My name is Alex Khlopenkov and I am third-year undergraduate student at the University of Virginia majoring in chemistry. My interest lies in particular in research seeking to find efficient alternatives to fossil fuels to combat climate change. I feel that the younger generation of scientists and researchers, including myself, will likely play a major part in finding a solution to this problem. I also have an interest in foreign languages. I grew up in Canada speaking Russian with family members and English with my friends, while also learning French in school, and I feel that this circumstance has fueled this interest. In particular, I am interested in the Japanese language and culture, and am applying to study abroad there in the fall of 2018. I hope to be able to combine my foreign language skills with my chemistry background in my career in the future.