My long-term life and career goals exist in New England, where I plan on living, working, and raising a family with my husband. So far in my career, I have been fortunate to work for many organizations across the region. They have included pond and watershed associations, an environmental consulting firm, an coastal resource advocacy non-profit, a natural science educational center, an aquarium, a university, and ultimately a federal environmental agency. My career goals focus on working at a regional level for environmental policy and management that is ecologically, socially and economically sustainable. In a broad sense, I hope to take a leadership role in the smarter preservation and restoration of natural resources and in the sustainable planning and development of our communities. I feel that sustainability is a key concept for any real change to occur. If a change in practice or policy is not environmentally or socially sustainable, then it is not a real change at all in the long-term.