As a first-generation college student and the recipient of scholarships from Wells Fargo and Atilus, Lori Boegershausen felt a responsibility to seize as many opportunities as she could as an FGCU undergraduate. And that’s exactly what she’s done. During her time here, she earned a half-dozen Honors awards, presented award-winning historical research at nine conferences, completed two internships and served as an Honors Program mentor and senator. She was also named Student of the Year in the College of Arts & Sciences and was inducted into the FGCU Hall of Fame.

Like a lot of her peers, however, Lori wasn’t exactly sure what she wanted to pursue when she started college. But her passions began to gel after taking “University Colloquium” and learning about civic engagement. Before FGCU, sustainability wasn’t something she thought about much, but after Colloquium she got involved in the student-run Food Forest and the local and national Real Food Challenge. These experiences changed her trajectory forever.

Adding to her list of accomplishments, Lori is among the first two FGCU students to be awarded a prestigious Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Germany. In addition to teaching English, however, she used this opportunity to also spread the word about sustainable technology, cooperative farming and community gardens.

Lori’s ultimate goal is to work for a non-governmental agency focusing on sustainability and education. “I found a real passion for community development at FGCU. I want to be a change agent,” she says. If she even puts half of the energy into creating change in the world as she has put into her academic career at FGCU, our environment is in very good hands.