Hi, my name is Kace!

I am incredibly grateful to be recognized as a Grossman Scholarship recipient, as this helps support my undergraduate studies in Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology.

My interest in environmental studies was fostered by my mother's love for the outdoors when I was a child. Going on nature walks, visiting museums, and exploring butterfly gardens helped nurture my own appreciation for nature. From these experiences, I’ve become a strong advocate for early environmental education in both schools and outside programs. Introducing young minds to the inner workings of our environment and our reliance on natural resources is crucial to building a more informed and sustainable future.



During the summer of my sophomore year of college, I was fortunate to be selected for a summer internship in geological research at my school, Austin Community College. I was also looking for work, and through my school email, I discovered that a local nonprofit was seeking summer interns. I ended up spending those months both drafting and creating a research project, while also tabling at Barton Springs Pool for the Save Our Springs Alliance. That summer was pivotal for me. Through those opportunities, I learned that studying biology was a path I could pursue as an alternative to my business degree. From that point on, I began exploring the possibility of transferring to a university with a strong focus on natural resources.

I am incredibly grateful to have been studying Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology at Colorado State University (CSU) since August of 2022. I’ve had many wonderful experiences in my classes, which have only deepened my love for this field. With the guidance of supportive professors, I’ve expanded my knowledge and skill set. From angling and electrofishing field trips to learning how to code and plot wildlife data, these experiences have been instrumental in developing my professional capabilities.

From there, I began looking into undergraduate research opportunities, and by the fall of 2024, I found myself in a group with other students discussing potential fisheries-based research topics. We chose to study the fine-scale movement of Creek Chub (Semotilus atromaculatus) in response to the presence of White Sucker (Catostomus commersonii). This research group continued into the spring, during which we further examined PIT tag retention rates in Creek Chub using different placement locations and methods. Both experiments were successful, and our group presented our findings at CSU’s Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creativity. We also shared our results at the 2025 Western Division American Fisheries Society conference.

Additionally, the fall of 2024 brought a new job opportunity at Colorado Parks and Wildlife. I began working as an Aquatic Data Analyst Intern, where I developed skills in collecting, analyzing, and visualizing aquatic data from across the state of Colorado. This position has opened countless doors in fisheries and amphibian work. This season, I’ve been supporting the work of dedicated biologists in their conservation efforts for Boreal Toads (Anaxyrus boreas boreas) and Greenback Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii stomias). Both species are listed as Tier 1 Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) in the Colorado State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP), which makes this work all the more important. Assisting with the protection and conservation of these species has ignited my passion for supporting native fisheries and addressing the global decline in amphibian populations.

I hope to continue this work through higher education and future job opportunities in conservation biology. Thanks to the support of the VOC’s Grossman Scholarship, I am able to continue my education and pursue my growing passion for this deeply impactful work.