2025 WLIA Scholarship Winner Spotlight: Sabrina Wolf
The WLIA Scholarship Committee announced the winners of the 2025 Damon Anderson Memorial Scholarship in early February. To celebrate these students and get you familiar with them before the 2026 WLIA Annual Conference, we are sharing interviews that we are doing with the scholarship awardees. We have one more article coming out Monday!
Sabrina Wolf (suh-bree-nuh wulf) is a senior at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater wrapping up her undergraduate degree in Environmental Science with a general business minor and GIS certificate. She will be at the conference next week and is excited meet folks and gather ideas as she steps into her career. A good idea for you is to say hello to Sabrina when you see her at the WLIA Annual Conference!
So, what drew you to attend UW-Whitewater?
I chose UW-Whitewater because my original college plan was to get a degree in economics and this is a respected business school.
Funny how that works, I went to college with one plan and found out my school was great with GIS too! How did you decide on your field of study?
I took a required lab course entitled ‘Global Climate Systems’ and enjoyed the material. The professor of that course invited me on a severe weather travel study course; I fell in love with atmospheric science and wanted to do something in the science field after that!
Like many of us in February, there are storms deep in the heart of Texas!
Travel is such a fabulous form of studying! What were some highlights or lessons learned from last semester?
I studied abroad in Ireland at the University of Ireland-Galway. I had the incredible opportunity to travel to several other countries as well! My favorite part about traveling was seeing incredible architecture/landscapes and learning about the history and culture of these countries!
My, I want to travel like this while I study!
Those experiences are so cool, Sabrina! How do your study and career goals contribute to the life that you want?
I want the opportunity to be creative in my career and continuously learn new things. I don’t want to be bored or stagnant in my job, because I believe enjoying your work contributes to joy in life. Environmental science and GIS are fields that always have new methods being researched and implemented. So, I’ve set myself up for success in school by learning the framework of successful research and implementation.
On that end, what is your dream job?
My dream job would be working for the National Weather Service as a hazard mitigation GIS specialist.
I haven’t seen anyone get bored over stormy weather! You know what’s also not boring? Wisconsin! What are some of your favorite things about Wisconsin?
I love the driftless area of Wisconsin and the cheese curds! Nothing is better than a hike through the bluffs and a cheese curd snack at an overlook!
Not cheesy at all! I love it! Would you rather live in a big city, small town or in solitude and why?
Small town! I grew up in a very small town and loved the quiet lifestyle and knowing those around me!
Growing up outside a town of 1,200, I get it and I miss that life too! What are you hoping to learn or “get” from meeting with WLIA members/attending the WLIA Annual Conference?
I want to make connections with professionals and hear about what others are working on. I am entering the work force next fall and want to gather ideas that I can bring to my future workplace!
Besides the Driftless Area or the Dells for the WLIA Annual Conference, where would you most like to travel to and why?
I would love to go to Australia and see the Great Barrier Reef! It’s such a unique habitat and the pictures look otherworldly!
Speaking of otherworldly, if you could be any fictional character who or what would it be and why?
Princess Mia from the Princess Diaries. Why? Who doesn’t dream about waking up one day as a princess and having Juile Andrews as a grandmother?
I can’t say I’ve thought about that! Meanwhile, back here in this world, what do you like to do for fun?
My hobbies are hiking, biking, skiing, learning the guitar and cooking!
I think that answer makes my last question and easy one for you. What would you choose to do if you didn’t have your smartphone for a week?
I would go camping for a week and enjoy the time in nature while being unplugged!
Glorious, but I think this week in Wisconsin, you can’t be too sure about which sleeping bag to take along! Thank you for sharing all of this with us, Sabrina! We’re looking forward to seeing you next week, so please don’t go camping near some pretty-looking storm!