Maria Rodriquez was in grade school when her class was visited by members of the Pinellas County Schools Performing Arts Program in Florida and -- not for the last time in her life -- she found herself excited and inspired. With no dance background to speak of and not sure what was involved in auditioning for the school’s dance program, she and her mom set off for St. Petersburg, Florida, eager and geared up to try out. But the evening before, while in their motel room, panic set in when they noticed in the application’s fine print that Maria needed to arrive with a self-choreographed dance to perform, and her own music. Resourceful, her mother attempted to teach her the Charleston and suggested she do a number from “Singing in the Rain.” The next day, instead of backing out, she went to the audition. Feeling scared and intimidated by the girls in tutus and pointe shoes, when her turn came she explained she had no music and got up to do... the Electric Slide. After several minutes, the auditioning panel could see that yes, she could indeed do the Electric Slide and they had seen enough.

Well, not only did she live through the ordeal, she was accepted into the program. She was told later that they admired the courage she had to get up and dance and that they saw something in her they knew could be developed.

Spend time with Maria, even just an hour, and you will see something of what that panel of judges saw - an embrace of life and the courage to let inspiration drive her to new experiences. Her smile and sparkle convey an excitement that is infectious.

When she eventually applied for admission to the UW she planned to major in Environmental Health and envisioned herself wearing a white lab coat, but there was the reality of all the math and calculus she would need to master. The desire to be out in the field won out over the white lab coat - upon learning about the Program on the Environment, she changed her major and has never looked back.

Through the Program on the Environment Maria has been able to nurture her sense of adventure while learning through experience. She spent several months during this past year in her “adopted” country Italy, where as her Capstone Project, she volunteered through the World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) program on two organic farms in Sicily that produce olive oil. She learned how Sicilian communities support small-scale artisan organic olive oil productions, traveling all around the island, including visits to Palermo, Trapani, Calatafimi, Segesta, Noto, Siracusa, and Catania.

Maria credits Michael Kucher, her advisor and mentor in the Program on the Environment who, in sharing his own interest and knowledge about food issues, fanned her enthusiasm. “His knowledge and passion for food has really allowed me to stretch my mind in thinking about these issues and how they play out both locally in my own community as well as globally,” said Maria. Kucher introduced her to the Slow Food movement (www.slowfood.com) which influenced both her academic project and her personal life. Maria’s long-term plans include graduate school or perhaps a Peace Corps stint.

So, the next time you want to go somewhere and learn something new, even if you are nervous or feeling out of your element, you might keep Maria’s awesome Electric Slide in mind.