Apolonia “Apple” Alvarez ’24

Fort Worth, Texas

Environmental science major. Political science minor.  Student Government Association Sustainability Commissioner.  Teaching assistant for the Chemistry Department. Lab assistant for the Environmental Studies and Sciences Program. 

I chose Skidmore because I wanted to attend a small liberal arts college and I heard it had a good environmental science program. Financial aid also played a huge role in my decision.

I serve as the sustainability commissioner for the Student  Government Association (SGA), which is a perfect fit for my environmental science major and political science minor. In this role, I collaborated with the Sustainability Office to create a “green grant” to fund student-led initiatives aimed at improving student life and the campus environment. Being a student leader and working with the College’s administration has been such an enriching experience.

I also work as a teaching assistant for the Chemistry Department and a lab assistant for the Environmental Studies and Sciences program, allowing me to gain new skills and perspectives.

The connections I have made with students, faculty, and staff are so enriching. This past summer, I conducted soil research at the National Renewable Energy Lab in Golden, Colorado, with Assistant Professor Kris Covey. I had such a great time, and I am honored to have had that experience.

At Skidmore, I have met amazing people who I hope to be friends with for the rest of my life, including my first-year roommate who I have lived with for the past four years. I don’t know what I would do without her.

After Skidmore, I hope to get a master’s degree in environmental engineering or sustainability management. 

I would like to express my gratitude to the donors of my scholarship gift. I am a first-generation, Hispanic student who comes from a low socioeconomic background, and I am so honored to go to a top four-year college, much less one that is over 1,000 miles from my hometown.”