Meet NSGLC 2024 Community Engaged Intern: Mateos Lozano

The National Sea Grant Law Center is excited to welcome Mateos Lozano for its Community Engaged Internship (CEI) for the summer of 2024. Mateos is a Public Policy Leadership major at the University of Mississippi.

1. Where are you from?

I’m from Salinas, California, although I currently live in Texas.

2. What was your first job or internship?

I completed my first internship at the Office of Sustainability as a compost auxiliary staff.

3. Who inspires you?

Both of my parents inspire me since their actions and words have shown me the value of hard work, and they provide me guidance on how to live a good life.

4. What made you consider a career in law?

I initially became interested in environmental issues due to the resurgence in the climate justice movement around 2018. Since then I’ve become a lot more curious about many environmental issues and I have been learning to appreciate my local environment a lot more. Ultimately, I consider a career in law because I want to translate my passion for wanting to protect the environment, of which people are also a part of the environment, into policy and law.

5. What are you most excited about doing this summer?

First and foremost, I am really looking forward to expanding my knowledge about environmental law and having the opportunity to contribute to publications that help make certain environmental issues and topics more accessible. Outside of this internship, I am looking forward to catching up with a lot of shows and books that I’ve put off for the last four months due to school.

6. Where’s your favorite beach? OR What is your favorite beach memory?

My favorite beach has to be Carmel beach located in Central Coast California. The sand is incredibly soft, a great view, and I remember rolling down the hill as a kid.

7. What do you do in your free time?

I enjoy reading, playing video games, watching videos about politics and debate, and walking my dog. Lately, I have been getting into the cosmic horror genre.

8. Do you have any hidden talents? What are they?

My older cousin taught me how to skateboard when I was a lot younger. For the longest time I could only go down hills and cruise on the street, but more recently (a little more than a year ago) I taught myself how to go down some ramps at a skatepark.