​Michaela Perez is a nontraditional, first‑generation student from Boulder, Colorado, pursuing a degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies at CU Boulder after completing an associates in biology at Front Range Community College. Rooted in her home community, she brings experience in farming, horticulture, wildfire mitigation, caregiving, and community organizing. A turning point came through her relationship with Llucca, a German shepherd from Arizona who turned out to be part Mexican gray wolf. She lived to be 23 and her intelligence, emotional intuition, nobility, and social skills with humans, dogs, and wildlife sparked Michaela’s commitment to conservation. From this experience, Michaela became interested in the history of Mexican gray wolves and learned of their eradication following the U.S. annexation of the Southwest after the U.S.-Mexico War. When she learned there was a time when only seven Mexican gray wolves remained on earth and that recovery is being attempted through binational research, genetics, policy, and long‑term management, she was moved to join the effort and return to school. Her field work includes post‑wildfire fish monitoring, coyote coexistence research, bison-vegetation studies, and wildlife rehabilitation. Michaela aims for a career in wildlife biology and ecological restoration, focused on conservation approaches that connect species recovery with habitat restoration to support resilient Western ecosystems. She acknowledges that many current conservation challenges in the Americas stem from European colonization and that long-term ecological and cultural healing will require addressing the consequences of Indigenous land displacement, predator eradication, habitat loss and ecosystem disruptions.