In an op-ed submitted to Student Life and authored to college campuses across the nation, President Barack Obama identifies national problems caused by the cost of higher education and outlines the steps his administration is taking to solve them. Though American higher education is the best in the world, a lack of ability to afford it has left many without access.

Although freshman Rebecca Ye will not take her first biology course at Washington University until next semester, her expertise in biological research has the potential to revolutionize management of the world’s most important resource: water.