If there's a word that captures the essence of Sarah Gartska, it's gumption. A recent alumnus, Sarah graduated in December of 2015 with a bachelor’s of science in nutrition/dietetics. She pursued the research project she wrote about for Inquiry to gain experience in research, and felt that the process taught her nearly as much as the project itself. Searching widely for a mentor who would "teach, not just supervise," mostly by doggedly asking professors and working connections, she found an ideal match in Dr. Aytur. Sarah believes strongly in the value of social research to create new knowledge and perspectives. "One participant submitted a photograph of a polluted pond near the school. It didn’t occur to me before that the way we take care of our environment may influence the way we take care of ourselves," she explains. In fall 2016, Sarah will enter the master’s program in public policy at UNH’s Carsey Institute.