She follows her passion at CFAES thanks to scholarships

She follows her passion at CFAES thanks to scholarships
How Ansley Watkins is growing ...
“I really appreciate having this support, and being able to explore options that may not have been as easy to follow otherwise.”Ansley Watkins

Ansley Watkins lifts others as she rises.

Watkins, a student in the The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES), is last year’s recipient of the CFAES Spirit of the Land Grant Award. The honor goes to those who best embody our mission of “We Sustain Life”—or, as CFAES Dean Cathann A. Kress put it, those who best “personify our college’s land-grant DNA.”

As an undergraduate in the CFAES School of Environment and Natural Resources (SENR), where she majors in natural resource management, Watkins works to improve access, opportunities, and success for her fellow students—first as SENR’s outreach coordinator for minority and underrepresented students, now as SENR’s peer mentor president.

At the same time, the Georgia native has seen herself grow as a person and a student. As an ENR Scholar. As a member of the Buckeye Leadership Fellows Program. By studying abroad. By engaging in three undergraduate research internships—one of them at CFAES’ Olentangy River Wetland Research Park on the issue of harmful algal blooms.

Scholarships made this happen for Watkins. Scholarships from the Morrill Scholarship Program. From the Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) Program. From the Honors & Scholars Center. From CFAES Academic Programs. Scholarships enabled her to come to CFAES, where she found a place to discover her passion—a passion for serving people, serving the environment, and putting land-grant values into action.

Your donations make it happen

But first, donations helped the scholarships happen. Donations from supporters like you gave Watkins the backing to find her path at CFAES.

“I really appreciate having this support,” she says, “and being able to explore options that may not have been as easy to follow otherwise.”

Consider donating to the CFAES Undergraduate Scholarship Fund (#317468). It’s how you can make a difference in the lives of future leaders like Watkins.

To learn more about supporting CFAES student scholarships, please contact Emily Kruse at 614-247-7606 or kruse.192@osu.edu