Featured Student of the Month, Vairleene Einstein ’22 is making an impact through her research assisting Dr. Thomas on the Mirabeau Water Garden Project, where a water garden is being built in the Gentilly Neighborhood utilizing green infrastructure methods. Once the water garden is built her job will be to educate those in the neighborhood how they can live more sustainably with water, so they do not fear the excess amount of water New Orleans receives annually.  Over the summer, she was a mentor in the Loyola Academy, a week-long seminar that incorporated science and design to find a solution to the flooding-related issues in New Orleans. She is a member of SEA (Students for Environmental Action), a club that helps educate peers on being more sustainable on campus, with a primary goal to eliminate the single-use plastic on campus. She is also involved with the Food Recovery Network, an organization of students who package the leftover food at the end of the night from the Orleans Room and donate it to the New Orleans Mission. She is co-president of the Natural History Club and organizes a series of field trips and service events and was just elected to serve as the student representative on the Dean's Student Advisory Council for the academic year.