Lynnea Colbert

What are your majors? Conservation biology and zoology, with a certificate in environmental studies

Expected graduation: May 2025

What inspired your interest in the environment and/or community? I started my college journey completely clueless, with no idea what to major in or what I wanted to do with my life beyond school. On a whim, I enrolled in a seminar during my freshman year that was specifically designed for undecided students like myself. It was there that I was able to learn a little about myself and be exposed to the many majors and paths UW had to offer that seemed to align with my interests. After that point, everything seemed to kind of fall into place on its own.

I found conservation biology, which perfectly blended my interests in the biological sciences with environmental conservation and ecological disciplines, and from there discovered zoology, which exposed me to research opportunities and furthered my scientific knowledge. Environmental studies was the perfect addition to the two and introduced me to classes that would ultimately inform me about the existing disparities within and connections between both community and environment.

I have grown up with lots of love for nature and the outdoors, and have learned the importance of treating the natural world around me with respect and kindness. The environment is more than just a place we inhabit, and is to be enjoyed and taken care of for the many generations to come. As I find myself engaging with and experiencing the beauty of nature, I remind myself that, “We are showered every day with gifts, but they are not meant for us to keep. Their life is in their movement, the inhale and exhale of our shared breath. Our work and our joy is to pass along the gift and to trust that what we put out into the universe will always come back” — Robin Wall Kimmerer