CNR Graduate Meets President Bush
Erica Santana, ‘05 B.S. in wildlife science, had an unexpected surprise visitor on Martin Luther King Day – none other than President George W. Bush. Santana was volunteering at City Year’s 2007 Martin Luther King Day of Service. The event took place at Cardozo Senior High School in Washington, D.C., where she and others painted murals on the school’s walls as part of a restoration and beautification project.
Taking the initiative to do things to help others is not a new experience for Santana. While at Virginia Tech, she helped start a Latina Sorority, Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha, Inc., an organization founded on the principles of scholarship, cultural awareness, and community service. As an alumna, she is now active in the graduate chapter in the Greater D.C. Metro Area.
Since graduation, Santana has had many new experiences and accomplishments. She is currently a research assistant in the Division of Mammals in the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. In February, she left the states to do field work in southeastern Turkey. She will be part of a Cornell University field team working on the behavioral ecology of golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus). In the future, she plans to pursue a master’s degree at Auburn University.
Santana (kneeling) with her group and President Bush.
4/12/09