To begin, there is an extreme need to extend a thanks to both Dr. Holtz and Dr. Merck. Science and Global Change has easily helped shape the first half of my college career, for pushing me to employ critical thinking, for presenting unfiltered scientific data about our world, and for giving me a community I could truly align myself with. I will forever be grateful for the information, the skills, and of course the laughs that were consistently brought into our classroom. Thank you College Park Scholars. Science and Global Change has, without a doubt, shown me the way to properly assess current events and their effects on the world. Through understanding how to properly utilize credible sources, understanding climate science to avoid a loss of motivation in finding a solution, and above all understanding science related matters in our world require collaboration. SGC certainly ensured that all of it’s members were well aware of logical fallacies, as well as all of the BS ways people in the media, politics, and generally the world tend to either abuse or completely ignore the methods of science. Spring of 2025 brought about my second semester, as well as my second group engineering project. In this group we were set to design an autonomous car that would traverse on its own. I was in charge of the motors for the wheels, and for a servo motor we utilized for a forklift on the front of the vehicle. As a mechanical engineering major, I may be possibly a bit biased in my knowledge of mechanical systems, therefore I researched solid motors that could withstand the required torques, as well as supporting my research with my own validated calculations. One of my group members, regardless of scientific calculations presented by both the site and myself, veto’d my choice for a more expensive/over-engineered solution. This reason, Ad Hoc Fallacy, was simply because the motors looked “cheap/not good enough” when there was clear evidence supporting the opposite. Science and Global Change, as well as some good old fashioned pettiness, led me to argue for my information and eventually was able to use my motors in both scenarios (we won best vehicle for a reason!). Secondly, SGC has well provided its members with enough climate literacy to observe news in the world, and have original thoughts without being told what to think. One piece of news that came out, or was rather popularized, over the last three semesters was the contribution of CO2 emissions from ChatGPT. It is currently estimated that each month about 260,930 kg of CO2 is released from data centers that ChatGPT processes from. Having a larger understanding of global climate change, hearing this information is utterly appalling, while not being the largest contributor of emissions it’s still extremely dangerous how emitting carbon is becoming even easier. Alongside SGC, I have had the wonderful opportunity to take part in ENGL255 as one of my supporting courses, and would like to take the opportunity to explain two instances where SGC has benefited my learning experience. In the course we have read 5 books, all which held scientific information and provoked extremely high levels of thinking. The first item being my critical comparison, where utilizing the text Neuromancer, I related the concepts in the book to a personal favorite video-game of mine. Scholars has allowed for me to explore creative writing, as well as sharpening my abilities to take information from a more complex source, and turning it into a more digestible format. It also allotted for me to participate in educational debate in a much more articulate manner, as ENGL255 is formatted around discussing the texts read in class. Scholars has prompted a multitude of discussions over the semesters, and has allowed for me to branch out as an individual in intellectual debate in my other courses. SGC has also prompted a solid friendship/partnership for me outside of the program. For PHYS261, a lab for PHYS260, Henry Wagner and I knew one another from the program and absolutely excelled in our Labs. I learned and completed Labs so much better with collaboration from someone I recognized from our program. It was made extremely clear to me that while SGC aimed to mainly provide its students with educational information, it also has paved the way for many of its members to create better professional bonds outside of the program itself. Scholars required a heavy amount of activities for its students to get more involved in not only the academic community but the actual community as well. In turn I would say my largest contribution to scholars predates our first semester in the program! I am referring to service day, a trip that has stuck with me for the last two years and surely won’t be forgotten. Volunteering under the SGC name made such a grand impact at Kenilworth, and allowed for me to apply myself and contribute to the good name of our program and the university. While not adding to the course, I feel the practice of service day is such an important pillar as to what scholars is meant to represent. It shows students the power of investing in their community, alongside working with their community in order to bring changes that benefit everyone. It also showcased that the road to success or even a milestone on that road can take a strenuous amount of work, but provides such a beautiful sense of accomplishment and self-fulfilment when that hurdle is crossed. Lastly, I feel extremely proud of my time in SGC. I feel that I have become a better academic as I begin to exit the program following the practicum next semester, and will hold on to what I have learned in the rest of my undergraduate career. From calling on the Fallacies lesson to guide my knowledge down the correct path, creating beautiful presentations and making science a more accepting environment, and always being inquisitive inside and outside of all of my courses. I feel I will never back down to pseudoscience or any form of misinformation, and will follow the correct course of action to inform myself better. When it comes to collaborating I will always treat my group members with respect, and realize the gift collaboration is. In engineering you lose a lot of the humanities aspect of science, so many of my peers are ecstatic to jump to the highest paying ship regardless of the consequences of their practices. I am leaving SGC conscious of the power of science and how it unfolds on the global scale, and I will carry the techniques, qualities, and skills instilled by this program for years to come.