Melissa Ford is an Honors student majoring in economics and political science at The University of Texas at Tyler. Originally from Bolivia, she is passionate about international sustainable development. On campus, she co-founded and served as president of the Hispanic Student Association, an award-winning delegate of Model UN Conferences nationwide and as editor of the Patriot Talon. Ford studied abroad in Israel, researching the impact of desalination plants and energy-efficient irrigation on water scarcity as well as the Israeli Palestinian conflict. Upon graduation, she plans to pursue a graduate degree in global policy and begin a career focused on advancing the economic growth and social and environmental well-being of developing nations.