David Francisco, a
Issue: Fall 2015
MICHIGAN COLLEGE
nmc.edu/foundation
NORTHWESTERN
FOUNDATION MATTERS
student at the NMC Applied Plant Science program and an intern at EARTH University in Costa Rica, received the
thank you.
Global Opportunities Scholarship, and he wants to say a huge
“I probably wouldn’t have had this amazing experience to study organic farming without this scholarship. Now, I’m working on bringing ideas about sustainability from Costa Rica to Northern Michigan.”
NMC Students Study in the Jungle
Your Support of the Global Opportunities Scholarship Made it Possible
NMC student Taylor West found what she considers the happiest place in the world—Costa Rica, where she just spent two weeks studying the effects of Sigatoka negra, a fungus found on banana plants. It was a life-changing experience that also reaffirmed Taylor’s direction in life and it was all made possible through the support of donors like you. A fateful trip on the tall ship Manitou helped Taylor realize how much she cared about the natural resources of the Great Lakes and their preservation. She headed to NMC’s Great Lakes Water Studies Institute (GLWSI). In her first year of studying at GLWSI, Taylor’s instructors, including Constanza Hazelwood, NMC Water Studies Institute Education and Outreach Coordinator, watched her passion ignite and introduced her to the Freshwater Studies internship opportunity in Costa Rica. Taylor, a Traverse City native, had not been out of the country before and was concerned about whether she could afford the experience. Although she landed a job as a research assistant for the Freshwater Studies Program, it was the support from donors like you through the Global Opportunities Scholarship that allowed her to join the internship class. She says, “The scholarship really made a huge difference for me. It took away a third of the cost of the program so I could go.” The students’ daily activities took them to banana plantations at EARTH University, where they studied water management, water quality, and agricultural practices. The group was led by toplevel EARTH University professors and research assistants interested in using field techniques and aerial imaging to learn more about the health of banana plantations. Freshwater Studies students joined efforts with NMC students studying Unmanned Aerial Systems, who flew over the plantations, mapping problem areas to minimize fungicide application. Taylor is seeking an ASA degree in Freshwater Studies at NMC and hopes to go on to earn a Bachelor’s in Freshwater Science from Western Michigan University. She wants to use her education to build wastewater treatment plants in developing countries and says, “The experience in Costa Rica helped me get a taste of working in other countries. Now I know I can do it.” People like you helped give Taylor this confidence.