Evolectric Scholarship - Top 5 Applicants

California State University Long Beach, CSULB
Degree: Civil Engineering

My name is Jacqueline Camacho and I am a senior at California State University, Long Beach anticipating graduation by the Fall of 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. I started as a community college student prior to transferring to CSULB where I chose my career path as a civil engineer in 2016. At the time, the movement for clean and sustainable technology became irreversible after the implementation of the Clean Power Plan. After learning about the actions on combatting climate change, as a civil engineering student, I felt a responsibility to help provide economically sane, effective, and innovative solutions to the challenges of sustainability. My desire to combat the challenges of climate change is demonstrated through my leadership roles at the university. I was extended an offer that I whole heartedly accepted to become Co-Project Manager of what is known as the Timber-Design Build Project for the annual Pacific Southwest Conference. For this project, our mission is to construct a building made of wood that is sustainable and structurally durable with an end task of the recycling and reuse of the structure post competition. The choice of wood is a part of our sustainable design because wood is a sustainable building material and manufacturing it uses less energy than producing other materials such as steel or concrete, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Although climate change is not fixed through a single project, I am confident that our efforts in successfully producing an effective and sustainable structure can inspire other generations in performing their best through continued efforts to produce sustainable structures. Through proper education funded by financial aid, I can continue my education and participation in civil engineering and learn about the many ways I can practice sustainability in the field and make a difference within communities.

A future dominated by clean technology, electrified mobility and renewable energy sources looks like a world that moves toward a global balance in resource utilization in support of all rights to environmental, human, ecological and economic health. As the human population increases, we create a more unsustainable world. We create a lack of abundance where resources to meet humanity’s basic needs become scarce creating an unstable and unsafe environment that endangers many populations. Transforming society and moving towards a sustainable future would mean breaking down sustainability into different sectors and addressing the different challenges that come within each sector in addition to learning who and what is at a disadvantage versus an advantage. The analysis of such will permit for the gradual and effective transition into a more sustainable world enabling us to live in a healthier environment.

Advancing electrification can be accomplished by starting the process with private companies and working on the distribution and costs of electric vehicles. Currently, Tesla is the largest electric car vehicle manufacturer while other car manufacturers continue to produce combustion engine vehicles that are far more affordable. In addition, Tesla does not have the production capabilities needed for supply and demand to meet. One solution can be to reduce the costs on electric vehicles by having more car manufacturers produce them so that cost does not go up due to the demand outgrowing the supply. Also, reducing the costs of the batteries can help reduce the overall price of vehicles. In addition to reducing the cost of the batteries themselves, advanced battery technology can lead to the use of less batteries so that there is more space and lighter vehicles and potentially less cost. However, because car purchasing is a fun and emotional component to the purchaser, the cost is not always the barrier to purchasing an electric vehicle, but more so the different luxurious brands and statements that influence buyers. If more car manufacturers, influencers, and policymakers can join the movement towards electric vehicles (as some already have) it can become a trend that can then be followed by the masses leading to less combustion engine vehicles on the road. It is a challenging advancement because there needs to be more production of cars in order to reduce costs, however if there are no buyers or minimal buyers, there cannot be mass production. However, we must start somewhere, and I believe that if we can convince more decision makers on the transition of combustion engine vehicles to electric motors and batteries by promoting equal benefit to all parties, effective change can be accomplished and the battle towards sustainability and clean technology can be victorious.