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Each year, to celebrate commencement, Cal Poly highlights a group of “Great Grads”: a student from each of the six colleges who are completing an outstanding academic journey and moving on to the next phase of their lives. Nabila Wildman is our Great Grad from the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences.

In the long-term, Nabila Wildman’s aspirations are nothing less than to change the world. That means applying what they’ve learned as an environmental earth and soil science major to heal the Earth. 

“Through my research, I want to learn what we can from the natural world, so that we can apply it to restoration practices and agricultural practices. That’s my ultimate goal,” said Wildman, who uses they/their pronouns. 

And practically speaking, that means sharing their expertise in soil science and love of discovery with others. 

“It’s a dream of mine to start a soil science department at a university that doesn’t already have one,” they said.  

Wildman’s love of scientific field work began as a young child, encouraged by their parents to literally explore the ground. Tools included small hands and maybe one of Dad’s shovels. It was an early introduction to Learn by Doing. 

“Growing up, my parents facilitated so many experiences that let me enjoy and observe things like leaves and soil and the like,” Wildman said. “My mother was the one who truly orchestrated my childhood of really play-based learning. And I think that’s what tends to make a researcher.” 

The graduate of notable Lowell High School in San Francisco, the oldest public school west of the Mississippi River, initially thought about becoming a history teacher until a college-level environmental science class expanded their horizon. 

“Because of the climate crisis and everything, I decided that if I enjoyed it, I should pursue it — because I would like to change the world,” said Wildman, whose father, Doug, is a Cal Poly alumnus (Landscape Architecture ’87). “I told my teacher my interests, and she suggested soil science because of my interest in chemistry. I looked into it, and I was like, ‘Oh, this is it!’ ”  

Wildman arrived in the fall of 2021 very familiar with Cal Poly. They soon developed a reputation among the faculty as a fantastic student with a keen interest in research projects and as a member of the department’s competitive soil judging team. 

“Cal Poly has the best soil science program ever in my opinion,” the 22-year-old said. Wildman loves entering the arena in a contest that tests the true grit of individual members and entire teams. 

Essentially, each competition begins by examining the landscape to see how the local soil formed. Next, descending into a pit crater dug for the event each, contestants examine the tear in the land morphologically, by its color striations, taxonomically — even feeling the texture — and calculating how much water the soil profile can retain (a nod to the contests’ agricultural roots). 

“We’re basically interpreting the soil,” Wildman said. “A lot of people, when they think of soil judging, think it’s just farming — and there is an aspect of judging if the soil is suitable for farming. But a lot of it is also, ‘What do we see here? What are the processes that created the soil that we’re seeing now? What’s the story?’ A lot of it is about the story. ‘What is the history of the soil? How did it get to be the way that it is right now?’ ” 

Novelist Nicholas Evans might describe it as the work of a “soil whisperer” — a person who demonstrates a deep understanding and connection with the subject, employing specific training methods gained from study and using a blend of intuition, body language and understanding to assess the dynamic, living ecosystem of soil, made up of minerals, organic matter, living organisms, water and air that combine to make it suitable to grow plants. 

“It’s very, very interesting — even if you’re not a soil scientist — because you’re learning how to apply the chemistry, the physics and the biology that you’re learning in classes and seeing how it actually interacts with the real world, seeing how it’s actually applied,” Wildman said. 

Assessing soil reinforces how scientists interpret the natural world. While not the same as analyzing as plant taxonomy, Wildman said the competitions require “the same lines of thinking and reasoning and deduction. So I think that overall, it has made me a better scientist.” 

Wildman takes pride in research and other experiences the soil science faculty members offered, citing Professors Yamina Pressler, who proved to be inspirational; Gordon Rees, who heads the soil judging team; and Chip Appel, who has a storyteller’s ability to reach students in class lectures. 

Moreover, Wildman said they were energized by “my peers and working with them in classes. Their dedication, their excitement and exploring new subjects with them — it’s incredible to see what students can do and everything that they can accomplish when they put their minds to it.” 

The college experience was also influenced by factors beyond soil. 

Through work with the Gender Equity Center, Wildman nurtured a creative side and was active with the annual Gender Experiences, Monologues and Stories performance showcase at Spanos Theatre. GEMS, which launched nine years ago, features queer expression and gender identity through art. 

“All of the pieces are written by Cal Poly students or people in the community, and then they’re performed by students,” said Wildman, who acted in 2022 and ’23 shows, and directed the 2024 and ’25 GEMS. “There’s a blend of everything, and I actually started involving dance in it last year, which was new. We also have a zine that comes with it and a little art exhibit in the theater lobby.”  

The soon-to-be graduate has more work ahead on their quest to make the world a better place: pursuing master’s and doctorate degrees. 

“I am going to be attending University of Idaho in Moscow, pursuing a master’s in soil and land resources with Dr. Daniel Strawn,” Wildman said. “I am super excited about this."

When reflecting on four years at Cal Poly, “I have a lot of gratitude for the people and peers and professors and just a lot of thank-yous to the people here and also the land here. 

“I appreciate the land around me, and all the people who’ve stewarded it for thousands of years as well as the patience of my professors and their excitement, and really everyone’s support and love."