First Environmental Science Major Graduate!
April 25, 2022
by Kaila Lemons, environmental science... alumna!
Spring 2023 91短视频 Alumni Magazine Article on Kaila's journey.
Growing up I had a deep appreciation for my teachers and mentors. I was fortunate to have many people throughout my life who made school a safe space for me, who encouraged me to accept challenges and not be afraid of failure. One of my mentors, Hill AFB Youth Programs Director Cherokee Johnson, helped me use this growth mindset to earn the Boys & Girls Clubs of America National Military Youth of the Year title as a freshman in 2017, a scholarship competition which has funded my entire degree. As a student at Weber State, I have continued “climbing Ever Upward” by being unafraid to accept opportunities that expand my comfort zone, like being the student speaker at this year’s commencement ceremony.
When I enrolled at Weber State, I knew that I wanted to be engaged on campus. In August 2020, I became Weber State’s Food Recovery Network President and first Zero Waste Coordinator in the Energy and Sustainability Office. Thanks to the leadership of Jenn Bodine I’ve had the freedom to execute a number of sustainability events, including new ones like the Kitchenware Drive and Wildcats Go Zero Waste which focus on food sustainability and waste reduction. Through my position, I have had the opportunity to coordinate over 50 volunteers who contributed nearly 350 cumulative hours of service diverting 3,000 pounds of waste. I received the Ivory Prize for Excellence in Student Leadership and Community Engagement for this work which included a donation to my club that will support future student leaders.
In addition to internships and extracurriculars, I also enrolled with the goal of taking advantage of research opportunities. One of my favorite aspects of being a student in the College of Science is the small class sizes and professors that take the time to get to know you and care about your success as a student and an individual. For me, this made it very easy to get involved in both course based and directed research on campus during four out of six semesters in my program. I studied metal pollution in Great Salt Lake, cyanobacterial photoreceptors, taxonomy of local flora, plant soil feedback, and co-selection for heavy-metal and antibiotic resistance. Through these projects I gained experience with applying for funding, technical writing, specialized lab techniques, and submitting papers for publication. My time working with my professors and the relationships I have built significantly enhanced my educational experience.
Now that so many people have invested in me, I plan to use my future to give back to the communities I am part of. I plan to start my career in corporate sustainability and leverage my skills and network to start community programs focused on things like youth environmental leadership and sustainable food systems.
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