{"id":14417,"date":"2020-09-10T08:56:06","date_gmt":"2020-09-10T12:56:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/?p=14417"},"modified":"2020-09-11T16:18:29","modified_gmt":"2020-09-11T20:18:29","slug":"student-ambassador-to-mass-audubon-receives-highest-honors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/student-ambassador-to-mass-audubon-receives-highest-honors\/","title":{"rendered":"Student Ambassador to Mass Audubon Receives Highest Honors"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Maria
Maria Vasco, UMass Boston Campus Ambassador to Mass Audubon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As schools are getting back in session, we want to honor recent graduate and Mass Audubon alum Maria Vasco, an environmental studies and sustainability major in the School for the Environment at UMass Boston. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maria received the top two honors a graduating undergraduate can receive from the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education: the John F. Kennedy Award for Academic Excellence and the “29 Who Shine<\/a>” Award, for her academic achievements, commitment to service, and good citizenship. As part of the JFK Award, Maria will have the opportunity to address the graduating class at their commencement ceremony, although the event was postponed due to COVID-19 safety concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In her sophomore and junior years, Maria was the campus ambassador for Mass Audubon, organizing and leading climate cafes on the UMass Boston campus and at the Timilty Middle School in Roxbury and recruiting fellow students as part of a partnership<\/a> between the university and Mass Audubon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I love to tell my fellow students about all the inspiring work that Mass Audubon is doing and inviting them to be a part of it, from attending Climate Cafes to pursuing environmental careers,” Maria said. “For many, it’s the first time they’re hearing about Mass Audubon, and they’re usually interested to learn more.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maria’s passion and leadership led the way for the partnership to grow and flourish recruiting students for a variety of internships, work-study placements, and summer jobs in conservation as well as nonprofit management roles. It’s a natural “fit” between Boston’s only public research university and Massachusetts’s leading nonprofit organization in conservation, environmental education, and advocacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to her impressive academic accomplishments and important work with Mass Audubon, Maria is also an entrepreneur. She launched the UVIDA Shop<\/a> webstore, which aims to help consumers reduce their plastic waste through the use of eco-friendly products like bamboo toothbrushes, reusable water bottles, and biodegradable glitter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After graduation, Maria is continuing to build her business on the side while working for Exporta Technologies, a Harvard-based software-as-a-service (Saas) startup based in Cambridge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reflecting on her time working with Mass Audubon, Maria noted, “An important trait I have picked up…is to be confident in myself and make more of a push to leap into bigger opportunities.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Congratulations to Maria! And best of luck in your bright future from all of us at Mass Audubon. Keep pushing for even bigger opportunities to advocate for people and the environment!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As schools are getting back in session, we want to honor recent graduate and Mass Audubon alum Maria Vasco, an environmental studies and sustainability major in the School for the Environment at UMass Boston. Maria received the top two honors a graduating undergraduate can receive from the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education: the John F. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":68,"featured_media":14418,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[7,13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14417","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-get-involved","category-stuff-we-love"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/07\/MariaVasco-KForesto-6213.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3t87A-3Kx","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":12451,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/an-alternative-spring-break\/","url_meta":{"origin":14417,"position":0},"title":"An Alternative Spring Break","author":"Hillary T.","date":"March 11, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"While some college kids will be heading to the beach during Spring Break, Mass Audubon has teamed up with UMass Boston to offer its conservation-minded students another option. During the first-ever Alternative Spring Break for Aspiring Environmental Leaders, an idea hatched by TerraCorps member Sam Kefferstan, six students will spend\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Get Outdoors"","block_context":{"text":"Get Outdoors","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/get-outdoors\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"\u00a9 Sarah O'Connor","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/03\/2963Sarah_OConnor10707.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/03\/2963Sarah_OConnor10707.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/03\/2963Sarah_OConnor10707.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/03\/2963Sarah_OConnor10707.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12375,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/meet-the-terracorps-crew\/","url_meta":{"origin":14417,"position":1},"title":"Meet the TerraCorps Crew","author":"Hillary T.","date":"February 27, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"This year, Mass Audubon has been fortunate to welcome four members of TerraCorps to our team. TerraCorps partners with AmeriCorps to pair emerging leaders with land-based organizations in Massachusetts. The TerraCorps service members gain valuable, real-world experience, and Mass Audubon benefits from their energy, enthusiasm, ideas, and hard work. 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Give TerraCorps a Try","author":"Mass Audubon","date":"May 30, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Nick Tepper on Nantucket as part of the Alternative Spring Break. It had been five minutes since we reached Nantucket\u2019s southern shores, and a beautiful sunset was fading to afterglow over the dunes. All was calm when one of the students pointed and said\u202f\"a\u202fbig bird just landed in that dune!\"\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/general\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/05\/IMG_5660.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/05\/IMG_5660.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/05\/IMG_5660.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/05\/IMG_5660.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":17580,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/a-new-tree-alliance-in-boston\/","url_meta":{"origin":14417,"position":3},"title":"A New Tree Alliance in Boston\u00a0","author":"Mass Audubon","date":"May 18, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"There\u2019s an old proverb that says great cities are filled with people who plant trees under whose shade they will never sit. On May 12, Mass Audubon and the City of Boston kicked off a program aimed at bringing that proverb to life.\u00a0 Mayor Wu and Mass Audubon Boston Regional\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/general\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/05\/52892776543_08ec40e985_o750.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/05\/52892776543_08ec40e985_o750.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/05\/52892776543_08ec40e985_o750.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/05\/52892776543_08ec40e985_o750.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8725,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/love-mass-audubon-vote-for-us\/","url_meta":{"origin":14417,"position":4},"title":"Love Mass Audubon? Vote For Us!","author":"Hillary T.","date":"March 3, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Are you a Boston Globe print or digital subscriber?\u00a0Or do you know someone who is? Then you can help Mass Audubon get free advertising in the Globe through their GRANT (Globe Readers and Nonprofits Together) program! Keep reading... How to Help Visit the Globe GRANT website. 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