Grossman Scholar Spotlight: Maya Velasco

and I’m originally from Atlanta, Georgia. Growing up my parents did a great job fostering respect for nature and love for the outdoors. My brother and I were always encouraged to explore and be outside. In college, I continued to pursue summer jobs related to natural resources, including doing trail work in New England, working for an urban forestry non-profit in Atlanta, and the United States Forest Service. After graduation, I decided to follow my interest in working with plants and pursued a career in small-scale sustainable agriculture for ten years.
I’m returning to graduate school to pivot my career from agriculture to natural resource management. As a farmer, I worked intimately with the land through all seasons and gained an understanding of the importance of preserving biodiversity and ecosystem function. Over time, I became curious about other career paths working with other types of landscapes when I learned about ecological restoration. I wanted to learn more about the ways to restore degraded and damaged ecosystems. I’m in my third semester of my program and have deepened my knowledge of soils and discovered new interests like plant ecology and GIS.
Like many families, my family has felt the economic impacts of COVID-19, and the Grossman Scholarship was a lifeline to help me continue with my program this semester. Receiving the scholarship was also encouraging, and confirmed that I’m on the right path. I’m grateful for the support from VOC and the Grossmans as I navigate graduate school and plan for the next step in my career. I look forward to staying involved and contributing to the great work of Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado in the future.
Maya is one of five students to receive VOC's Grossman Scholarship for the 2020-21 school year. VOC offers four $5,000 scholarships annually to eligible Colorado residents who have demonstrated a commitment to caring for our environment's natural resources and intend to pursue post-secondary education through an accredited environmental, natural resource, climate, or outdoor industry related education program in Colorado.
Applications for the 2021-22 school year are open through 11:59pm on March 31, 2021.

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