About Me

My Path to Ecology

I have a BS in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Wisconsin - Madison. Before pursuing this degree, I had already gotten a BA in Communication Arts and English, also from UW Madison. I worked in the communications, education, and administrative fields for several years before realizing that nature and science are my true passions.

A vital experience in my journey towards wildlife science was volunteering at the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center and getting involved in birding. These hobbies opened my eyes to what was living around me. I wanted to know not just the birds, but the plants they perched on, the insects that they ate, the frogs singing around them. Those hours at Schlitz Audubon opened my mind to how much I didn’t know and how much I wanted to.

I re-enrolled at UW Madison in the Wildlife Ecology major. Since I had already graduated from UW Madison, I was able to complete this degree in two years, which was all I could afford to do, anyway (and even then, I barely scraped through. Thank you to everyone who helped me through those years!). Because of this, and the fact that I had to work as close to full time at my student job as possible to pay rent, tuition, etc., I was unable to take full advantage of being an undergraduate again. I really wanted to work for a faculty lab and do field work, but it simply wasn’t financially feasible. Still, I pursued as many opportunities as I could, and my involvement with the student chapter of the Wildlife Society, my community science internship with the Milwaukee Public Museum, and the Summer Wildlife Field Practicum course at Kemp Station were extremely valuable experiences which allowed me to do hands-on field work and data collection. Since graduating, I have been promoted twice at the Wisconsin Crop Innovation Center (my student job), and I am now a Research Specialist. This has provided me with a stable income while I look for graduate school opportunities. In my free time, I volunteer as much as possible. Check out my CV page for more details about my volunteer experience.

I have field work, lab, and administrative experience. I am passionate about population ecology and wetland and grassland birds. Right now, I am looking for a Master’s program (ideally in the Midwest, but I’m flexible) that

In my free time, I make art inspired by nature, movies, and anything else that piques my interest. Check out my Art Portfolio page to learn more!

Visit my About page to learn more about me!