Congratulations to Michael Tebo of Spring Arbor University who has been named the 2018 Harold Z. Snyder Fellow! This annual award is named after Au Sable’s founder Dr. Harold Snyder who built the Institute from the ground up, starting in 1961 as a wilderness camp for boys. 2014 was the inaugural year of this fellowship celebrating the 50th anniversary of when the college program was started. The fellowship of $3000 goes to one deserving student each year who shows promise of developing the passion, vision, and skill to do and teach science to others as an expression of Christian faith, and as a commitment to serve, protect, and restore God’s earth.
Michael Tebo, is this year’s Fellow, a biology and environmental science major in his junior year at Spring Arbor. This summer, he will be coming to Au Sable to study Aquatic Biology, Land Resources, Lake Ecology & Management and Watersheds in Global Development during Summer Sessions I & II.
At his home campus, Michael is known for his firm grasp of environmental science and his natural draw towards teaching his fellow students and encouraging discussion and learning. Since attending Spring Arbor, Michael has worked as a lab assistant for Introductory Biology and Environmental Science classes and as a biology tutor. Prior to his college years, Michael’s draw towards sharing information about nature and the environment started in as child. While on field trips to the park with his homeschool co-op, Michael would take the lead in exploring streams and sharing what he knew about the creatures that live there with his fellow students. For two summers during high school, Michael then worked as a Park Naturalist Intern at For-Mar Nature Preserve and Arboretum where he helped run educational programs for the public.
“He displays dynamic leadership skills and provides a positive tone when working with his colleagues in answering questions posed in class and encouraging discussion of possible solutions,” shared Dr. Aaron Wyman, Associate Professor of Biology at Spring Arbor University. “Michael employs numerous learning styles to master concepts, including auditory, visual, and kinesthetic approaches that he combines with his strong analytical skills. His class notes are an awesome collection of diagrams, cartoons, poems, and stories that help him correlate topics from different areas into a tapestry of understanding. This approach to learning helps Michael serve as an outstanding tutor for numerous courses and a great teaching assistant for Introductory Biology I. He has received superb feedback from his peers for his patience in answering their questions, passion for their success, and competency in helping them master material. Michael is phenomenal at working with colleagues on techniques, concepts and moral support.”
Speaking about his selection as the 2018 Harold Snyder Fellow, Michael said, "I am thankful for this special opportunity to learn in a new setting and learn some practical skills in field research. My professors tell me I am interested in too many things and I will have a tough time finding somewhere to settle. My hope is that I will discover a specific field that I can be truly passionate about. I am still unsure of my future, but I trust that God will use this Fellowship and my time with Au Sable to show me what's out there."
We look forward to having you study with us at the Great Lakes campus this summer, Michael! We hope that your time at Au Sable will develop your passions and provide you with hand-on skills and inspiration for your future. Congratulations on receiving the 2018 Harold Snyder Fellowship, we will see you soon!