Two Colorado State University undergraduates are among the 55 students from across the country to be named Udall Scholars in 2019, a prestigious honor recognizing those committed to careers focusing on the environment, Native American issues or health care.
Morgan Crump in the Warner College of Natural Resources and Raven Pinto in the College of Liberal Arts each received a Udall Scholarship. Forrest Czarnecki, also in the College of Liberal Arts, was awarded an honorable mention.
CSU was one of only 50 colleges and universities to have students selected as Udall Scholars in 2019. The students were nominated by a selection committee of CSU faculty through the Office for Scholarship and Fellowship Advising.
This year’s group of Udall Scholars were selected from a pool of 443 eligible applicants by a 14-member independent review committee. Each scholarship provides up to $7,000 for the student’s junior or senior year.
The 2019 Udall Scholars will gather Aug. 6-11 in Tucson, Arizona, to meet each other as well as program alumni. At the event, they will learn more about public service and interact with community leaders in environmental fields, tribal health care and governance.
Udall Scholars 2019
Raven Pinto, a third-year majoring in political science, wants to one day work in tribal policy as an urban planner or community developer to build safer, environmentally sustainable communities on Native American reservations.
Pinto, who is from Twin Lakes, New Mexico, plans to pursue a graduate degree in urban planning and management and would like to one day work in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
“Having grown up on the reservation in Twin Lakes, tribal empowerment is integral to my professional aspirations because I have witnessed both the beauty and the brokenness within my community, and we need reconciliation and nation healing,” said Pinto, who is part of the Navajo Nation. “This scholarship means a lot, and it’s incredible to see other tribal student leaders use this opportunity to advance their skills and better their community.”
This summer, Pinto will be interning for U.S. Sen. Tom Udall of New Mexico, the nephew of the scholarship’s namesake, Morris K. Udall. Pinto also is one of 12 students in the country to be selected as a Udall Congressional Intern. She will complete a nine-week internship this summer in Washington, D.C.
Morgan Crump, a third-year majoring in fish, wildlife and conservation biology and minoring in environmental affairs, has been examining the impacts of light and noise on existing ecosystems.
Crump, who is from Huntsville, Alabama, has worked with the CSU Sound and Light Ecology Team in collaboration with the National Park Service studying both light and noise pollution in parks as well as urban environments.
Following graduation, she hopes to continue following her passions in research and education.
“Receiving this scholarship really confirms that I’m going in the right direction,” Crump said. “It really pushes me to do more, and I think it will push me to the next level.”
Udall Honorable Mention 2019
Forrest Czarnecki, a third-year who is majoring in journalism and media communication, wants to be an environmental photojournalist to educate and inspire people about conservation.
From Evergreen, Colorado, Czarnecki is currently the photo editor for The Rocky Mountain Collegian. He will become editor-in-chief of the publication for 2019-20.
Czarnecki also has interned for the National Park Service’s Office of Education and Outreach, and he currently is the president of the CSU Science Communication Club.
“My passions are the outdoors and the environment,” Czarnecki said. “Through my photography, I create connections between the public and the natural world by revealing the ties between humanity and the environment.”
About the Udall Scholarship program
Established by Congress in 1992 as an independent executive branch agency to honor U.S. Rep. Morris K. Udall, the Udall Foundation awards scholarships, fellowships and internships for study in fields related to the environment and to Native Americans and Alaska Natives in the fields of health care and tribal public policy.
Since the Udall Scholarships were established in 1996, the Udall Foundation has awarded 1,678 scholarships totaling more than $8.4 million.
Current CSU undergraduate students interested in applying for a Udall Scholarship can contact Mary Swanson, associate director of the Office for Scholarship and Fellowship Advising and the Office for Undergraduate Research and Artistry, at mary.swanson@colostate.edu.
