Hello, my name is Leah Gichuru, and one of the Difference Maker Mentors for the year 2022-2023. I am currently studying molecular and cell biology, and minoring in Spanish at the University of Connecticut. As a first-generation American student, I am the first in my family to be attending a four-year college and focus much of […]
Difference Makers
Introducing Difference Maker Mentor: Sydney Seldon
Hello everyone! My name is Sydney Seldon, and I’m a sophomore at UConn. I am pursuing a degree in Environmental Science and plan to double major in Environmental Policy as an individualized major. Avenues prioritizing collective action and community engagement have guided the opportunities I seek, and my role as a Difference Maker Mentor […]
Introducing Difference Maker Mentor: Erin McKeehan
Hey y’all! I’m Erin McKeehan and I will be serving as one of the NRCA Difference Maker Mentors for the 2022-2023 program. I am currently a senior at UConn studying Economics and Environmental Studies. While I plan on pursuing multiple pathways, I am particularly interested in circular economies and economic justice. I am radically optimistic in the […]
Introducing Difference Maker Mentor: Leilani Duarte
Hello, my name is Leilani Rose Duarte, and I am a 2022-23 NRCA Difference Maker Mentor (DMM). I’m a senior at UConn majoring in Natural Resources (NRE) with a concentration in Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and minor in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB). I intend on entering graduate school after I graduate to further […]
DMM Passion Projects: User Guide For Installing Wildlife Camera Traps
Continuing the saga of DMM Passion Projects, I chose to put together a user guide document for installing wildlife camera traps. My interest for this project began when one of my teams in the Conservation Training Partnership program chose to capture pictures of the wildlife species at Roaring Brook Falls park in Cheshire. The […]
DMM Passion Projects: Meg’s Environmental Justice Focus
Aside from mentoring Conservation Training Partnership (CTP) participants and carrying out community conservation projects, our Difference Maker Mentors take on passion projects on the side throughout the year. Currently, our Difference Maker Mentor Meg is working on creating a project template that is centered around environmental justice for future programs. During previous years, we have […]
Meet our Graduate Mentor Ankit K Singh!
Hey there! My name is Ankit K Singh (he/him/his), and I am a doctoral candidate in the Department of Natural Resources at the University of Connecticut. I have worked with the Natural Resources Conservation Academy (NRCA) for almost two years, working as a Graduate Mentor in the CAP and CTP programs. I am most passionate about teaching […]
Introducing Difference Maker Mentor: Celine Sefakor Agbotey
Hey there! My name is Celine Sefakor Agbotey. I am a junior at UConn with a major in Applied Mathematics and a minor in Computer Science, as well as a member of the Conservation Training Program as a Natural Resources Conservation Academy (NRCA) Difference Maker Mentor (DMM) this year. My interests include analytical science and […]
Introducing Difference Maker Mentor Michio Agresta!
My name is Michio Agresta and I am a rising senior Natural Resources and the Environment major with minors in Human Rights and Spanish. My family is from Burlington, CT, and I grew up hiking and mountain biking in the 160 miles of trails located across the town. My academic interests are heavily involved […]
Introducing Difference Maker Mentor Caitlin Daddona!
Hello! My name is Caitlin Daddona (she/her/hers), I am a rising senior studying Environmental Science with a minor in Sociology here at the University of Connecticut (UConn), Storrs, Connecticut (CT). This year, I am also a NRCA (Natural Resources Conservation Academy) Difference Maker Mentor and so excited to get started! Connecting many of my […]