I'm Maggie Smith, from Port Angeles, Washington. Port Angeles is a logging community on the North Olympic Peninsula. I have been fortunate to grow up in such a beautiful area, with Olympic National Park in my back yard. It's definitely given me a love for the outdoors (and the rain). I am a junior at Stanford University, majoring in Earth Systems. Earth Systems is an interdisciplinary program that combines studies of the natural sciences with public policy. Within the major, I am in the Anthrosphere track, which focuses on environmental policy issues. I chose to go to Australia because I wanted to gain some experience with field research while also learning about the land use issues in the area. I will be spending my winter interning in Washington D.C., and I think that the two programs will make an interesting comparison on a policy-making level.