Juliana N.

Juliana was raised by two Haitian immigrants, through her childhood she had observed the mass migration and call for aid globally, especially those families in the USA such as her when natural disasters occur. When the unexpected disasters of the 2010 magnitude earthquake devastated Haiti and was soon followed by Hurricane Matthew, her global awareness began due to the long-lasting personal effect it had on the entirety of her family and the Haitian community. As a result, she saw the effects that natural disasters had on those who experienced them as well as those who didn't. Hurricane Irma struck Florida, in little less than a year than Hurricane Matthew struck Haiti, which projected a call for action. With the rise of climate change strengthening natural disasters and apparent injustices faced by marginalized groups, solutions that are futuristic and have technical components. Hence, she has established a personal goal to be a changemaker for issues that are not widely discussed or given the attention required. Technology enables us to bridge the gap between marginalized groups and social changes. She actively bridges the gap by representing the statistics, creating prototypes, and mock solutions that can prevent or aid disasters. Juliana shares her passion for avocation with others by hosting group forums to discuss those who are marginalized, recently presenting and hosting an event for over 40 peers. She has recently conducted individual research where she created a spatial analysis on the great migration using geographical information systems tools. With these tools, she was able to pinpoint the causes of the great migration as well as the long-term effects of the mass migration of former African American Slaves settling into safe-hub communities, which are now historically still densely populated by African Americans. Furthermore, she analyzed the connection between the injustices faced by predecessors of former slave settlers in these areas and the frequency at which it was occurring, through examination of reporting and studies on a national level. With GIS she collaborated as a team to pinpoint sources of water contamination in low-income and vulnerable communities in her surrounding five counties. Moreover, the pinpointing led to the examination of the long-term effects and causes of the water contamination, which led her team to conceptualize solutions for preventive and combative actions, which was presented at Florida Gulf Coast University Water School. Juliana has gained recognition for her volunteering efforts, gaining the Gold Americorp President’s National Volunteer Service Award, through her efforts of volunteering to tutor underserved youth throughout the continent through online in-person efforts. Additionally, she has committed herself as a Special Olympic Partner, attending sports events all over Florida to aid athletes competing, and being a Camp Able counselor to diverse disabled individuals during her summers. Juliana plans to continue her ROTC education through postsecondary and join the armed forces as commissioned second Lieutenant, committing herself to selfless duty, while attending a top university in bioengineering, to enhance her science fair research project on alternatives methods of direct reprogramming for bone marrow cells.