Nature has always been my refuge, somewhere to alleviate stress and connect back to what makes me happiest. The complex yet delicate web of natural systems and processes fascinates me, and gives me a sense of appreciation for how lucky I am to experience coexistence with diverse creatures. When I am outdoors, I feel most at peace. I am interested in hands-on environmental work because it is what makes me happiest and makes me feel most involved. When working in the field, I see the difference I am making and the research first hand, making the experience unparalleled. With climate change being one of the largest threats of my generation, I feel it is my life’s mission to be in conservation. I am a double major student at UC Berkeley: Ecosystem Management and Forestry, and Environmental Economics and Policy. Currently, I do group research on Forest Health in SURG, and I am conducting personal research on butterflies populations back home to gain insight on overwintering behavior and climate change. Eventually, I hope to use these insights to start a conservation project in the Elwood Monarch preserve in Goleta!

Hi, I'm Sadie Godfrey, and I am an aspiring conservationist. From a young age, I knew who I wanted to be, and immersed myself in nature and wildlife anywhere I could. While most kids in elementary school see recess as a break for food and games of tag, I spent my time in the school’s science room. I remember taking in every inch of the taxidermy brought in by our local museum, sketching my favorite animals and tweaking my proportions from real life observation. In middle school, I expanded my love for animals into horse riding. Not only did I form deep connections with these beautiful animals, I learned the grit and strength it takes to care for animals. Into highschool, I continued my experience with horses through volunteering at a local horse rescue, Happy Endings, where I groomed and did chores for horses with past abuse, neglect, or trauma. I was lucky enough to go on trail rides with my neighbor and her horses too. I also hiked a lot, and volunteered at Camp Whittier, an outdoor science camp for fifth graders. There, I shared my love for nature with kids, and had the time of my life singing campfire songs. I worked hard in high school, graduating valedictorian giving me the privilege of attending UC Berkeley today! I am a first year double majoring in Ecosystem Management and Forestry, and Environmental Economics and Policy. Berkeley has given opportunities I could have never imagined, and I feel more committed to my passion for the environment than ever. I went on two camping trips with wildlife clubs on campus, making countless memories. I joined SURG, an environmental research group, where I worked with a committee to research forest health in the Sierra Nevada and present a literature review at a bi-anual symposium. What I am most proud of, is my independent research paper about Monarch Butterflies in Santa Barbara county. Having grown up in the county, and currently living next to the Elwood butterfly reserve, I wanted to give back to my community through my passion for conservation. The paper looks into where monarch butterflies choose to overwinter over time based on Xerces data, elevation, and coastal proximity. My paper offers valuable insights on a shift towards more moderate elevation and coastal proximity sites, something that has lacked research. In my future at Berkeley, I hope to continue my research with SURG, and start a conservation project on the Elwood preserve in Goleta. While at Berkeley, I cut costs where I can. I work throughout school, live in a coop (affordable student housing), and apply for scholarships. My current dream is to go to Forestry camp with my school, giving me valuable experience with managing forest and tree health. Unfortunately, I cannot afford it on my own. especially since it would cut into summer time that would otherwise be spent working full time. After graduation, I hope to work in all sorts of environmental work, from field forestry to cutting edge research, to policy and advocacy. With the assistance of this scholarship I can study hard and dive deep into my goals. Thank you for this opportunity.

