For the Love of Nature by Chloe

For the Love of Nature by Chloe - April 2025 Scholarship Essay

It was my sophomore year of high school well after midnight. I was laying in my bed scrolling through Tik Tok like usual. When all of a sudden, I came across this video of a zoologist. She was in the forest setting up mist nets to catch birds. I watched as she gently untangled the small birds from the net. Some she quickly identified to the camera and released immediately, but when she caught what she was looking for she explained what she was doing as she took measurements and marked her data in a small notebook before releasing them. I couldn’t look away. I stared in awe as she gently and skillfully maneuvered the birds to whatever position the measurement required.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always known I wanted to work with animals. I considered many ways to make this happen and I knew what I wanted to major in, but I never knew this was an option. I did a little more research on field work and conservation, but honestly from the moment I saw that video nothing could stop me. I knew what I wanted to do.

As time passed and I did research on schools and what their zoology programs had to offer I realized the school that had the best program for me was Colorado State University. Flash forward, and here I am. The courses are challenging even though I enjoy them. Each time I talked to someone it seemed like the reason they were doing so well was because they had experience whether it be an internship, job, or study abroad. That’s when I started thinking even though I’m only a sophomore in college I felt behind for the first time, because how could I ever know I’m good at something if I only think about the theoretical. I had been thinking this for a couple months when I got a canvas notification. I had investigated study abroad before and didn’t see anything that really matched my goals, but this notification was different. It was everything I had ever dreamed of; traveling across the globe, learning about new cultures, wandering through rain forests, research and conservation. I didn’t think anything could be that perfect.
I thought I was a good candidate, because I’m determined and an enthusiastic learner, this is the kind of work I want to someday partake in and I would do anything to get there just like I did everything I could to get here to CSU a school fourteen hours away from home where I didn’t know a single person. So, this summer I will be traveling to Madagascar to partake in field trapping primates and observing them in their native habitats.

I have always loved nature. It has been a passion of mine ever since I was a little girl. As I got older, I became more aware and developed the critical thinking skills to see everything we were doing to the world around us from the little things like littering, to things as big as deforestation. And ever since then I have always known that somehow, someway, I had to do my part to protect the beautiful environment that surrounds us. Then in middle school, I fell in love with my biology class in the seventh grade and my teacher, Mrs. Meirs, helped me to realize that science was my favorite subject. That year I figured out that science was how I was going to contribute to conservation efforts. At Colorado State University, I am majoring in the degree of zoology because this degree most closely aligns with my goals. I feel that this program will allow me to develop a specialized set of skills geared toward ecosystems, conservation, and biodiversity. Ensuring that I have the knowledge I need to truly protect and care for these creatures as well as their homes properly. So, the major of zoology at Colorado State University could be the one thing that would finally allow me to make the type and size of impact I truly desire to have and to be able to change this world for the better.

The Varsity Tutors scholarship would help me achieve my plans by funding my education at Colorado State University to achieve my degree in zoology. Out of state tuition at my university exceeds $18,000 a semester. I chose this university because they have a focus on conservation. Most universities in Texas are pre-vet. However, with an out of state university, comes the cost of out of state tuition. If I can keep my GPA up, I can continue to receive my Green and Gold Scholarship from my university which is $5,000 a semester. That leaves a gap of $13,000 a semester to fill with scholarships. This scholarship would go directly to pay my tuition.

I am diagnosed with Familial Mediterranean Fever. My symptoms are fever, fatigue, arthritis, and nausea. I just need more sleep than my peers. On top of this I have struggled with anxiety and depression, but the one thing that has always helped me is nature and living creatures. That is why I want to major in zoology and conservation. I want to protect the things that have always protected me.