ARTIFACT 2

Artifact 2 is one Honors project or experience that stood out to me during my undergraduate career. One Honors project immediately comes to mind: my Honors project for SPEA-E 476 Environmental Law & Regulation titled "Environmental Justice in East Palestine: Where Environmental Statutes Failed a Reeling Community." This Honors Project examines the East Palestine Train Derailment distaster of February 2023 and analyzes the strengths and shortcomings of the federal environmental statutes that dictated preventative, cleanup, and long-term recovery procedures.

By taking this deep dive on the East Palestine Derailment Disaster and the environmental statutes involved, not only did I become an expert in the involved environmental statutes, but I also improved my research skills by learning the AMA Citation Style. I quickly learned this style guide as I worked, effectively condensing my research and keeping citations concise. In terms of researching, I employed tactics such as database filters and quotation marks around key words and phrases to narrow results down to only the most pertinent information. On a personal level, this project showed me that topics in environmental law pique my interest. The SPEA-E 476 course as a whole inspired me to seriously consider a career in law. I got great experience through memo writing with IRAC structure, mastery of environmental statutes, and the instruction of my teacher who is an environmental attorney with the state. This class, combined with my internship at the Marion County Prosecutor's Office, has set me on a new but truly exciting career path.