Alyssa Grelecki
About
At the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, I am majoring in forestry with an emphasis in ecosystem management and restoration. I also have minors in wildlife and biology. I am passionate about restoration and how everything is connected in an ecosystem and am particularly interested in habitat restoration and management.
As an undergraduate, I wrote management plans for restoration, prescribed burns, and wildlife habitat management for different land units. I participated in forest inventories and assisted with research – studying and analyzing bat calls for a graduate student’s research project and will be a co-author on the publication. I also participated in a research project regarding white nosed bat syndrome, classifying bat calls to give estimations on the bat population in parts of Wisconsin for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resource. Having been interested in bats since childhood, I find studying them to be of particular interest because most people have negative views about bats. I hope that people will come to understand the important role bats play in our ecosystem.
Some interests of mine include music, plants, nature, The Chicago Blackhawks, and art. In my free time I like to horseback ride, play guitar and piano, take walks, and play with my dog. I am currently working at the Chicago Botanic Garden as a seasonal worker in the Native Plant Department.
It is a great honor to be selected for the Jefferies Family Scholarship. I was very excited to learn that I had received the scholarship! It is a relief to know that I will be receiving help with my school payments and be able to pursue a degree in something I am passionate about. Receiving the scholarship has given me more confidence in my abilities as it acknowledges of all my hard work. It inspires me to continue to grow academically, to be more involved with my school, and to continue volunteering. By receiving the Jefferies Family Scholarship, I can focus more on my academics and extracurricular activities, allowing me to achieve my goals for the upcoming year. The scholarship will decrease a lot of financial burden and will help my family and me immensely. I feel privileged to be receiving this scholarship for three years in a row. Thank you.