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Hello friends, family, and anyone who seems to have found their way here!

As my undergraduate career continues, so does my exploration for adventure and opportunities. I have created this page for the purpose of sharing all of this in one place. I hope you enjoy following my journey.

In case you do not know me, I am studying Environmental Science at Juniata College. I have just completed my Sophomore year. At Juniata, I am a cheerleader for both football and basketball. I work only a few jobs on campus. I have spent the past two years as an Admissions Counselor Student Assistant. This past year, I began working as a Campus Tour Guide and a TA for the introductory environmental science classes in the department. On an academic level, I had the opportunity to participate in research this past semester that tracked trout in the Little Juniata River.  On top of all of that, I have the full time job of managing my Crohn’s Disease.

Before I introduce my upcoming experiences, I would like to highlight my internship from last summer. I worked as a summer Environmental Education Intern for 10-weeks at the Audubon Naturalist Society in Chevy Chase, MD. They offer a variety of nature summer camps for many different ages. I gained valuable experience in education with students in Preschool up to 9th grade. Each week, I had more responsibilities in the lesson plans and, by the last week, I had planned and taught my own lessons. By working with a variety of different age groups, I realized that I enjoyed sharing my love for the environment and the importance of caring for it. I definitely want to use this in my future career and be able to educate the public about environmental science. I will probably get nostalgic about it at some point because I loved my campers so much.

So what am I doing now?

The next two years are far from boring…I can promise you that.

This summer I have been selected to participate in the Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI) program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) with the Department of Energy. My description includes that I am “a student intern in the ORISE SULI program [who] will research leaf, wood, and root traits sampled across soil and environmental gradients. [My] primary tasks will be in the laboratory, alongside [the] Environmental Sciences Division staff”.

My first day, which includes orientation, is June 4th, and my last day will be August 10th. I will be leaving Maryland June 1st. I am excited to be living in Oak Ridge, TN with my family this summer and to be able to spend quality time with everyone. If you find yourself near the area, let me know!! For the next few months, the majority of my posts will be about this experience.

Next week I will be in Silver Spring, MD for orientation for the Hollings Scholarship. I was honored to be a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship Program recipient for 2018. This scholarship program provides academic assistance for two academic years beginning September 2018 through May 2020 and one summer internship in 2019. I will spend this upcoming fall determining where I would like to complete my summer internship, which will be at one of the NOAA facilities. I will be at orientation from May 28th until May 31st. The week will consist of information sessions on NOAA’s offices and a tour of one of the facilities.

This fall I will be studying at Juniata’s Raystown Field Station. The field station is a facility where students can live for a summer or a semester and complete their coursework. The classes are environmental science- and biology-based. This immersive opportunity will allow me to research Raystown Lake while taking upper level electives for my major. Each semester, there is a different module offered at the field station and I will be participating in the Aquatic Ecology Fall 2018 semester. I will be able to take Aquatic Ecology, Geographic Information Systems, Sense of Place Seminar, Nature Photography, and Limnology.

(Wait….there’s more?!?!?!)

Next spring I am continuing my journey overseas…on the Galapagos Islands!!  In the Spring 2019 semester I will be studying with the Galápagos Academic Institute for the Arts and Sciences (GAIAS) on a remote campus of the Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ).  While abroad, I hope to gain valuable marine ecology research skills in a coastal environment and knowledge about an environment that is not in Pennsylvania.  I also believe having a global perspective is important when working with other people to understand cultural differences.

The summer after that, in 2019, I will be pursuing my internship with NOAA through the Hollings Scholarship.  Location: TBD!

That’s it for now…I promise…

I could not have gotten this far without my mom, my grandparents, my father, my advisors, my professors, the admissions staff at Juniata, and my friends.

So please, join me on this adventure.

I am excited to see where these experiences take me.