Undergraduate Certificate Program

Current Western American Studies Certificate Students:

Mackie Munsey

Mackie is an English major who grew up in Colorado and spent most of her childhood years riding horses and occasionally working cattle on her family-friend’s farm. When she began attending CU Boulder, she discovered the opportunity to continue learning about the land she grew up in and jumped at the chance to join the Certificate program for Western American Studies. Since then, not only has she learned more about Western American culture and how it came to be, but she’s also had the chance to meet Charrería riders and members of the Diné and Cheyenne tribes, as well as learn more about issues regarding the population of wolves, moose, and wild horses and how that affects both the community and the environment. She’s excited to learn even more in her final year at CU, and she hopes to someday work in rangeland management for the BLM. 

Fletcher Lucas

My name is Fletcher and I'm from Denver. I'm a CAMW Certificate Student, an ENVS Major and Geology Minor. Growing up in Colorado, I've really grown to appreciate the natural beauty of my state as well as the west as a whole. Which has also given me more interest in the people and its complicated history. I love hiking, camping, road trips, and when I get the opportunity whitewater rafting. I also love reading about the West, some of my favorite books being Kevin Fedarko's The Emerald Mile, Morgan Sjogren's Path of Light, and Edward Abbey's The Monkey Wrench Gang. I'm thankful for the opportunity to receive the Beardsley Scholarship and I look forward to using it to aid my studies in this wondrous place that I call home.

Kaya Lawrence

Kaya is an undergraduate student pursuing a B.A. in History. Originally from Kansas, her connection to the American West began on the Great Plains. While earning her associate degree at Johnson County Community College, an environmental history course sparked her fascination with the relationship between people and nature. She recently moved to Colorado to discover how these interests could be applied to the American West, a landscape she has always treasured. She is particularly intrigued by water policy and environmental law. An immersive study experience in Iceland in the summer of 2026 furthered her appreciation for the relationship between people, place, and environmental change. The experience strengthened her desire to find ways to connect her love of history with environmental policy and law. Outside of academics, Kaya enjoys spending time in nature, listening to vinyl, and cooking for her friends and family.