Q&A With Daisy Rivera Dominguez '20

MAEP Student, inspired by two female faculty members, wants to advance natural climate change solutions.

What attracted you enroll in the MA in Environmental Policy (MAEP) program and what have your experiences been like thus far?

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I was searching for how to continue my undergraduate education from Ramapo College of New Jersey, in a way that would help me achieve my career aspirations, and the fact that the MA in Environmental Policy program offers courses at Pace Law School was the main deciding factor. The program director, Michelle Land, has been one of my most influential faculty mentors. She goes above and beyond for her students and has guided me throughout my academic experience, which helped me land a position with GreenPace and secure my externship at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Professor Smita Narula, from Pace Law School, is another kind soul devoted to teaching and her students. Pace has many remarkable faculty members, but I have so much admiration for these two women.

How is this course of study meaningful to you?

An environmentalist at heart, I want to be an advocate for the environment, supporting policy efforts that encourage sustainability initiatives, climate policy, and wetlands conservation. I am only one person, but I have met other students who are just as devoted and passionate about this work, and I believe that together, we will create change.

Have you had any internships while pursuing your studies? What are your career goals?

I have had three internships during my time at Pace. I worked as a sustainability intern at the Greenburgh Nature Center, as student assistant for the GreenPace Sustainability initiative, and currently, I am a policy intern at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, as part of my externship requirement. My career goal is to work in environmental consultancy or in environmental planning, with a mission to advance natural climate solutions to advance policy priorities and scale up climate ambition.

I want to be an advocate for the environment, supporting policy efforts that encourage sustainability initiatives, climate policy, and wetlands conservation.

What advice, if any, would you like to give to current students?

If you are currently pursuing an undergraduate major that you are not passionate about, it is okay to change your mind! To be asked to decide your future at the age of seventeen or eighteen is quite overwhelming. I changed mine from criminal justice to biology after I found myself more devoted to my science electives, and in the end, it all worked out. I was able to continue my education at Pace, studying topics and addressing environmental problems with individuals who share the same passion as me.