By Ann Gill (M.A., ’76)

When opportunity meets talent and drive, extraordinary things result. While at CSU, Emily Cunis completed two degrees, biomedical science and environment health, two internships, and three alternative break programs.

She was an environmental health intern in Alaska one summer, working with the Athabaskan people on issues such as rabies control, environmental safety, and waste management. During her junior year, she interned with the City of Fort Collins Safety, Security & Risk Management team.

Her alternative break experiences included an energy independence project on the Pine Ridge Reservation, a public health project in San Francisco, working with individuals currently and previously incarcerated, and a project in Archers Post, Kenya, working on water quality issues and with single mothers.

Following graduation, Emily began a safety internship at Epcot. Her career goals are, first, to work in safety for the private sector, then pursue a graduate degree and become a faculty member.  She explains, “Professors had such a huge impact on my life, I want to give back.”

Emily became an Alumni Association member when renting commencement regalia through the Grad Pack program. She is grateful she did, as membership gives her a “sense of community and connectedness, even when I am in Orlando.”

Among her favorite CSU memories are being an RA in Academic Village during orientation week, helping new students adjust and navigate the start of their CSU careers. She also loved Homecoming Week, particularly her senior year when “the new stadium brought everyone to campus.”

Emily praises CSU as being “super phenomenal” in providing “so many opportunities.” We think she is pretty “super phenomenal” herself for taking advantage of all those opportunities!