Was there a defining moment during your UConn career?

Freshman year I got a job in the plant science department working in Cooperative Extension. I was looking for a place to live, and I moved into UConn’s Spring Valley Student Farm. That summer, I got a great introduction to academia, applied science, education, and field work.

Where are you headed after graduation?

I am traveling with a class from Pennsylvania to Wyoming to tour industrial agricultural infrastructure. Then I’m moving on to the University of California, Davis, to pursue an MS degree. I’ve accepted a research assistantship in the Soils and Biogeochemistry Graduate Group.

What would you tell someone who is considering UConn?

There are tons of opportunities at UConn but you need to find them. Nobody will lay it all out on a silver platter for you, and if they try to, be wary. Look down on campus from Horsebarn Hill, and see where we are and what surrounds us.

Write your memoir in six words.

I have built up from clay.