My name is Marglucy Omwega (They/Them). I graduated from Wellesley College with a Bachelor in Anthropology/Health & Societies minor (Class of '22). I am currently pursuing my master's degree at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. My hobbies include music, time with nature, traveling, photography, and making human connections. I fell in love with photography through capturing the nature around Wellesley, over time it has transitioned into how I connect with the world around me. I plan on implementing photography wherever ago and finding new ways to use it as I further my studies in medical anthropology and public health. This summer, the Paulson initiative supported my aspirations as an artist to explore community, and sustainability through photography, using nature in the city as inspiration. Alongside this, I worked with a local artist in NYC who uses sustainable/eco-friendly methods in her work to raise awareness of coral reef preservation. This helped me understand the need to incorporate nature within our everyday life, working towards protecting/healing ourselves and our planet.

My name is Carolyn (she/her), and I am a rising senior in the class of 2023. Growing up in West Virginia, I’ve always been eager to hike, garden, and learn about ways to sustain our environment. I am double majoring in biology and education at Wellesley, so this summer I’m excited to find new ways to engage and connect others with nature on campus through science education. I also hope to learn more about how environmental surroundings and sense of place can impact human health. In my free time, I enjoy picking flowers, reading in my hammock, and cooking with friends.

Eva is a senior (class of 2023) at Wellesley studying Architecture. She is interested in the ephemerality of the outdoors and enjoys looking at the structure of natural objects. Eva’s architectural studies focus on using new materialism as a method of sustainable design thinking. Her most recent project proposed root systems as architectural elements. In her free time, Eva enjoys drawing, watching horror movies, walking, picking up bugs, and spending time with her wobbly cat Ophelia.

Hi, I’m Katie (class of 2025)! You’ll find me around campus writing by the lake, dancing down the walkways, or engaged in lively conversation with the local trees (they really have a lot to say if you stop and get to know them). I’m excited to explore the Wellesley wilderness this summer and share my awesome adventures with all of you!

My name is Lucy Gonzalez, and I am a rising junior at Wellesley College. I am an Architecture and Environmental Studies Major. My interest in nature and the environment began at a discovery day camp called The Nature Institute (TNI) in Godfrey, Illinois.  For the past eight summers, I have been a camp counselor at TNI. I have also interned at the St. Louis Science Center GROW exhibit. Through these experiences, I have developed many interests and curiosities about the natural world and the impacts of human activity on the environment.  I am interested in sustainability and human interaction with the environment, as well as environmental education. I am excited to be interning with the Paulson Ecology of Place Initiative this summer and to spend time on the Wellesley landscape. This summer I hope to explore my interests and develop a deeper connection with the Wellesley College campus.

My name is Ayana Hampton (they/them), a prospective Biology Major and a member of the Green Class of 2025. I’m quite active as a member on campus, as I am Japan Club’s Cultural Chair, Hawai’i Club’s Treasurer, a dancer in WADO, and Student Guide at the Davis. Fun fact: I initially wrote about Paulson in 2020 as part of my Wellesley 100, so I’m incredibly happy to be a member of this program. I aim to learn more about interpersonal connections to nature, especially with the foliage we are surrounded with on campus, and how to apply this towards how I think about and perceive the natural world.

Hi! I’m Anna, a rising senior (Class of 2023) and Environmental Studies major at Wellesley. I grew up in both rural Montana and in the Schwarzwald of southwest Germany. Because my relationship to place is complicated and cross-cultural, it's important to ground myself in nature and cultivate more-than-human communities. My experiences living in the Sustainability Cooperative continue to inform my standards of community care and mutual aid. I have been formalizing my learning at Wellesley with an interdisciplinary thesis project at the intersection of art and science history with a focus on experimental film. My experience as a Paulson intern has radically changed the way I connect to Wellesley’s landscape, its histories, and the people who live and work within it. Through my work, I aim to make environmental knowledge and embodied experiences more safe and accessible to my communities. In my free time you can catch me hiking, biking, and sketching in one of my many notebooks.

My name is Mona Shokrani (she/her) and I’m a Biological Sciences major and Psychology minor in the class of 2023. I was born in Reno, NV and spent a good portion of my childhood in Gonbad, Qazi, and Tehran, Iran. Since I was a child, I’ve always loved being outdoors and have spent countless hours exploring and cherishing the natural landscapes I’m lucky enough to inhabit. I am interested in health, at an ecosystem, physical, and psychological level. Through the Paulson Initiative, I hope to share the gifts that the Wellesley College landscape has to offer while encouraging others to develop their own unique relationship to the land. On campus, I have a weekly radio show with WZLY where I play music and discuss a variety of topics like microbiology, history of music, and feminism. In my free time, I enjoy cooking (especially with foraging foods), crafting while listening to podcasts, and spending time with my community.