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Hometown: Belvidere, IL
Pronouns: He/Him
Year/Graduation: Junior, May 2028
Concentration: Human Dimensions of the Environment
Why Illinois? – What factors helped contribute to your decision to attend the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign?
I decided to come to Illinois because of the large amount of guidance and resources I heard were available at such a top-tier institution. On top of that, my high school teachers had good things to say about Illinois' environmental program.
I couldn't be more glad that I came to the University of Illinois, because I've found such a dedicated group of peers that have challenged me to take my learning to the next level. Working alongside them, I've been able to accomplish great things in the world of environment and policy.
Why NRES? – Specifically, why did you choose to study Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences?
I was admitted to the University of Illinois as an NRES major and I couldn't imagine switching out of it. I've always loved the environment and wanted to protect it, and the best time to join the fight for saving our planet is always now.
While Illinois has a few different environmental majors, I landed on NRES because it has a focus on science, and requires taking chemistry, biology, and ecology classes. While I'm personally more interested in the social science aspect of environmental sciences, and even picked up a dual degree in Political Science, I think it's extremely important to have a scientific background when it comes to making decisions affecting the environment. At first, I was actually a little nervous that I didn't fit in with everyone else in NRES because they all seemed to want to work with nature in a very hands-on way out in the field, while I preferred this different, more abstract role in the social sciences. However, I quickly learned that NRES has room for a very wide variety of environmentalists and this track was still very much able to support my career goals.
Complementing NRES with Political Science has really helped me develop a well-rounded academic background that I'm able to apply in almost any environment I find myself in. I plan to use my education and experience to advocate for the environment in rooms where it is so often misrepresented and inform policy and institutional behaviors that support the environment instead of degrade it. My ultimate goal is to help push the needle forward in our movement for a cleaner future for the environment and humanity, and progress towards a society that moves in harmony with nature instead of trampling over it.