From SNR to magazine cover girl, alumna Vivian Nguyen has already accomplished so much during her year as an AmeriCorps Land Steward with the Arizona Nature Conservancy.
"My job is to travel throughout our preserve system in Arizona to work and develop conservation and restoration projects," said Nguyen, who graduated in May 2014. "Every day is a unique day in this position."
At Aravaipa Canyon Preserve, Nguyen was primarily involved with converting an abandoned agricultural field back to native grasslands.
"With the historical overgrazing in the area, there was little native seed bank left, so I had to manually plant grasses and seeds as well as restore the soil," she said. "Other projects I worked on were building erosion control structures, removing invasive species and building fences."
While working in Aravaipa Canyon last fall, she became unexpectedly involved with a hiking article that was going to be featured in an upcoming issue of the Nature Conservancy Magazine.
"They asked me to model for some pictures and then one day in June I woke up to multiple emails from staff congratulating me on being a 'cover girl,'" she said.
Nguyen's position opens up this August, and she encourages recent grads to apply.
"AmeriCorps is a great experience to learn and grow while also making a difference," she said.
If you or someone you know might be interested in applying, email mrivas@unl.edu to be put in contact with Nguyen.
The SNR Snapshot of the Month is a monthly feature that showcases the activities of SNR faculty, staff, students and alumni. If you have an idea for a future snapshot, please contact Mekita Rivas, SNR communications associate, at mrivas@unl.edu or 402-472-6515.