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Pronouns: He/Him/His
Hometown: Rochester, IL
Year/Graduation: Senior, May 2026
Concentration: Fish, Wildlife & Conservation Biology
Why Illinois? – What factors helped contribute to your decision to attend the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign?
As someone who spent most of my adolescence in central IL, UIUC was always something on my radar. My decision to ultimately commit to UIUC came down to a few factors: its reputation for producing a large volume of world-class research, its strong academic offerings in the ecology space, its proximity to my hometown, and its relatively affordable cost. I looked into other schools that would allow me to dive deeper into my specific field of interest from the outset, but I had the sense that Illinois would exposure to me a greater diversity of opportunities to learn academically, professionally, and interpersonally. Going into my fourth year here, I've found that assumption to be well founded.
In exploring the NRES program I found a department that would build me up not just as an aquatic ecologist, but as a naturalist and scientist, allowing me to explore multiple dimensions of management ecology and come to a more holistic understanding of the field.
Why NRES? – Specifically, why did you choose to study Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences?
I've always been highly passionate about our environment and the organisms we share it with. The NRES program presented me with an applied, well-rounded, and rigorous natural sciences curriculum with opportunities to engage in hands-on learning and research. While not being as laser focused on my specific field of interest, NRES offered a much more comprehensive experience than other comparable programs.
My interactions with the incredible NRES students and faculty during my exploratory visit prior to committing further reinforced my belief that NRES would offer an abundance of opportunities that would be hard to come by elsewhere.