| Baylor > Environmental Science > Student Spotlight > Sarah Garza |
"A concern for the welfare and protection of the natural world has always been a permanent passion in me," Sarah Garza notes. Even as a kid, she was always the one who encouraged her parents to recycle and avoid stepping on bugs. Sarah wants to leave her mark on the world, and she feels that the environmental science major gives her an opportunity to do so while at the same time allowing her to "harness my passion into something highly productive."
Field Research
Sarah has participated in two different types of field research. The first was an ecological study at Baylor, in which Sarah and other researchers attempted to quantify the impact that the Ligustrum Lucidium, or the Japanese privet, was having on the local White Trout Lilly population. The results of the study were published in the scientific version of the Baylor Pulse Magazine in Fall 2008.
The second field research in which Sarah participated was conducted over the course of a summer internship at Alabama A&M University in Normal, Alabama. The study focused on how different sources of fertilizer and different tillage methods impact the levels of organic contaminants in the soils of agricultural fields. Sarah helped analyze contaminant levels and draw conclusions from various statistical databases.
The Open Road
Sarah does not own a car, but instead travels around Baylor and the Waco area in her racing bike. While this situation would be unpleasant for some, Sarah loves riding her bike. She not only considers it as a means of transportation but as her top extracurricular activity. She often rides her bike for hours on end, either mountain biking or road racing.
While Sarah is most passionate about biking, she also has several other hobbies. Sarah is a member of the Taekwondo Club at Baylor and she is currently training in the World Taekwondo Federation. In addition, she enjoys cooking, reading books, watching classical movies, and volunteering at the Humane Society to fill her hours not spent studying.
