Rebecca Panko, a biology major, has recognized the importance of preserving the natural world from a very young age. The daughter of park rangers, she was born in Shenandoah National Park and has lived on both Liberty Island (home of the Statue of Liberty) and just outside Everglades National Park in Florida. Rebecca holds an associate’s degree of science from Borough of Manhattan Community College, where she worked as a science and math tutor. Upon earning her bachelor’s degree, she plans to pursue a doctorate in forest ecology, and research the changes that climate change, fragmented habitats, and invasive species cause in native plant biodiversity. Rebecca’s goal is to work for a government agency such as the National Park Service or the Bureau of Land Management. She also aims to combine this with teaching at the university level to encourage students to pursue environmentally-based research. She hopes her work will provide a foundation for the development of new conservation strategies to preserve native plants for future generations.