Fall 2021 Senior Profile: Tabby Robinson

Degree: Environmental resource management BA, resource administration track; recreation, tourism and nonprofit leadership minor, Certified Nonprofit Professional (CNP)  

Environmental resource management is an interdisciplinary degree supported by the Department of  Health, Recreation and Community Services in the College of Education; the departments of  Biology and Earth and Environmental Sciences in the College of Arts, Sciences and Humanities and the Department of Geography in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. 

Why did you choose to pursue this degree at UNI? This interdisciplinary degree was perfect for me and prepared me to work with individuals and communities and teach them about climate change, sustainability and how to improve their impact on the environment. Earning my CNP has also allowed me to better understand the inner workings of the organizations that do this type of work at a nonprofit or at the local government level.

What path did you take to achieve your degree? I always knew that I wanted to find a career that helps connect people to nature. I came to UNI for our rec program but found that I wanted to learn more about the science side of things which led me to change my major to ERM.

What does completing your degree mean to you? It is finally my time to get to make a big difference in whatever community I end up in and put my knowledge and skills to work!

What challenges did you face? As one of the first students to be a part of the ERM program, Robinson found she was learning along with her faculty members about how disciplines overlapped and where this degree could take her. She notes: This challenged me to really understand and be able to explain how I was going to put my degree to use. This helped me make my degree my own and become even more passionate about it when others would doubt me. It was also challenging not belonging to a singular department on campus. I made the best of it and networked with lots of different professors and students and made sure to advocate for myself and ask for help when I needed it.

How did UNI help you achieve your goals? UNI offers endless hands-on, real world experience and I got to take advantage of that from four different departments. The partnerships between UNI and the community make these experiences easily accessible and available whenever you are able to fit them into your schedule.

What’s your best memory of your time at UNI? I loved having the opportunity to show campus to prospective students and their families as a student admissions ambassador!

What advice would you give to students considering UNI? Pursue your passion. Study what makes you the most excited and where you think you will be the happiest in the long run and if that changes that's okay! Follow your gut.

What’s next? After graduation I will be serving as the Gold Star Intern for the McElroy Trust in Waterloo. After that I hope to find a position at a nature conservancy or wildlife refuge in grant writing or program development.