Hope College sophomore Karina Machado of Hudsonville has received a Morris K. Udall Scholarship for the 2002-03 school year.
Only 80 of the scholarships were awarded nationwide by the Morris K. Udall Foundation, with an additional 30 students receiving honorable mention. The scholarships, which are for up to $5,000, are awarded to American juniors and seniors in fields related to the environment, and to Native American and Alaska Natives in fields related to health care or tribal policy.
Machado is a biology major who plans to teach at the secondary level. Her hope is to share her enthusiasm for the environment with hands-on learning experiences that will inspire the same sort of enthusiasm within her students.
"I've always been really interested in being outside and loved being outside and being in nature," she said. "The times when I've learned the most have been when I've been outside experiencing what I've been learning, and I want to apply that model as a teacher in teaching my students the fundamentals of biology."
In addition to her coursework for her major in biology and in the department of education, Machado is minoring in chemistry and English. She has conducted research on swimmer's itch during the summer with Hope biologist Dr. Harvey Blankespoor, and this summer will work with him as a teaching assistant and conduct research at the University of Michigan biological station.
Her involvement in the department of biology has also included serving as a teaching assistant in biology, the Beta Beta Beta biology honorary society. Her other activities at Hope have included participating in spring break mission trips, serving as a resident assistant and ultimate frisbee.
She is a 2000 graduate of Hudsonville High School. She is the daughter of Irene Machado of Hudsonville and Claudio Machado of Savannah, Ga.
The Morris K. Udall Foundation was established by the U.S. Congress in 1992 to honor Morris King Udall's 30 years of service in the House of Representatives. A Democrat, he represented Arizona's District 2 from 1961 to 1991. His legislative highlights included the Alaska Lands Act of 1980, which doubled the size of the national park system and tripled the size of the national wilderness system.