Goabaone Jaqueline Ramatlapeng vividly remembers when she would go without water from domestic pipes for days. For the last eight years, those experiences have driven her desire to help Botswana preserve its water resources as the country's first female hydrogeochemist.

A UC Davis doctoral candidate investigating the hydrochemistry of southern Africa’s largest and most precious freshwater wetland was recently selected as a winner of the National Geographic Society’s 2023 Wayfinder Award. Goabaone Jaqueline Ramatlapeng joins 14 other trailblazers who were selected for their exemplary achievements in exploration through science, education, conservation, technology and storytelling.