Carla Mlinar of Cheyenne is the recipient of the UW Alumni Association license plate fund Outreach Undergraduate scholarship. She’s majoring in psychology and counseling, which is how she started out her college career. However, after working several summers for UW’s Design Squad with the Wyoming Department of Transportation, she decided to major in civil engineering. She earned that degree from UW. Her experience with WYDOT and her later job with the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality helped her meet her goal of “working outside during summer and inside during winter.” But then, a series of professional and personal experiences rearranged what she desired her life to be. Thus, she returned to UW in 2012 to begin work on her BA in a field closely aligned with her original goals.
Mlinar says a tragedy in her family encouraged her to “assist those who are in need of emotional support. There is no better person who can truly relate to the insurmountable emotional struggles that one is experiencing than someone who has been there.” Upon completing her Bachelor of Arts in psychology, Mlinar plans to earn a master’s degree with a certification in counseling. After that she hopes to practice in Cheyenne, working with youth. “I realized working in the field of psychology as a counselor allows me to give back,” she says. The scholarship will assist her with educational needs such as tuition and books during the 2013 and 2014 semesters.
