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as possible. Forester and Executive Director of Forest
Assets for the College of Natural Resources at NC
State University Sam Cook has been another tremen-
dous mentor. He's like the godfather of forestry, always
there, connecting people, pointing out opportuni-
ties, and helping with funding. At NC State, Dr. Zakiya
Leggett and Dr. Porche Spence mentored me toward
receiving the Scholars for Conservation Leadership
Program Fellowship from the Land Trust Alliance.
Through that fellowship I worked in Orlando with
Conservation Florida on moving large parcels private
land into land trusts. Talking with people about
how they feel about their land, how much they care
about preserving it—those conversations I think
put me on the path to where I am now. It helped
me see that you don't have to go the Grand Canyon
to see nature; it's in your backyard or nearby, and
every parcel is, increasingly, important to care for.
I also had two internships that helped shape my
career path, because I learned what I did and didn't
like to do. I interned with the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration Pacific Hydrographic Branch
in Seattle, Washington, where I was a Hydrographic
Survey Intern. Before that, I interned with the
Eastern Montana/Dakotas District Bureau of Land
Management in Miles City, Montana as a Range Aid.
When I moved to Orlando for the Land Trust Alliance
fellowship, I started looking for graduate programs
and found Dr. Mysha Clarke through social media
and emailed her; she was looking for a PhD student. I
thought that I had to get an MS first, but it turns out
that that is not always true! I'm writing my disserta-
tion now and should be graduating in May, 2025.
Dr. Clarke has a fascinating research specialization in
urban forestry: the attitudes that people have towards >>
Lillian Dinkins giving a presentation on her research.
