I grew up hiking, camping, and loving the outdoors. When I got to Lafayette, I originally thought I would major in engineering. Although I could do the course work, I just didn’t find it to be that interesting. Then I took an Environmental Geology course with Dr. Dru Germanoski, learning about geologic processes, land use issues, and climate change. I knew that I had found a perfect fit for my interests. This was further confirmed through additional coursework in oceanography and geomorphology, and a geology field camp experience through the University of Wyoming. I loved hiking around outside learning to ‘read’ the landscape.
I am always looking for an excuse to travel and took full advantage of that while at Lafayette. Though I never got to do any of the geology interim trips, I did do an interim trip to Kenya and Tanzania and studied in Bonn, Germany for 6 weeks over the summer through LVAIC. Additionally, I travelled to Cambridge University in England with Dr. Guy Hovis to utilize the X-ray diffractometer for a research project we were working on. I also worked on a research project with Dr. Art Kney that involved monitoring a wastewater treatment column at the Easton Wastewater Treatment plant over the summer.
I don’t know that there was one main transformative experience during my time at Lafayette. I look at my 4 years there as a whole as a transformative experience. The opportunity to define and pursue my interests, to travel and learn about different cultures, to be independent, to meet students and professors who challenged my ways of thinking, and to take on challenges and be able to admit when something wasn’t working all profoundly shaped me. I am very grateful for the experience I had at Lafayette.
After graduation, I volunteered in Yellowstone National Park for a few months with the Student Conservation Association (SCA) using GPS to catalog the park’s thermal features. This was an amazing experience, and I highly recommend students pursue SCA internships. After that, I did environmental consulting at a small firm in New Jersey. Mostly we were working on cost allocation for environmental litigation cases, which I did not find that satisfying. I was encouraged by an NJDEP employee to submit a resume and landed my current position about 10 years ago, which is a much better fit for me.
I’m currently employed by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection in the Division of Land Use Regulation. Our program implements the State laws that protect freshwater wetlands, stream corridors, floodplains, and coastal resources. I review projects for compliance with these rules to make sure wetland and stream buffers are adhered to, threatened and endangered species are protected, and degraded areas are restored and revegetated. The work is very diverse – I’ve reviewed projects ranging from the new Route 72 Causeway to Long Beach Island, to home reconstruction after Superstorm Sandy, to urban redevelopment projects, to habitat and wetland restoration projects.
Take advantage of the many opportunities offered at Lafayette to further define your interests and passions. It is true what they say – if you do what you love, you’ll never have to work a day in your life.
Student Conservation Association https://www.thesca.org/
NJDEP Division of Land Use Regulation http://www.nj.gov/dep/landuse/
State of New Jersey Employment Opportunities http://www.state.nj.us/csc/seekers/jobs/announcements/