Grace is currently in her senior year at Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU) where she is working towards a bachelor’s degree in biology. At SVSU, Grace is pursuing her passion for research and has conducted projects on topics ranging from invasive species and biodegradable materials to animal behavior. These experiences have taken her all around the Great Lakes. Recently, she even had the opportunity to present her animal behavior research at a national conference in Austin, Texas. 

Grace grew up swimming, fishing, and sailing on Saginaw Bay with her family and, as a result, has a deep connection to the region. Outside of her academic work, Grace introduced elementary school children to science through SVSU’s Mobile Laboratory; worked as an education coordinator and deckhand on the research schooner Appledore V; and taught children about outdoor ethics and ways to reduce their environmental footprint as a camp counselor with Michigan United Conservation Club’s Michigan Out-Of-Doors Youth Camp. 

“I was raised to respect and take care of the outdoors when using it, and that goes back through generations of my family,” she said. “I strive to respect our outdoor heritage and have passed it down to the generations that have come after me through my involvement in different youth programs throughout the state.” After graduating from SVSU, Grace plans to attend graduate school with the goal of bettering the ecological health of global systems. Ultimately, she hopes to become a college biology professor.