I was once eaten by a whale. At the mere age of 5, I stood between the ribs of a whale skeleton, feeling the massive creature gliding effortlessly through the ocean. This moment sparked a deep love for nature. In elementary school, I discovered my love for nature through visits to a local natural history museum. There, I could imagine I walked along dinosaurs, exotic animals, and all of nature’s wonders. I could stand under a whale skeleton; its ribs as wide as me would surround me while I marveled. In the butterfly exhibit I learned to be gentle with nature's creatures. In the dinosaur display, I learned to respect the transitory characteristic of Earth. In the solar system room, I learned to dream beyond my immediate perspectives. As I grew older, my love for nature grew into a desire to share it with others. Over two summers in high school, I poured myself into creating an animal themed, hand drawn tarot deck called The Union Tarot. In videos on Instagram, I explained my inspiration from biology behind each card, letting thousands of viewers into interesting facts about animals and my passions. In my junior year, I volunteered as a cabin leader at Camp Whittier, a 5th grade, weeklong, outdoor science camp. I joined the girls in my cabin in full days outdoors, hiking up mountains and traversing ice-cold creeks. While I often went to bed sunburnt and reeking of campfire, it was one of the happiest times of my life. I volunteer at a local horse rescue, Happy Endings, and put my love for nature into helping animals in need. Some of the horses are sick, undomesticated, or have past abuse experiences. I help around the ranch and groom the horses. I avoid bad legs, tumors, and sore spots. I listen to their needs and check for health issues. In any extra free time, you can usually find me outside with my dog, often on hiking trails and at the beach. Certain that nature will never cease to amaze me, these experiences have fueled my commitment to the study of environmental science at UC Berkeley and to make discoveries every day. As I aspire to become an ecologist and work in wildlife conservation, I look back to what that small natural history museum meant to me, a little girl with never-ending curiosity. I hope to continue my volunteer work, and fight climate change every day. By pursuing my dreams, I hope to inspire others to stay curious about our planet and protect it for generations to come. The field of conservation needs animal lovers more than ever. As the Earth experiences a rapid loss of biodiversity due to climate change, humans need to protect the most vulnerable species. While many people hear about conservation efforts with rhinos, turtles, or pandas, we often forget the importance of lesser loved creatures, like bees, harvest mice, and red wolves. Animal care ensures we do not lose these species that play such vital roles in their ecosystems. I hope to work directly with all types of animals working to conserve their populations, and intern, biodiversity.

In the blink of an eye, the field turned into a war zone. Fists swung and legs kicked with fury. I ran to the scene, desperate to deescalate the chaos. For the past two winters, I volunteered as a cabin leader at Camp Whittier, a sleep away science and nature camp for 5th graders. One afternoon during break last year, a game between campers turned violent, and I felt my anger rise—a familiar instinct from my childhood. “You guys know it is not OK to hit each other. Break it up,” I said, my throat feeling thick as I composed my tone. The kids stopped kicking but kept their fists clenched. A little blonde girl with pigtails glared at me, “But he stole our ball!” I looked over to the subject of her frustrations. Fighting my instincts, I channeled my frustrations into guidance rather than anger and kneeled to his level, saying, “Though I know you just wanted to play, you need to ask before you take things. Please tell the girls you’re sorry.” Softening my voice, I turned to the girl: “When you are upset, you can always come to me, but you cannot hurt others. I promise I will always help, ok?” She nodded. Peace was restored, and my connection with the kids was preserved. Later, we roasted marshmallows around a campfire while they confided in me about their days, and we worked together to decorate our cabin. To respond compassionately at camp, I had to confront the parts of my childhood I had long avoided. Growing up, my father often responded aggressively to my shortcomings with yelling, shaming, and threats. When he was young, my father was blamed for problems he did not cause and, consequently, became aggressive to protect himself. My mother’s alcoholic stepdad led her to avoid all conflict and allow my father’s aggressive behavior. When my camp kids started fighting, my instinct was to respond aggressively, as my father had done, because that was all I knew. I recognized this instinct and realized how much my childhood had impacted me and my family: when we lack support in our childhoods, we internalize harmful behaviors and risk passing them on to others. With this newfound understanding, I became determined to make the camp a safe place for the kids, despite my upbringing, and end this hurtful cycle. When the kids fought, I remembered my childhood and knew I had to respond with compassion. This introspection has taught me a lot about myself, and I have found gratitude for how my experiences, though painful, have given me a deep understanding of my life. When deciding what I would study in college, I realized that many of my activities outside of school came from my love for nature: I volunteer with horses, volunteer at nature camps, took an extra biology class, and go hiking with my dog any chance I get. With this realization, I have decided to study environmental science, get a masters, and make a meaningful impact in the fight against climate change. Unfortunately, because my relationship with my parents is rocky, the amount of financial assistance they will provide changes frequently. Sometimes it is none at all. To gain some independence, I work anywhere from 12-20 hours a week, saving all my earnings towards my education. UC Berkeley, which I plan to attend, is pricier than I can afford on my own. Despite my experiences, I believe that, with compassion and self-reflection, everyone has the capacity to change their story and create a brighter future. Thank you for this wonderful opportunity!

