her own. Caryl called me in a panic and told me that she needed help, and I agreed. Every day during quarantine, I would walk a mile to her house and a mile back. While I was there I would stay in her backyard and train her dogs, simple commands such as sit, stand, heal, etc. Eventually, quarantined had ended, and I wasn't able to go to her house every day as I had been doing for several months. Instead, I went on weekends or after school if I did not have too much work. I eventually started going to events at the headquarters, and I was fortunate enough to meet the CEO of CCI. Through this experience, I have met so many amazing people, including trainers and people who receive the service dogs. I have been able to see the impact that both these dogs and I have been able to make on their lives. The most recent dog that graduated, Claudio, got placed to be a PTSD service dog, one of the most prestigious and difficult dogs to become. I was fortunate enough to meet the man whom Claudio was placed with. He explained to me how Claudio has improved his life. He explained how Claudio helped him manage his anxiety, night terrors, etc. Through this experience, I have learned so much about myself and others. I have been able to pursue my passion for dogs, and I have been able to help others doing something that I love.