Major: Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources
Minor or certificate: Sustainability
Award name: James Applegate Award for Outstanding Student in Wildlife Conservation
My fascination with nature sparked during my childhood, helping out my parents in our garden and admiring wildlife in our backyard. My mom and grandmother have always bonded over their shared love for birds, expanding my knowledge identifying common backyard birds. Interestingly enough, I taught them the difference between a Hairy and Downy woodpecker! This inspiration led me to pursue AP Environmental Science in high school, which deepened my passion for our surrounding ecosystem and its importance.
While exploring majors at Rutgers, I came across EENR and immediately wanted to pursue it. Core courses, such as Ornithology, Environmental Geomatics, and Controversies in Sustainability, were some of my favorites. These classes, coupled with hands-on involvement in Dr. Russell’s lab, serving as a teaching assistant for Dr. Meixler, and a variety of internships, have prepared me for a successful career. I possess a growing passion for sustainability, as I also completed the Sustainability minor.
Post graduation, I will be working at an environmental consulting firm as an Environmental Scientist. This will encompass a variety of field work, such as wetland delineation, and utilization of GIS software to compose figures for various ecological projects. I am excited to kickstart my career and see where this journey takes me, whether that be environmental consulting or a similar route within ecology/sustainability!
June 2024