As with previous years, the Student Programs Committee had their work cut out for them in awarding student scholarships for the 2025 Yakima conference. After careful consideration, 10 recipients were selected to receive scholarships. Thank you to everyone who applied, and we encourage all applicants to stay in touch with WFO’s student programs.  

Thank you to the many donors who have contributed to the Scholarship Fund, which allows WFO to support registration and hotel costs for scholarship recipients, as well as special field trips, a reception, and other conference activities that aim to build community and provide networking opportunities. 

Meet the 10 student scholarship recipients: 

Grant Brandberg – Highlands Ranch, Colorado 

Grant Brandberg is a 14-year-old avid birder, who first got into birds in 2020 after spotting a Western Tanager at his backyard feeder. Grant has taken numerous courses through the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and is actively involved with the Denver Audubon Young Birders Club. He’s also collaborating with Colorado Parks and Wildlife on a project to identify winter feeding sites of the Brown-capped Rosy-Finch. In 2023, Grant completed his own Colorado Big Year, further fueling his dedication to birding and conservation. 

Nolan Campbell – Wenatchee, Washington 

Nolan Campbell has been fascinated by birds for as long as he can remember—he was trying to read field guides by the age of three. One of his most memorable experiences was a birding trip to the Everglades, which deepened his love for avian life. Nolan is active with the North Central Washington Audubon Society and attended the renowned Hog Island Audubon Camp in Maine in 2022. Recently accepted to Oregon State University, he plans to study science and pursue a career in ornithological research.  

Alexander Clementson – Poway, California 

Alexander Clementson is an Environmental Studies undergraduate at California State University, Monterey Bay, with a concentration in community outreach and education. He began birding in a local park in Poway and quickly became involved with the Monterey Audubon Society. Alexander volunteers with the Point Pinos Seawatch Project and serves on both the bird watch and public outreach teams. He co-leads field trips for beginners and young birders and has served as a docent, field trip leader, and committee member. Alexander is especially passionate about engaging children and young birders, helping them connect with the natural world through birds. 

Charli Fallon – San Luis Obispo, California 

Charli Fallon, a freshman at California Polytechnic State University, brings a unique blend of science and art to her birding passion. Charli first got into birds while watching a nesting pair of Black Phoebes in her backyard, and has gone on to start an ornithology club at her high school as well as help found the Cal Poly birding club. She is actively involved with Los Angeles Birders-Students. She’s been sketching birds daily for over 220 consecutive days, beginning with North American species and now illustrating at least one bird from every family worldwide. Charli is also a skilled ceramicist and hopes to pursue a career in ornithology, ecology, or environmental education.  

Jude Flores – Costa Mesa, California 

Jude Flores began birding at age five and has already observed and photographed over 300 species. A high school sophomore, he is a dedicated member of Sea and Sage Audubon’s Junior Naturalist program, attending monthly events, volunteering at chapter activities, and serving as a camp counselor for nature day camps. Jude also participated in the 2023 WFO conference in Colorado and is considering a future in biology or conservation.  

Mason Maron – Renton, Washington 

Mason Maron first discovered birding through photography while on a family trip to Hawaii—and hasn’t looked back since. A member of the Seattle Audubon Young Birders, Mason went on to study at Washington State University. He got his start in ornithological research working on a Rough-legged Hawk project, and is now focused on researching how climate change and landscape modification affect bird ranges and migration. He has authored multiple research papers, including one in Western Birds (First Record of Breeding Behavior by the Chestnut-sided Warbler in Washington, July 2024). At the 2025 WFO conference, Mason will present on his Lesser Goldfinch range expansion study.  

Song Han Ngo – Bellevue, Washington 

Song Han Ngo, a student at Interlake High School, has been captivated by nature from an early age. He founded a birding club at his school and serves as a youth board member for his local Audubon chapter. Song Han combines his love for birds with a passion for technology, collaborating with researchers at Oregon State University and Cornell to analyze bird vocalizations and migration patterns. His involvement in citizen science like the Seattle Bird Collision Monitoring Project and Puget Sound Seabird Survey reflects his deep commitment to conservation. He currently serves on the WFO Student Programs Committee and hopes to remain active in ornithological research and the broader birding community. 

Song Han attended the 2024 WFO conference in San Diego and was featured in an interview in the Winter 2025 WFO Newsletter: Meet Song Han Ngo.  

Luke Passey – Irvine, California 

Luke Passey finds peace and solace in birding, especially after the loss of his grandmother. He is the vice president of the Ornithology Club at Portola High School, which boasts 30 active members, and volunteers at the Ocean Institute, where he educates visitors and assists with squid dissections. Luke is also a dedicated member of the Sea and Sage Audubon Junior Naturalist program, using his time and knowledge to inspire others to connect with nature. 

Jake Xia – Irvine, California 

Jake Xia has been fascinated by the natural world since childhood and started volunteering at the Aquarium of the Pacific when he was nine years old. Now 16, Jake became captivated by birds during the COVID-19 pandemic when a pair of Red-shouldered Hawks began nesting near his home. He is active with Los Angeles Birders-Students and Sea and Sage Audubon, leading birding trips and assisting with educational groups. Jake is also passionate about native bees, conducting research on thermal niche partitioning and presenting his findings at a 2024 conference. He’s an active contributor on eBird, iNaturalist, and Reef.org, and is writing an article for Western Birds on the second California state record of a Tropical Parula. 

Runjin Yu – Los Angeles, California 

Runjin Yu is a student at the University of California, Los Angeles, where she is a member of the Yeh lab, studying the ecology and evolution of urban Dark-eyed Juncos. She is also the incoming co-president (and past vice president) of the Bruin Birding Club, the Audubon Society chapter at UCLA. She has led bird walks, hosted workshops, increased her chapter’s outreach through social media, and conducted a window-strike research project on campus. She is applying to graduate school with a focus on conservation ecology and is deeply committed to collective action, accessibility, and fostering community through birding. 

 

Congratulations to all of our applicants for their accomplishments and their passion for ornithology and birds! We hope all WFO members will join with us in welcoming these scholarship recipients and all of the student attendees at the conference, and we look forward to meeting you all in person in Yakima!  

 

May 2025 | Lauren Smith, Newsletter Editor