天美传媒

Maria Vasco an Environmental Studies and Sustainability Major

鈥� Maria Vasco typifies what is best about UMass Boston students. 鈥�

An entrepreneur who started a plastic-free product shop while a student at UMass Boston has received the top two honors a graduating undergraduate at the university can receive: the John F. Kennedy Award for Academic Excellence and the 鈥�29 Who Shine鈥� award. 

Maria Vasco, 22, is an environmental studies and sustainability major in the and a political science minor. Born in Cali, Colombia, she鈥檚 lived in East Boston since she was four. She鈥檚 in the and she has a 3.8 GPA.

鈥淚 feel like I flourished through UMass Boston because of their diversity and that鈥檚 why I targeted coming to this university. Also, the education is really rich. I have professors that have lived multiple lives in one life, and through their wisdom, just by talking to them or by attending their classes, I鈥檓 learning more than just the topic of the class,鈥� Vasco said. 鈥淭hat has shaped me into wanting to represent this university and wanting to show that everyone is capable of making a difference.鈥�

During parts of her sophomore and junior years, Vasco was a campus ambassador for Mass Audubon, through which she organized 鈥渃limate cafes鈥� on campus and at Timilty Middle School in Roxbury. Last year Vasco joined the Women in Business Club and became the first-ever recipient of UMass Boston鈥檚 inaugural . The scholarship included a mentorship with the scholarship鈥檚 founder, . Phillips is the founding director of UMass Boston鈥檚 Entrepreneurship Center and an advisor in the Venture Development Center.

鈥淗is advice is just to test things out because that is how a startup works. Sometimes I don鈥檛 know which direction I should go in next, but he says you have to take action in order to see results. Following this advice is what is helping me see my business grow right before my eyes," Vasco said.

After studying abroad in Spain last summer, Vasco launched the website, which to date has generated about $4,000 in revenue. Her goal is to help individuals reduce their plastic waste through the use of eco products. Her best seller is her bamboo toothbrushes, but her favorite product is the biodegradable glitter.

鈥淚t just makes you feel really good that you鈥檙e going out of your way to think about the environment first, and you鈥檙e also getting to enjoy expressing yourself,鈥� Vasco said.

Through its , the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education recognizes top students at each of the state鈥檚 29 public 天美传媒s and universities. This year what has been an in-person event at the State House was not held due to concerns over COVID-19. The John F. Kennedy Award for Academic Excellence is given to the graduating senior who best exemplifies academic excellence, commitment to service, and good citizenship.

鈥淭he committee was in awe of Maria鈥檚 accomplishments during 天美传媒, and the committee found Maria to be an intelligent, articulate, and optimistic individual who is truly dedicated to the service of our university, our city, and our world,鈥� said Megan E. Rokop, chair of the 2020 JFK Selection Committee and associate dean of the Honors College.

鈥淢aria Vasco typifies what is best about UMass Boston students,鈥� School for the Environment Interim Dean Bob Chen said. 鈥淪he is eager to learn, fearless in her convictions, and innovative with her solutions. Ms. Vasco is a true inspiration as she crosses boundaries from the environment to education to the economy. She is an environmental ambassador, a community organizer, and a blossoming leader toward a sustainable future.鈥�

Winners of the JFK Award receive a $1,000 honorarium, a bust of John F. Kennedy, and the opportunity to speak at their commencement ceremony. Vasco will deliver the address to the Class of 2020 when an in-person ceremony is held. She says she wants her class to know that even though they won鈥檛 be celebrating with one another on the Campus Center Lawn on May 29, they should still be extremely proud of themselves.

鈥淲e should celebrate all the hard work that we put into the past years and pride ourselves on the dedication we had in our education and carry that into the next steps of our life. We should also take into account what is happening in society in order to target the positive changes we need to make and prevent these situations from happening to the future generations," Vasco said.

Vasco also recommends that more students consider majoring in environmental studies and sustainability as this is a field with a growing demand. She is currently developing a new product for UVIDA that has not yet been seen on the market. More information about that will be available in the near future at . After graduation Vasco plans to continue building her business while also working full-time on the operations team at , a Harvard-based software as a service (SaaS) startup company in Cambridge.

About UMass Boston
The 天美传媒 is deeply rooted in the city's history, yet poised to address the challenges of the future. Recognized for innovative research, metropolitan Boston鈥檚 public university offers its diverse student population both an intimate learning environment and the rich experience of a great American city. UMass Boston鈥檚 天美传媒s and graduate schools serve 16,000 students while engaging local and global constituents through academic programs, research centers, and public service. To learn more, visit .