Maria’s love of nature and wildlife originated from her childhood spent on a small hobby farm in northwestern Wisconsin. She became interested in environmental advocacy in college when her hometown entered a legal battle against a corporation trying to create a concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO). As an up-and-coming third–year student at St. Thomas School of Law, Maria is working towards practicing environmental law. At CURE, Maria performs legal research and works collaboratively with CURE staff on various legal projects.