Environmental studies major Nallah Muhammad always loved being outdoors. Even growing up in a big city like Minneapolis, she found ways to enjoy the simple pleasure of walking barefoot through the grass.

“My passion for earth and environmental science came from my personal connection with nature, and being that weird teenager still climbing trees,” she said.

That connection, and the desire to foster it in other diverse children, led Muhammad to environmental science as a field of study. In turn, that choice led her to N.C. A&T.

“N.C. A&T simply felt right,” she said. “I was looking for a place that could feel like a home, but that stood strong in agricultural programs and resources. I chose an HBCU because I wanted my passion and work ethic to speak for themselves, and not be significant just because I was the only person of my demographic engaged in certain activities.

“A&T provided a competitive environment that challenged me, but also guided me in developing my skills.”

As she grew up, Muhammad said, she began to see how issues of environmental injustice impacted certain neighborhoods and communities. Observing these things inspired her to learn the science behind environmental issues so that she could help make changes.

“I want to see cleaner and greener hoods, more use of herbal medicinal remedies amongst people of color, and the joy from children that only comes from experiencing nature on a regular basis,” she said.

Now a senior, Muhammad serves as president of the Earth and Environmental Science Club and the Dean’s Student Advisory Council, and works with professor Godfrey Uzochukwu, Ph.D. on his waste management projects.

She has also partnered with recent graduate Ivori Schley to start her own environmental education organization, Afro Agriculture. Specializing in adolescent education, they go to community centers, local schools and community events and lead a free activity centered around agriculture or sustainable living.

“N.C. A&T has helped me prepare for graduate school and post-graduate life in innumerable ways,” she said. ‘’The environmental sciences are related to everything, and so practical and significant in what can be accomplished when all the elements are understood. I want to see more people like me walking in the grass with their shoes off.”