- Hometown:
- Indianapolis, IN
Biography
Matthias was drawn to IU’s investment in helping to solve the climate crisis through education and research. He is looking forward to majoring in environmental and sustainability studies and policy analysis this fall. He is an avid birder and remembers fondly a trip across Hungary where he managed to identify 80 different species, 65 of which were new to him! Matthias would most like to travel to Ecuador to enjoy the rainforest’s glory and the incredible bird diversity. Closer to home, he is proud to have done his own small part to rectify environmental apathy in his own community through his Eagle Scout project which involved building, placing, and monitoring 25 birdhouses in a local sanctuary to improve juvenile and adult bird populations previously decimated by new zoning laws and construction. He hopes one day to meet conservationist and activist Dr. Russel Mittermeier to discuss their shared passion for working on sustainability with governments around the world. Matthias also likes Harry Potter, Taylor Swift, and the absolutely terrible yet still enjoyable Lightning Thief movie. He’d like to thank his family, especially his parents, for their constant support of his interests, even though it meant many early mornings and detours on family vacations in pursuit of new birds. He is the third Scholar from Bishop Chatard High School and will hold the John and Margaret Biddinger scholarship.