Evergreen student awarded American Chemical Society scholarship

Evergreen student Tamara Koledin ‘18 recently received the Julia Ann Rutherford Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship—which is given to two students each year by the American Chemical Society (ACS) Puget Sound Section—is presented to exceptional students with a specific interest in the field of chemistry. Koledin was presented with the scholarship at the ACS Undergraduate Research Symposium on April 28.

What does receiving the Julia Ann Rutherford Memorial Scholarship mean to you?

The scholarship is in honor of a fellow student of chemistry, who was adventurous and curious. Those are qualities that I feel are important in exploring any science field.

When did you first become interested in chemistry, and why? 

My interest in chemistry sprang from encounters in everyday life. Why does metal change color when you heat it up? What characteristics appear with other changes? Et cetera.

What was it that made you want to attend Evergreen?

The promise of a different approach to education. I had, from previous institutions, not garnered an excited feeling about learning in school. But Evergreen’s environment, that allows faculty to design their own methods, has given me the opportunity to have more options and choices in how I want to be educated.

What is your favorite program/class you have taken at Evergreen, and why?

So far, Atoms, Molecules, and Reactions has been my favorite program. It allows you to learn all the fundamental concepts of physical chemistry side by side. I have been able to see the connecting concepts and ideas that form this very complex field. While it has been on the arduous side, I feel very rewarded by what I have gained from the program.

What do you want to do after graduating from Evergreen?

My goal, as it turns out, is to keep learning. Chemistry seems to only reveal more as you go deeper. I hope to be accepted and continue into graduate school.