My name is Katie Reefe and I am 19 years old. I am from Boca Grande, a small island on the west coast of Florida. I am a junior at Duke University and majoring in environmental science and policy. This field of study is an interesting one because it embraces the two sides of environmental issues; science and policy. My area of study hopes to bridge the gap between policy-makers and scientists that has widened over the years by teaching students like myself the importance of both sides. It has become clear that our planet has finite resources and that we can no longer exploit it the way we have in the past. It is also clear that we cannot stop growing as a global community. Here lies the challenge of compromise and the importance of having one group of people who are aware and understand both scientific and political aspects of environmental issues.