Mia Alonso

Career Interest

I’m interested in a hydrology career. I want to learn more about the intricacies of the hydrologic cycle, particularly hydrogeologic features and processes. I also want to help remediate issues like groundwater contamination and seawater intrusion, and help come up with sustainable strategies to meet California’s increasing demand.

A hydrology career is also appealing to me because it would allow me to do both field and desk work. I am interested in doing research, writing scientific reports, and interpreting legislation, so the desk work will keep me engaged, as will things like field surveys to monitor water pollution or scout well locations.

Most importantly, I want to be a hydrologist so I can help my local community live sustainably. Issues like seawater intrusion and sustainable agriculture irrigation are pressing in the Central Coast and California as a whole. I want to help come up with long-term solutions for these problems and develop our ability to recycle water, whether for drinking or recharge. Overall, I want to ensure that my community can continue using groundwater for years to come.

Goals for Summer 2021

My biggest goal for this summer is to gain experience that I can use for future internships, jobs, or my career. I especially want to gain experience working in the field. I also hope to improve and expand my technical skills, particularly in data collection and analysis.

My personal goals include expanding my network and getting familiar with “real-world” work environments. Additionally, I hope to further develop my interpersonal and communication skills. My shyness and imposter syndrome have held me back before, and I hope that gaining professional experience and confidence outside the classroom will help me overcome these challenges. Since we’ve been working remotely for so long, I also plan on using this internship to re-adjust to working in person.

At SSRF, I hope to learn more about sustainable technologies, especially those related to agriculture. Learning more about agricultural practices is beneficial to me because it’s a major application of hydrology; I’m excited to learn about how sustainable farming and urban agriculture can reduce our water use. I’m also interested in seeing how small-scale farming practices compare to large ones. I want to explore how effectively they reduce our carbon footprint and yield an adequate food supply.