Thank you for funding the Iowa Woodland Owners Association Forestry scholarship. Your financial support is greatly appreciated as I work towards receiving my degree. I will be continuing my education in Forestry this coming fall. Currently I am studying Forest Ecosystem Management within the Forestry program. The money from this scholarship will help me to pay for my tuition and housing for this coming year.
This past year was my third year at Iowa State University. This year, again, offered me many opportunities for learning and development. I continued in my role as treasurer for the Forestry club during this past year. This position is a great opportunity for professional development with its many duties and responsibilities and the chances to serve my club members. I have really enjoyed this role in my club, but unfortunately as I will be graduating this fall, I will only be able to assist the new treasurer as they assume the responsibilities of that position. I had a great internship experience this past summer working with urban forestry in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. I had many opportunities to interact with the public and improve on many of my skills. This coming summer I will be interning at the Iowa Arboretum. I look forward to this as it will be an opportunity to work on improving a different skill set and learning new skills. There are many opportunities for projects related to the 120 forested acres managed by the arboretum.
After graduation, I currently plan to work as an urban forester in a community likely in the midwest. I look forward to being able to apply the information I learn and skills I gain during my time at Iowa State. Again, thank you for your support as I pursue my education and future goals.
Sincerely,
Mark Steffen