Oral history conducted for the 100 Years of Coeducation commemoration. Judy Che-Castaldo arrived at William & Mary in 2000. During here time at the College, she worked as a research assistant in the Biology department, participated in the Chinese Student Organization, volunteered at the Muscarelle Museum of Art, and tutored English as a second language to international students. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Biology in 2004, Che-Castaldo received a doctoral degree in ecology from the University of Maryland. Following working as a postdoctoral fellow at the National Socio-Environmental Center, she began her current position as a research scientist at the Lincoln Park Zoo. In her interview, Che-Castaldo describes how receiving the Gates Millenium Scholarship allowed her to attend William & Mary from North Ridgeville, Ohio. At the College, she created strong relationships in the Biology department with professors like John Swaddle and Laurie Sanderson. She emphasizes that the large number of female faculty in the sciences at William & Mary encouraged her to pursue a STEM career. After graduating, Che-Castaldo studied ecology at the University of Maryland and gained experience researching endangered plant species, leading her to later receive the opportunity to work at the Lincoln Park Zoo. From William & Mary, Che-Castaldo learned to prioritize and focus on “the more important parts” of her life and to “let go” of the rest. Both in her career and at the College, Che-Castaldo stresses the importance of gender and racial diversity in the sciences and how this representation influenced her trajectory. She hopes to see this diversity increase at William & Mary in the future.