Recently back from a semester abroad in Ecuador, Sarah Wingfield '17 returned to campus to share highlights of her experience with Mrs. Leslie Trimble's AP Environmental Science classes.
During the fall semester, Sarah conducted research on water issues in Ecuador, focusing on the legal, social, economic, and environmental impact of the country's water challenges. "You can't really drink from the tap. Water always needs to be boiled," said Sarah.
"It is hard to choose sustainability over economic development," explained Sarah. Oil exports are a significant part of Ecuador's economy. Oil production contaminates a lot of the country's watersheds. "When you have an economy that one-third is oil exports, that means your economy is not that diverse."
Sarah explained that mining and agriculture also contribute to water pollution. "Ecuador is the third largest exporter of roses," said Sarah. "That can lead to water being taken away from other users, for example, using water to grow flowers instead of growing food."
"APES students are currently studying the impact of agriculture and urban centers on water quality," said Mrs. Trimble. "Sarah's presentation was a great opportunity to hear a real case study of how the water-related issues we discuss in the classroom impact real people in South America."
During her research, Sarah looked into how culture and economics often collide. "Sometimes people search for alternative resources, like buying clean water, instead of trying to fix the system." She found that many people simply "continue to use contaminated sources."
Sarah lived with a host family during her semester abroad. All of her classes were taught in Spanish. "I chose Ecuador because I wanted a language immersion program." She is currently a junior at Georgetown University, majoring in Environmental Policy Management. She is participating in Georgetown's split year study abroad program and will spend her second semester in Japan and South Korea.
"Studying abroad challenges you a lot. You learn a lot about the country and what you are interested in," shared Sarah. "And you meet a lot of people."
"Sarah inspired my students to think about where the interests they develop while here at EA might lead them in the future," said Mrs. Trimble. "I was most impressed by the fact that Sarah had originally presented all of her research project in Spanish!"
