The BP oil spill and the Great Pacific Garbage Patch rocked Isamar San Juan’s world.

“These environmental disasters were caused by human activity,” she says, “and to think that humans can cause a lot of destruction to an ecosystem that is vulnerable is quite saddening.”

San Juan decided to major in environmental engineering because she felt a profound responsibility to take care of the Earth and protect the environment from detrimental intrusion. And she felt there was no better place to study it than at FGCU, which has a commitment to environmental sustainability as a pillar of its mission and draws inspiration from the Earth Charter vision.

“I decided environmental engineering was the right major to choose because it focuses on the protection of human health, natural ecosystems and our environment for future sustainability,” she says.

San Juan has had numerous opportunities to learn outside the classroom through hands-on experience and research with faculty and believes that has enhanced her education.

“Currently I have research going on with one of my professors where we take water samples and analyze certain bacteria and the nutrient concentrations,” she says. “This research will take two years, and it will help out the community where we are taking water samples by attaining certain data they require. This has helped me out in my education because the lab work I do right now may be the lab work I do in my career, and this will set me ahead of most people in the same career.

“The faculty and advisors are wonderful people and they like to help students reach their goals. My relationship with faculty and advisors is great because I know a lot of my professors, and I find it easy to talk to them and to ask questions when I need to. The classes are never too big and it allows for better communication with our professors during lectures.”