Hello everyone, my name is Anna! I am one of the Difference Maker Mentors for the 2026-2027 NRCA CAP Program. I am so excited to work with “Team Lions” and to see how they tackle challenges and celebrate wins throughout the 9 months we have together.
This fall, I am going to be a rising senior studying Environmental Science and Resource Economics. Additionally, I have a minor in Urban and Community Studies! I have always been interested in the environment; especially when I was younger, I loved the science aspect of it all. I had chosen Environmental Science and Urban and Community Studies combo because I’m super interested in Environmental issues on a municipal/city scale. I added my Resource Economics major because I enjoy math and found that promoting environmental solutions, such as solar, can be more effective when including the economic benefits.
As I’ve become more involved in the UCONN community and through my classes, I have found a love for community-based projects. This summer, alongside working as a Difference Maker Mentor, I’ve been interning for a nonprofit, Sustainable CT. Sustainable CT’s mission is “To foster inclusive, resilient, and vibrant Connecticut municipalities that provide opportunities for all to thrive.” With this work, I’ve been able to see a ton of municipality sustainability initiatives, some that are implemented by residents in the municipality! Additionally, on campus, I am the program director of a program called Give & Go. Give & Go is a week-long event at the end of the academic year where students can donate their unwanted dorm items, and those items are then donated to community partners across CT.
When I saw the posting for the Difference Maker position, I knew that it would be a great role for me to combine my passion for community involvement and the environment. Before CAP, I hadn’t been in a mentorship position, so going into this, I knew I wanted to gain some project management skills through mentoring my students. Additionally, I wanted to learn some field-based skills, which I was able to get alongside my mentees during the field experience!
During the CAP field experience, I loved seeing “The Lions” show their passion for learning through the inquisitive questions they asked our key speakers and the active engagement in the activities. My favorite memory was seeing them all work together to identify and find macroinvertebrates during our water day. I also really enjoyed watching them work together when finding the cache during our compassing and orientation activity. Specifically, one of my mentees has had previous experience using a compass with his Boy Scout troop, so it was amazing seeing him share his skills and interests with the team to help them learn and grow!
Outside of school and work, I like to stay active through hiking, pole vaulting, or just walking around with my friends. When I’m not outside, I am usually curled up in bed watching a TV show or movie (I just rewatched the Hunger Games series!).