Graduating senior Mounica Kota ’16聽has made the most of her time at Oglethorpe. Here’s a glimpse at some of her experiences:
Tailored 好色先生TV.聽Mounica’s passion for environmental science and desire to pursue specific topics, such as sustainability and conservation, more deeply than a standard biology major, prompted her to work with her faculty advisor,聽Dr. Roarke Donnelly,聽to create an individually planned major (IPM) in conservation biology. While focused on science, her coursework includes a healthy dose of economics, sociology, public health, nonprofit communication, and foreign language.
Civic Leadership.聽Mounica is one of only seven current recipients of the Civic Engagement Scholarship, a full-ride award that requires students to assume a leadership role within Oglethorpe鈥檚 Center for Civic Engagement. Mounica logs close to 100 hours of community service each semester, well beyond the 60 hours required for her scholarship. 鈥淚f I hadn鈥檛 been involved with the CCE and also able to work closely with faculty members, I don鈥檛 think I would have been able to distinguish myself as quickly, have the same opportunities for advancement, or land the internships that I did.鈥澛燚r. Donnelly credits Mounica as the catalyst for Oglethorpe鈥檚 participation in the annual , founded in 2014 to celebrate science and technology in metro Atlanta.
Real-World Experiences.聽Through a recommendation from Dr. Donnelly, Mounica secured an internship with the National Park Service at the , where she worked for more than a year. Working alongside the park鈥檚 biologist, she reviewed proposals from organizations wishing to build along the riverbanks, conducted site visits to review those plans, and provided the organizations with environmental considerations. She also reviewed 鈥渉undreds of pages of data鈥� to prepare reports about river water quality changes for the National Park Service and Environmental Protection Agency. In fall 2015, Mounica interned at , where she adapted a college-level biology lesson about amphibian conservation issues for a high school-aged audience. The lesson will be used to lead related discussions for school tour groups.
搁别蝉别补谤肠丑.听Mounica is no stranger to research, with a number of projects already on her resume. For a group project titled 鈥淭he Edge Effect,鈥� Mounica and her classmates set up wildlife cameras to record and observe activity around artificial bird nests (complete with wax eggs) that were strategically wired into trees in the forest surrounding the Oglethorpe campus. 鈥淚 checked the eggs for bite marks to see if the nests near the core or the edge of the forest attracted more predators.鈥� This experience came in handy a few semesters later, while on a trip to Sapelo Island with her Conservation Biology class. Knowing Mounica had worked with wildlife cameras before, Dr. Donnelly tasked her with setting them up in the woods surrounding their camp, in hopes of catching a glimpse of nocturnal critters.
Global Education.聽Mounica has traveled to Guatemala three times for Oglethorpe鈥檚 Alternative Spring Break, and in 2016 led the trip and accompanying volunteer efforts. While in Guatemala, Mounica was able to tie in her academic interest in sustainability, and observe that the definition of sustainability can sometimes vary with location, while sitting in on a lesson about how to most effectively skin a rabbit. 鈥淲hile it was hard for me to watch鈥� I felt like it was important for me to see that and understand how many different nuances there are to this concept of sustainability.鈥� Mounica says she would love to eventually like to take her knowledge and passion for conservation and put it to work in Central or South America.
