Ahra Kwon

Ahra Kwon spent the summer studying and traveling with the University of New South Wales in various cities throughout Australia. Her study focused on engineering in the growing renewable energy field and the importance of sustainable development of the global environment. While her traveling ranged from Northern Australia, through Central Australia down to the coast of Southeastern Australia, she learned that Australia was one of the leading nations in enforcing new and greener technologies in it’s society. Ahra’s first full immersion of Australian culture began in Darwin, Australia. Along with a glimpse of culture, she was introduced to the topic of sustainable development and it’s importance specifically in her future. She learned that the harm man has already done to planet Earth must be prevented from further damage. Her role as an engineer would be vital in the next few years. The personal drive of achieving a position as an engineer in the historical movement to clean and green Earth emerged when Ahra began her travels down through Central Australia. Here, she had her first encounter with the Aboriginal people and their lifestyle in our ever-changing world. Aboriginals in Central Australia live fully with a modest amount of readily available energy obtained through solar panels. She questioned, “If life is sustainable without all the frivolous energy we, as a developed country, tend to waste, then why can’t we all live a satisfying life without using excessive amounts of energy?” This is the question Ahra wishes to answer during her career as a chemical and petroleum engineer. As her studies continued in Sydney and Cairns, Australia, she realized that the issues of global environment never solely lay in the hands of engineers. Political, economic and social aspects may influence the answer she wishes to find, but as an engineer she only has one objective: create a sustainable world that will not hinder, but enhance the way of life.