大学，她的路
全方位体验
艾玛·阿尔 ’21 has made her own way while earning an associate degree in high school 和 digging deep to connect her passions 和 talents to her future field of work. 在人生的每一步，我都帮助她实现了梦想.
From High School to Postgraduate, U of I Opens Doors to Student’s Success
在北爱达荷州的桑德斯营地, 艾玛·阿曼带领营员们从一个车站走到另一个车站, 教他们水循环的各个阶段.
Four years ago, Arman was a high school sophomore learning water 科学 from Area Water Educator 吉姆郑伊健. 现在，作为一个 365滚球官网扩展 intern, Arman travels the region with Ekins, bringing water quality lessons to life.
“The very first day we drove to S和point where I got to lead experiments 和 observe different teaching styles,阿尔曼说. “我意识到我又回到了原点. 我是在把我的知识传给下一代.”
20岁刚拿到学士学位, Arman sees her internship experience as one more big steppingstone in her quest for lifelong learning 和 making her own way. 在过去的四年里, she’s put that mentality into practice by earning an associate degree in high school 和 by digging deep to connect her passions 和 talents to her future field of work. 在人生的每一步，我都帮助她实现了梦想.
点燃火花
阿尔曼从一开始就在学校表现优异, but she didn’t connect with the definition of “success” she heard growing up.
“Everybody tells academically advanced students that you become a lawyer, 博士或工程师,阿尔曼说. “但我对这些领域都不感兴趣.”
A perfect storm of opportunity 和 asking questions early in high school helped Arman pave a different path. 当她告诉她爸爸她喜欢数学, 科学, 政策和与公众对话, 他建议她去见一位环境经理. 通过他在内陆帝国纸业公司的工作, Arman’s father helped open his daughter’s eyes to environmental law 和 communications.
与此同时，她的科学课正在参加 合流工程, a water-科学 education program led by U of I — including Ekins — 和 regional partners. 为项目的科学展览部分准备的, 阿尔曼研究了斯波坎河的化学政策历史.
“We’re showing students that 科学 is not just doing things with beakers in a lab,” Ekins said. “将他们与家乡的实地科学联系起来? 这是非常强大的.”
I wanted to be a communicator, someone who bridges gaps 和 could be an advocate. 艾玛·阿曼，21年
The project connected Arman with government organizations 和 private industry, 和 she saw first-h和 how 科学 和 organizational priorities don’t always match up.
“合流项目是卖点，”阿尔曼说. “That’s when I realized I wanted to be involved in 环境科学 all the time. I wanted to be a communicator, someone who bridges gaps 和 could be an advocate.”
同时, many of her peers at Post Falls High School were earning an associate degree alongside their high school diploma. 国家的 快进程序 向公立学校学生提供4,125美元 双学分课程.
“双学分为大学生活提供了一个良好的开端,玛琳·佩雷斯说, 伊利诺伊大学双学分临时项目经理. “If students experience the rigor of college courses in high school with their peers 和 they succeed, 他们变得有动力和兴奋去继续他们的教育.”
阿曼做了调查. 她和辅导员们谈了谈，开始制定计划. Through a combination of 双学分课程 offered in her high school from U of I 和 on the campus at North Idaho College, 她高中毕业，获得副学士学位.
“I developed a whole process to make it the best for me 和 do what I needed to make it work,阿尔曼说. “这很难，但我已经看到它是值得的.”
在莫斯科找到一个家
Arman laughs when she reflects on her initial hesitancy to make her way to Moscow.
“一开始我非常反对去伊利诺伊大学，”她说. “When it’s basically in your backyard, everyone says, ‘Oh, get out of state!’”
Yet making the connection with U of I through dual credit 和 the Confluence Project opened her eyes to the world-class experience available less than 100 miles from home.
“As soon as I got my U of I acceptance letter, it was like I got into Harvard,阿尔曼说. “我们哭了很多次. 不仅仅是U (I. 不只是莫斯科. It’s an opportunity to better yourself, 和 it’s an opportunity to grow.”
这也是一个毕业时没有债务的机会. 快进基金主要支付她的副学士学位, 那些双学分课程让她有资格 爱达荷州高等教育学分奖学金.
I went from this kid that was like ‘I’m going cross country 和 leaving forever,变成像, “哦,莫斯科, 我的心永远属于你. 艾玛·阿曼，21年
“最重要的是，伊利诺伊大学非常慷慨 奖学金 对于GPA来说，”阿曼说. “我没有债务，没有贷款，什么都没有.”
She walked onto campus as a junior but with the determination to fit a full four-year experience into the next two years.
“I joined a sorority 和 found the best friends 和 best community I’ve ever experienced,阿尔曼说. “I went from this kid that was like ‘I’m going cross country 和 leaving forever,变成像, “哦,莫斯科, 我的心永远属于你.”
通过联系学习
通过友谊 三角洲ζ 为她上课 环境科学 毕业后，阿尔曼开始用新的眼光看待她的家乡.
“爱达荷州并非所有地方看起来都一样. We all bring unique perspectives from every corner 和 town,” she said. “Going to U of I offered me this challenge of meeting people with totally different views 和 completely different experiences.”
Her time with the Confluence Project 和 her own family — who had different views on the world than herself — gave Arman insight on the divides that exist when it comes to environmental issues. Her time as a student in the College of Natural 资源 showed her how to navigate them.
“我的课程在各个方面都对我提出了挑战，”阿尔曼说. “没有对与错，也没有黑与白. 我必须适应各种情况, be well rounded 和 walk with people of all backgrounds 和 focus areas.”
I have a better underst和ing of who I am so I’m prepared to mold my own future. 艾玛·阿曼，21年
With the guidance of her professors, she took those lessons into her Extension internship.
“无论我走到哪里，都有新的朋友，”她说. “I’ve made connections with everyone from forestry professionals in southern Idaho to water experts in Spokane. 你付不起的. 这在学校是学不到的.”
以她的经历为基础，以她父母为榜样, Arman’s next goal is to be a bridge for future generations — for their education, 为了环境，为了找到一条完全属于你自己的道路.
“I have a better underst和ing of who I am so I’m prepared to mold my own future,阿尔曼说. “它从一次一小步开始. 一次简短的谈话，一次经历可以改变一切.”
