Nicole Marie Chavez

  • Senior, Conservation and Environmental Science

As a first generation student, being invited to join Phi Beta Kappa is truly an honor. I am currently a senior at UWM pursuing a major in Conservation and Environmental Science along with a minor in both Biology and Geography. The path to success is non-linear, which I have experienced first-hand as a nontraditional student. It was not an easy decision to give up my full time job for the opportunity to become educated and begin a career in a field I am passionate about, the environment and its conservation.

I found UWM to be a welcoming place for an adult student returning to obtain their bachelor's degree years after graduating high school. There was no shortage of faculty, staff, and fellow students willing to lend a helping hand. Without the support of the university, achieving this academic honor would not have been possible. Also, I am proud of not only myself but of all my fellow students that have had to overcome the unique challenges associated with Covid-19 that we have faced this past year. Keeping up with such high academic standards has not always been easy, but it has been infinitely rewarding. I cannot wait to see what the future holds for me upon graduation.

UWM Land Acknowledgement: We acknowledge in Milwaukee that we are on traditional Potawatomi, Ho-Chunk and Menominee homeland along the southwest shores of Michigami, North America’s largest system of freshwater lakes, where the Milwaukee, Menominee and Kinnickinnic rivers meet and the people of Wisconsin’s sovereign Anishinaabe, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Oneida and Mohican nations remain present.   |   To learn more, visit the Electa Quinney Institute website.