^{Katya at the 2024 UF/IFAS Plant Science Fall Festival, discussing the benefits of composting at the CCG.}

"We all learned from one another," Katya said. "We discussed and worked as a team, and functioned as a well-oiled machine at times to learn as much as we could as quickly as we could."

Reflecting on their time at UF, Katya credits faculty like Dr. Wilkie, Dr. Gage LaPierre, Dr. Doug Soltis, and SWES advisor Mike Sisk for their unwavering support and encouragement.

“The University of Florida changed my life,” Katya said. “The mentorship, the internships, and the kindness I found here, I will carry that with me always.”