Forestry Student Spotlight – Corey McKenzie

June 19, 2025

Corey McKenzie shares his forestry journey as a first-year undergraduate student and what advice he gives to future students who might be curious about studying forestry, but aren’t sure they would feel represented.

Corey McKenzie, MSU Forestry undergraduate student, posing for a selfie.

Juneteenth, celebrated on June 19th, marks the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, were finally informed of their freedom, almost two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. The day has since become a symbol of freedom, African American heritage, and the ongoing fight for racial equality.

We asked MSU Forestry undergraduate student, Corey McKenzie, to share his experience as a first-year student and how building community and representation have impacted him, as well as the advice he has for future students who aren't sure they would feel represented in the program.

What advice would you give to other students who might be curious about studying forestry, but aren’t sure they would feel represented?

Two words: build community. Coming into the forestry program, I had already met a few black people in this field, or one adjacent to it. Additionally, the Multicultural Scholarship Program (MSP) cohort helped to ensure that I wasn’t the only student of color and, specifically, Black student in my courses (which really helped me feel more comfortable). Nonetheless, the first reason why I advise curious students to do this is that having a community at MSU allows you to lean on them. For me, that support came in many ways, but one that really inspired me to push through hard times was the fact that there are Black students who are either ahead of me in this program or have graduated from this program. Knowing this made me feel represented as a Black student studying forestry at MSU, and via the community I built, I got to actually connect with some of these people! The second reason I advise new students to do this is that the students and faculty in the forestry program are, truthfully, some of the coolest people you’ll ever meet! Even if you think that you and another person in the program may not have similar experiences, or anything that you can relate to outside of forestry, I would recommend that you still interact with them. You will find that the differences in experiences between you and other people really all connect back to some similar themes that are definitive of our human experience.

What does Juneteenth mean for Black communities, and what does it mean to you?

I’m not entirely sure that I am qualified to answer what Juneteenth means for all Black communities because there’s debate and differing perspectives about its inception as a national holiday, but to me, Juneteenth is a celebration and reminder. It’s a celebration of a new era of citizenship for Black people in America, but it’s also a reminder of that same citizenship today. In my family, we celebrate this holiday by gathering and having intentional discussions about the state of Black people, not only in the context of America, but in the context of the African diaspora. For us, it’s of the utmost importance to critically discuss how we can increase the unity amongst the stratified perspectives and theories of Black people in our local communities and across the country.

What has your first year in the forestry program been like so far?

Expounding more on my first year, in my opinion, was a very transformative experience. Via my connection to Dr. Nejad, I got the opportunity to receive a fully funded research position for the fall and spring semesters! This opportunity was a great way to get experiential learning in a lab working to creatively use forestry as a way to increase worldwide sustainability. I’m extremely thankful to Dr. Kunkle, Kory Mcintosh, Dr. Nejad, and all of her graduate students for teaching, training, and supporting me throughout my work.

In terms of coursework, all of my courses definitely challenged me to become more hands-on and intentional about studying. In other words, I had to develop different study methods and mediums for each course. This led to my eventual invitation to apply and acceptance into the honors college!

Now, for extracurriculars, I had the opportunity to get more involved with the MSU chapter of Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences (MANRRS), leading to my participation in the 2024 Regions 3, 4, and 5 Regional Cluster and MANRRS 39 National Conference. Furthermore, I was voted into the E-Board for the 2025-26 school year as the CANR Student Senate Representative. Additionally, I had the opportunity to volunteer at a plethora of events, but the most notable one from the first year was the Jr. MANRRS Leadership Symposium! I had the opportunity to not only help ensure that the program ran smoothly, but I also got to present and hopefully inspire the students with the research I was doing! Lastly, I was given the opportunity to present a Genius Talk at the 2025 Society of Plastic Engineers (SPE) Electric and Autonomous Vehicles (EAV) Conference about biofoams in electric vehicle seating. As a result, my topic and presentation were awarded third place!

Lastly, I had the incredible opportunity to volunteer in Costa Rica during my spring break! For a week, part of the Forestry MSP cohort traveled to Costa Rica to help out Las Nacientes de Palmichal, a local community organization, with infrastructural modifications. From this experience, I got to learn about and immerse myself in the culture in Costa Rica; tour an active volcano; and establish meaningful connections.

Can you tell me about yourself and what brought you to study forestry at MSU?

I think the main thing that I want to share here is that my self-proclaimed purpose is to make a big impact on the world. The main way that I intend to do this is by further researching the intersectionality of forestry and medicine; however, I also have been and plan to continue working with grassroots organizations to foster community across the African Diaspora.

Now, my journey to Forestry at MSU, specifically, was all based on the research projects I did in high school and my network. In high school, I mainly did research on the applicability of lignin hydrogels in the automotive and regenerative medical fields. Nonetheless, this research was inspired by an internship I had with the Green Bioproducts Science and Engineering Lab. Here, I was able to better establish a connection with Dr. Mojgan Nejad, the Associate Professor of Green Bioproducts. Moreover, before deciding on MSU, I networked with the Forestry Undergraduate Advisor, Dr. Justin Kunkle via lunch, and a tour of the Polar Bear Room. Additionally, I was blessed with the incredible news that I was a recipient of the Forestry Multicultural Scholars Program (MSP) Scholarship. So, in the end, I realized that the opportunities lined up for me as a Forestry major at MSU gave me the best opportunity for success, and my first year truthfully has proven high school senior me right.

Links and local Juneteenth events:

https://inclusion.msu.edu/awards/juneteenth/index.html

https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/canr-hosts-discussion-panel-featuring-undergraduate-students-focused-on-culture-access-and-belonging