I was once eaten by a whale. At the mere age of 5, I stood between the ribs of a whale skeleton, feeling the massive creature gliding effortlessly through the ocean. This moment sparked a deep love and care for nature. Obviously, I was not actually eaten by a whale. In elementary school, I discovered my love for nature through visits to a local natural history museum. There, I could imagine I walked along dinosaurs, exotic animals, and all of nature’s wonders. My eyes studied and memorized taxidermy animals for as long as my mother could wait, eager to draw them once I got home. In the butterfly garden I stood as still as could, hoping to get a delicate creature to land on my palm. In these moments I discovered my deep love for animals and the natural world. As I grew older, my love for nature grew into a desire to share it with others. Over two summers in high school, I poured myself into creating an animal themed, hand drawn tarot deck called The Union Tarot. In videos on Instagram, I explained my inspiration from biology behind each card, letting thousands of viewers into interesting facts about animals and my passions. I loved making the videos because while I pursued art, another passion of mine, I could share the beauty of animals with others, fostering care for wildlife. In my junior year, I volunteered as a cabin leader at Camp Whittier, a 5th grade, weeklong, outdoor science camp. I joined the girls in my cabin in full days outdoors, hiking up mountains and traversing ice-cold creeks. My favorite memory has to be when the girls and I stumbled across wild turkeys, marveling at their beautiful feathers. While I often went to bed sunburnt and reeking of campfire, it was one of the happiest times of my life because of the time I spent outdoors with others. My most important accomplishment is the time I spend with horses. Since sophomore year, I spend my weekends volunteering at a local horse rescue, Happy Endings, and put my love for nature into helping animals in need. Some of the horses are sick, undomesticated, or have past abuse experiences. I help around the ranch and groom the horses. I avoid bad legs, tumors, and sore spots. I listen to their needs and check for health issues. While my care changes the often tumultuous lives of these horses for the better, they have taught me how to really listen to animals. With a trained eye, I can notice the smallest tension, movement of the eye, or flick of the hoof. With these powerful animals, paying attention to their body language is important for my safety while helping me make sure the horses feel comfortable. In my future work with animals, I hope to apply this trained sense and awareness to give the best possible care to animals in need. Certain that nature will never cease to amaze me, these experiences have fueled my commitment to the study of environmental science and to make discoveries every day. As I aspire to become an ecologist, I look back to what that small natural history museum meant to me, a little girl with never-ending curiosity. I hope to continue my volunteer work to help endangered species and fight climate change every day. By pursuing my dreams, I hope to inspire others to stay curious about our planet and protect it for generations to come.

Insecurity has driven me to extremes in the pursuit of perfection and validation, shaping my relationship with academics from neglect to obsession. Hitting rock bottom has been the catalyst for me to find joy, balance, and change my perspective. In middle school, I developed Anorexia Nervosa in the pursuit of perfecting my body. Subconsciously, I thought being skinny would get me love from my peers, so I restricted my food intake and exercised excessively. In time, my health deteriorated, hair thinned, and bones hurt. My academic performance suffered because I had no energy to focus on grades. In 8th grade, I knew I needed to get better when I could barely walk around my neighborhood without passing out and began to eat more. I was terrified of gaining weight, making this disorder difficult to overcome. I continued to struggle with body image throughout high school despite restoring healthy eating habits. When I started going to the gym in sophomore year, my perspective changed. I began to weight lift for my own joy, rather than chasing a body type. The gym became my happy place and my health was restored. Now, I focus on building a healthy, strong body rather than a thin and sick one. Because I could focus on my own happiness rather than perfection, I enjoyed exercise and had the energy to excel in academics. However, this extra energy brought me to new extremes. Growing up, I often felt I could never satisfy my authoritarian, emotionally distant father and enabling mother, fueling my need for perfection in grades and extracurriculars for validation. In high school, I rose to the top of the class and gained a reputation for being a great student. While my grades looked good on paper, and it garnered attention from my peers, I was constantly stressed, did not find joy in my activities, and lost time to hang out with friends, By junior year, I recognized my obsession with perfection and worked towards my own happiness rather than my parents’. I had to challenge my fears of living without validation, and built confidence in myself. I took classes I enjoyed and focused on learning rather than grades, ultimately leading to my unbeatable happiness. This led me to take college classes to explore my interests, like political science, biology, and art. While my mental state has had physical affects, from my body to my grades, the real challenge came from within. By confronting my need for validation, I have learned self love and confidence. Though difficult, my struggle with perfectionism has taught me to prioritize joy over outside opinion.

