Jack Abbot- General Reporter
The Earth Science Club hosted an event where former members could speak about their career paths.
“I’m hoping to get a better idea of a potential career path, “earth science major Jacob Semrow, a sophomore, said.
The event was held on Monday in the Academic Science and Education Building. The event’s purpose was to give current students the opportunity to learn about potential career paths with an earth science degree. Three alumni of the club attended this meeting and spoke about their current careers.
“We have three alumni coming in to speak to the club who all work at a company called EnviroMED,” Club President and earth science major Katelyn Alix, a junior, said. “It’s just to give club members an idea of what they can do when they go into the field.”
According to Alix, many students within the earth science program chose to work for EnviroMED. Two of the E-board members have already been hired to work there after they graduate.
“I want to be able to talk about my own experiences and be able to share with them the lessons I’ve learned,” environmental engineer and alumni Stephen Fengler said.
Fengler is the former president of the Earth Science Club and graduated from the university in fall of 2021. He said that the leadership skills he learned from being in the club’s E-board has helped him with his work at EnviroMed.
“Since my career has not been super geology related, since I’ve graduated, I thought that it was important to highlight the universal schools you can get from school and education,” Private Coordinator and alumni Tyler Santiago-Gamble said.
Santiago-Gamble spoke about how he started his career with field work until his organizational skills resulted in him being appointed to coordinate schedules. He heavily emphasized adaptability in his speech and urged students to focus on the skills they are learning now.
“Do everything. Go to all of the events,” alumni and lab analyst Maylani Velazquez said. “Never stop learning.”
Velazques is the former vice-president of the club. At EnviroMED, Velazques analyzes asbestos. She emphasized the importance of hard work and volunteering to make connections and get noticed.
The Earth Science Club hosts many different events for students who are interested in the subject. This semester, they have done a rock painting event and a movie night. They are also collaborating with the Outing Club for a hike and are currently planning their semesterly trip to Dinosaur State Park.
Santiago was also a president of the club when the university returned to being in-person. He spoke about the struggle to get students involved in the club, noting the impressiveness of this event’s turnout.
“At some point, we’re looking to do a Kahoot night to help study for finals,” Alix said.
They also attend a conference for the Geology Society of America. This provides an opportunity for students within the club to learn about the research being done by scientists in New England.
