Graduate Spotlight - Summer 2025
Samara Kaplan-Zenk (Environmental Management and Protection, ’25)
When Samara Kaplan-Zenk, 21, enrolled at Cal Poly, she was passionate about conservation and wildlife and knew that she wanted her future in some way to focus on combatting the growing challenges of climate change. “I applied to a lot of colleges in California and when I got into Cal Poly I knew that it would change the trajectory of my career,” she said. “When I selected the environmental management and protection major, what I didn’t know is that it would change everything for me.”
A native of Seattle, Kaplan-Zenk was eager to return to California after living in San Diego for eight years when she was younger. At Cal Poly she added a wildlife biology concentration, getting involved with research and volunteer opportunities her first year. “I feel like that made all the difference for me,” she said. “All of my classes were already centered on Learn by Doing but opportunities beyond my classes put me directly in the field gaining hands-on experience working with wildlife and climate orientated research.”
Kaplan-Zenk is now working as a field biologist with the California Sentinel Site Network through the UC Natural Reserve System and UC Davis. She will travel throughout California to a network of 42 protected areas owned and managed by the University of California to do research on wildlife and climate impacts. By using acoustic monitors to collect bird and bat calls, trail cameras to document wildlife and weather stations to monitor climate and atmospheric conditions, Kaplan-Zenk will gather data for additional research. That data will eventually be made available across the University of California system for additional research opportunities.
“This is my dream job,” Kaplan-Zenk said. “I knew that I wanted to work with climate change and I’ve always loved wildlife and conservation and now I am working with both. The combination of policy and science is right where my heart is at. I am excited to make a difference at the end of the day.”
Cadence Easterman (Forest and Fire Sciences, ’25)
Cadence Easterman, 21, left her hometown of Visalia, California to attend Cal Poly not quite sure of where the journey might lead her. “My childhood dream was to become a firefighter,” she said. “I scrolled through the majors and saw the forest and fire sciences major and after taking my first forestry class I knew right away that I wanted to be a forester.”
Three years later Easterman graduated and accepted a position as a full-time district forester for Sierra Pacific Industries, a family-owned forest products company that owns and manages more than 2.4 million acres of timberland in California, Oregon and Washington and is one of the largest U.S. lumber manufacturers.
She first connected with the company during her introduction to forestry class. “A few representatives from Sierra Pacific Industries came to the class to share more about the company and promote an internship – which I applied for and got,” she said. “I spent my first summer at Cal Poly working as a procurement tech in Lincoln, California. I liked it so much that I reapplied as a forestry tech and worked for them the next summer in the southern Sierras. I liked that even more and was told by my supervisor that I should apply when I graduated.
She’s never looked back. Easterman and her dog Ginko, a Texas heeler, spend days at a time in the forest, helping registered foresters with the layout for timber harvest plans. “I walk every acre of the plan, plotting boundaries, marking wildlife trees and charting habitat retention areas,” she said.
Three years from now Easterman will be eligible to take the registered professional forester exam – which requires seven years of experience or a degree from an accredited university and three years of experience under a licensed forester. She will then be responsible for managing forest lands, working with adjacent landowners and wildlife biologists and botanists. For now, she is enjoying working with other professionals in the field. “There is so much to take in,” Easterman said. “There is something different every day, from factoring in water resources, to geology, soils, wetlands, biology and wildlife, and I am passionate about it all. To be able to look into the future and know I will take responsibility for it all one day is everything to me.”
Stella Tuffli (Wine and Viticulture, ’25)
Stella Tuffli, 22, a native of Concord, California, majored in wine and viticulture with a concentration in wine business and a minor in agricultural business. She interned with O'Neill Vintners and Distiller’s marketing department during her freshman year at Cal Poly and continued working with the company during summer internships and at their Robert Hall tasting room in Paso Robles during her senior year.
After graduating in March, she joined the company full-time as a trade marketing specialist. Tuffli collaborates with both the sales and marketing teams to ensure they’re supported in their day-to-day needs, while also managing a variety of projects that bridge the two departments. “I’ve always had a passion for creative communication and brand building, so working in wine marketing has felt like such a natural fit,” Tuffli said. “What I enjoy most about the role is its dynamic nature. I'm constantly learning and adapting. I love getting to work with new people regularly and bringing creativity into everything I do.”
She said she plans to continue building her skills in both marketing and sales within the wine industry to be as effective as possible in both her current role at O'Neill and in any future opportunities.
“My time at Cal Poly prepared me immensely for a career in the wine industry not only through foundational coursework but also through hands-on involvement,” Tuffli said. “I served as the social media officer for the Vines to Wines Club and as director of event logistics for the Wine and Viticulture Department’s annual fundraiser, Winemaker Showcase. These roles gave me valuable real-world experience and the chance to learn from professors and industry leaders.”
Visit Cultivate Summer 2025 to read more stories.