Read a Q&A with Angelika Helmer, a student graduating from the Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship with B.S. degrees in forest management and natural resources management and a minor in ecological restoration. Angelika served the department as a peer advisor, offering support and guidance to other students.
Q: What did you study?
Double Major in Forest Management and Natural Resources Management with a minor in Restoration Ecology.
Q: Why did you choose Colorado State University?
They had excellent natural resources programs that felt very practical in comparison to the programs offered on the East Coast. It also offered an opportunity to live somewhere different from where I’m from and the campus and Fort Collins were the right amount of homey.
Q: What’s your favorite thing about CSU?
The people! Everyone is so welcoming and enthusiastic, especially in Warner.
Q: Did you receive any scholarships or awards in college?
Green and Gold Scholarship, Outstanding Senior in natural resources management, Outstanding Student in FRS.
Q: What are your career goals?
I want to research climate change’s effects on forests since everyone writes off forests as a cure for climate change. I don’t think we always consider how climate change would affect how effective forests are at mitigating those effects, so we need to make sure we account for everything.
Q: Who was your favorite instructor and why?
Wilfred Previant gave me a lot of advice in my junior and senior years navigating internships, job applications, and just life in general. I was having a hard time making decisions on where to work and what jobs would get me where I wanted to go (assuming I knew where that was). He helped me pick through all the details and gave me insight into what I was looking for.
Q: What will you miss most about CSU?
Sitting at the big table in Warner doing homework and hanging out with friends. There usually was someone I knew at the table at all times and it was nice to just quickly say hi before my next thing. I’m sure we were very obnoxious to everyone else, but it was fun.
Q: Do you have any advice for incoming freshmen?
Try everything, but not all at once. I did way too much freshman year and I wish I paced myself a bit.
Q: What was the most rewarding part of your CSU experience?
As the peer advisor, I got to help people with their schedules and changing their major. It always made me feel good when someone left my office feeling more sure or excited about their choices in classes or their degree.
Q: What was your favorite non-academic experience at CSU?
Going to volleyball games!
