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A surprised Oakley Rigozzi accepted the Southwestern Michigan College Math/Science Department Appreciation Award April 23 during the Green Club’s Earth Day activities in the Student Activity Center.

Rigozzi, Miss South Haven 2025, is majoring in environmental sciences to become a “traveling scientist.”

Besides helping to revitalize the Green Club, Rigozzi is active in Business Club and the AKO Bible Study Club.

She appeared in the spring musical, “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” as Lucy’s understudy and runs cross country and track for the Roadrunners.

Rigozzi attended Saugatuck High School until senior year, graduating from South Haven High School (L.C. Mohr High School).

SMC wasn’t on her radar until “I was recruited at a track meet,” she said. “The coach showed me the chemistry lab and I really liked it here. I’m really interested in science.”

Rigozzi is youngest of seven siblings in an accomplished blended family, including a sous chef, an attorney, an accountant, a brother getting a doctorate in physical therapy and a step-sister in chemical engineering.

“I took biology, chemistry and physics all in my freshman year of high school,” Rigozzi said. “Sophomore year, I researched micro-organisms in the soil and pesticides, and I got interested in environmental engineering,” perhaps at Michigan State University.

“I like being involved in the community,” she says of her numerous activities. “When I’m busy, I put more pressure on myself to get things done, not sit around. I wasn’t expecting this. I didn’t know they had awards like this. With the musical done, I have a little more time at night, but I like being out and about.”

What does she want to do her second year at SMC?

“More,” said Rigozzi, who has also worked at a South Haven boutique on weekends for three years. “This is the second year the Green Club has been revamped, so next year, hopefully, we can get more involved in community service.”

As for the instrumental side of music, “I play the guitar a little bit,” she said, “and I’m learning drums and piano. I want to do everything! I used to play trumpet, too. I’m always looking for new things to do.”

Next year she hopes to work her way into career opportunities, like with EGLE, the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth.

“Two years ago I took a class (at Ottawa County’s Careerline Tech Center in Holland) in environmental field studies. A friend and I went to the Earth Day summit at MSU. A representative talked to us about everything EGLE does. Hopefully, I’ll be able to do something with them next summer.”

With an eye to competing in the Miss America organization, Rigozzi contemplates creating a hometown service program, Nurture Through Nature.

“It would connect people with developmental disabilities with nature, which creates a sense of community. Being in nature increases your dopamine.”

She comes by her environmental interest naturally.

“I was a huge country kid when I was little,” Rigozzi said. “My grandparents had acreage, so I was always outside, shooting BB guns, catching frogs and riding four-wheelers. My parents were against us being on tablets and TV, so we didn’t get a lot of screen time. They made us go outside for at least five hours a day.”

“Two brothers were mostly my age,” she said. “One’s 22 and the other is 20. I was outside, doing whatever they wanted to do, like riding bikes and playing baseball. They weren’t playing dolls with me.”

Not only is she an “animal enthusiast,” but Rigozzi “loves bugs. I was never scared of spiders as a kid. I wanted to be an entomologist (or a fashion designer or teacher) before I decided to do more general studies because insects are very important to the environment. I like snakes, too, and the water, and climbing trees.”