Meet the Class of 2030

“I had other offers that included full tuition scholarships but I was drawn to the UO because here I already have so many opportunities to be part of so many communities. PURA, Stamps, Clark Honors, the pre-med society student group – they each offer a chance to meet and learn with like-minded students, and work directly with professors and advisors.”

“I’ve never had confidence in myself academically, even though I’m a great student. I always compared myself to people who had an analytical brain and felt ‘less than – not believing my creative brain counted as intelligence too. But arts do matter. Writers are researchers too. Being part of this PURA group as a storyteller and writer feels like the school saying ‘We see you, you matter, you do have something to bring to the table.’  It meant a lot to me and it was one the factors in me deciding to come to Oregon.”

“When I toured the UO, coming from Santa Barbara, the campus environment just felt so welcoming. But receiving the PURA scholarship felt special. Having the opportunity to work with professors in my first year on things that I’m passionate about is such a unique experience. Coming from out of state too, this scholarship really helps. I’m excited to meet students who want to work together in intersecting environmental and sustainability work.”

“I’m excited to be in PURA not just for the financial support but for the campus faculty and researchers and are also there to give me guidance. Lab mentors are usually really busy and having access to them  is really helpful. Research is hard. Sometimes writing the papers is more than the work the actual research! So talking with people who’ve been there and can confirm I’m not doing something wrong is validating.”