Insecurity has driven me to extremes in the pursuit of perfection and validation, shaping my relationship with academics from neglect to obsession. Hitting rock bottom has been the catalyst for me to find joy, balance, and change my perspective. In middle school, I developed Anorexia Nervosa in the pursuit of perfecting my body. Subconsciously, I thought being skinny would get me love from my peers, so I restricted my food intake and exercised excessively. In time, my health deteriorated, hair thinned, and bones hurt. My academic performance suffered because I had no energy to focus on grades. In 8th grade, I knew I needed to get better when I could barely walk around my neighborhood without passing out and began to eat more. I was terrified of gaining weight, making this disorder difficult to overcome. I continued to struggle with body image throughout high school despite restoring healthy eating habits. When I started going to the gym in sophomore year, my perspective changed. I began to weightlift for my own joy, rather than chasing a body type. The gym became my happy place and my health was restored. Because I could focus on my own happiness rather than perfection, I enjoyed exercise and had the energy to excel in academics. However, this extra energy brought me to new extremes. Growing up, I often felt I could never satisfy my authoritarian, emotionally distant father and enabling mother, fueling my need for perfection in grades and extracurriculars for validation. In high school, I rose to the top of the class and gained a reputation for being a great student. While my grades looked good on paper, I was constantly stressed, did not find joy in my activities, and lost time to hang out with friends. By junior year, I recognized my obsession with perfection and worked towards my own happiness rather than my parents’. I took classes I enjoyed and focused on learning rather than grades, ultimately leading to my unbeatable happiness. Though difficult, my struggle with perfectionism has taught me to prioritize joy over outside opinion.

I'm Sadie, and I love to serve animals and kids in my community. First, I volunteer at Happy Endings, a horse rescue. The horses there have lived a lot of life and trauma. Some of the 8 horses are sick, have tumors, are undomesticated, and have past abuse experiences. However, I find joy in helping these beautiful kind creatures. Specifically, one horse, Jem, was terrified of me when we first met because he is nearly blind. With very patient care, I am at the point where some days I can finally groom him. I have learned he loves belly rubs, does not mind fly spray, but hates his mane being brushed. Another, Little Prince, would not let me approach him because he was abused in his past. After building his trust, I can do most grooming very slowly, pausing when he gets tense. I let him come to me, give him plenty of baby talk, and encouragement. For others, it is a challenge to learn their tempers, language, and painful areas. I avoid bad legs, tumors, and itchy spots. I listen to their needs and check for health issues. These horses make me so proud of how hard they try to build connections. It brings me joy to know I can make a positive impact on their lives. Learning about all their unique personalities has been such a joy as well. I have learned how to adjust my behaviors, tone of voice, and movements to serve each of the horses' needs. It is certainly a community service experience I will take with me for the rest of my life. Additionally, I have given back to my community through volunteering at a 5th grade sleep away science camp at Camp Whittier, and at a summer art camp for kids through Arts Outreach. In both experiences, like my experience with the horses, I learned patience, how to tend to unique personalities, and found joy in my time spent. I absolutely love kids for their curiosity, energy, and natural kindness. Thus, I took these opportunities to give back instantly. At the sleep away camp, I had many challenges, ranging from the hikes we went on, putting the kids to sleep, calming nerves, and messes in the facilities. However, it was such a rewarding experience because of the sweetest kids I got to know. I learned about their fears of being away from home, their favorite snacks, school drama, and their temperaments throughout the day. I knew who would need extra assistance near bedtime and who needed to take medication in the morning. The kids connected with me too. They called me “Sadie the Lady” throughout the camp and wrote me a thank you card at the end full of inside jokes. Similarly, I keep returning to the summer art camp because of the connection I have with the kids. In that job, I assist the teacher and keep an eye on the kids during their breaks. I have learned what kids can be trouble when together, how to address their needs with kindness, how to calm a kid when they are frustrated with their artwork, how to stay patient, and more. I return to that job each summer, three summers in total now, because I love the kids I work with. I am addicted to the little hugs they give me each morning, and their smiles when they complete art they love. For me, my community service has served the community as much as it has served me. I have learned invaluable skills such as kindness and love while serving those in need.