Udall Scholarship
A portion of educational costs, including tuition, room and board, books, and other required fees (up to $7,000) and a four-day Scholar Orientation leadership experience in Tucson, AZ in August
Environmental Sciences
Pursuing a dual-degree graduate program at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, with a Master of Management through the Ross School of Business and a Master of Science in the Sustainable Systems track through the School for Environment and Sustainability. She hopes to merge these two fields of study for a career in corporate sustainability to help businesses achieve their environmental and social sustainability goals.
Q: What experiences at Emory prepared you for the Udall award?
A: One of the first things I did as a new student at Emory was volunteer at a service event planting trees for the stream buffer in Lullwater. I was first introduced to the people and work of the Office of Sustainability Initiatives at that event. I got involved with OSI from then on, both volunteering and working part-time with that team, on everything from the WaterHub to zero waste initiatives. Connecting with an organization really helped me to get involved at Emory and give back to the campus community. It also led to my career decision to specialize in sustainability, and prepared me for the internships, scholarships and awards that I applied for. I credit the other half of my preparation to the ENVS department and all the amazing faculty who I learned from and was able to conduct research with. They helped prepare me with the technical background I needed, and provided many opportunities outside of class to apply what I had learned and get involved in other ways.
Q: What advice would you give current applicants, or to students considering applying for a nationally competitive award?
A: Don’t let the application process keep you from applying. It is long and requires thought and detail, which can be intimidating, but the important thing to remember is that it is an opportunity to reflect on and share your story. Consider what experiences have been the most impactful in bringing you to this application and how to best present them to others. Try not to focus too narrowly and be strategic in what you include in your essays so they are not limited or repetitive but describe you with both breadth and depth. Regardless of whether you are selected, taking time to reflect on your experiences at Emory and in the greater community and share what has been important to you with others is both rewarding for yourself and very useful down the road when you are applying to other awards or sitting in a future job interview.