UNDERGRADUATE ESSAYS


and questions that have been pondered for tens to hundreds of years because I believe that geology is the key to the answers we have been looking for. More than anything, I want to be a geologist because it means I can have an impact in saving our world. If I continue to work hard, learn, and absorb the wisdom handed to me from my professors and other professional geolo- gists, I have the chance to be a frontline geologist that can play a significant role in solving problems in today’s environment, which is heavily impacted by interruptions in earth’s natural cycles. I want to be able to save the ocean’s animals that I adored since my childhood in the aquarium, and I want my dad to be there to see me do it. Success comes in many forms, but I think the greatest achievement I could ever attain is being a geologist that answers unsolved mysteries of the earth and shares their knowledge with the public.


I want to be a geologist because it is more than a career, it


is a way of life. It’s an unending quest to solve the mysteries of what lies under our feet, and personally, I think that’s way better than Indiana Jones.


time. If researchers can understand the causes of death of fossil organisms, and what traits had been successful in evolutionary history, this knowledge can be applied to conservation methods for extant organisms, particularly endangered primates. By hav- ing an understanding of geology and Earth processes we can prepare for possible outcomes of climate changes, implications of species extinction, and protect endangered species essential for studying the rare biodiverse climates on Earth. Becoming a geologist will allow me to lead a life of adventure, satisfying my interdisciplinary academic interests, while constantly gaining knowledge, and passing it on to others. I hope to gain more expe- rience with paleontological field work, venturing into the field and collecting samples to fuel my desire for adventure. I have enjoyed outreach opportunities I have had with local schools; these allow me to use my creativity and gain experience with educational outreach. Eventually, I plan to become a professor to foster curiosity about the natural world in younger genera- tions. Given the delicate balance of our natural world, I think that research, especially within the earth sciences, is crucial for the conservation of our fragile Earth system.


Kelsey Engelke, SA-12107 Beloit College Wisconsin Section


I have never been able to prop-


erly explain why, but the natural sci- ences have always intrigued me. For my twelfth birthday I had asked my mother for my very own microscope so that I could


examine the microscopic ecosystem of my backyard pond. I asked my father to help me pry apart the sedimentary landscaping rocks so that I could search for fossil organisms within. As a child, I had many aspirations; I wanted to be a wildlife photographer, a baker, an astronaut, and an archaeologist. I never truly believed that I would pursue any of these careers, that they were just arbitrary childhood interests. However, I think that just the right condi- tions urged me to pursue those childhood dreams, in a more realistic fashion of course. Years of reading National Geographic magazines my mother bought for me, and the nature documen- taries I watched with my friends, watching all of the “Indiana Jones” movies with my father, and completing the archaeology unit in Mrs. Books’ 5th grade class created the perfect condi- tions for a future geologist. I have found that the curiosity of my childhood still remains. To pursue that curiosity, I am now a junior undergraduate attending Beloit College, majoring in both Geology and Anthropology. I know that no individual can ever have 100% certainty of the events our Earth has undergone to provide us the world we know today. But my everlasting curiosity has encouraged me to push boundaries and gain a desire to learn as much as I can in order to push our knowledge of the past as close to that 100% as possible.


My academic aspirations stem from the unsettling thought of not knowing exactly how, what, why, and where we came from, with absolute certainty. Studying geology and other natural sci- ences allows insight into the secrets of the Earth and its history. As I am also studying anthropology, I am interested in researching human evolution through examining the fossil record. Studying fossil hominids would allow me to search for the missing links in human evolution, and understanding geological processes will provide insight into paleoclimate and paleoecology of the time, allowing a deeper understanding of Earth’s conditions at the


www.aipg.org


Sophie Forbes, SA-12226 University of Georgia Georgia Section


“You are known by the tracks you leave behind.”


When I originally read those giant


green words painted onto my elementary school wall, I had no idea that I would spend my entire undergrad becoming a detective of geologic and human timescales, learn- ing how to uncover the past from cursory traces left behind by rocks and artifacts, and devoting my academic and professional career to this pursuit.


When I was a child, my head was always in a book. I had a


voracious appetite for learning, which morphed throughout middle and high school into a love of history. Although my source of inspiration for declaring myself a future archaeologist may have been a bit misguided, having learned of the profession via the History Channel, I was enthused by the idea of actively discovering new things about humanity’s past, being at the fore- front of knowledge. I needed to be on an excavation, physically unearthing history with my own hands, lifting new artifacts out of the ground that would change our entire conception of the past. I immediately declared myself an Anthropology major with a focus in Archaeology at UGA.


Unfortunately, I entered college at the height of the pandemic. One of my only in-person classes was a geology intro class for my science requirement. During syllabus week, in a classroom of only a handful of people, my professor showed us a quote that forever changed the course of my life. “We find no vestige of a beginning, no prospect of an end.” As I stared at the image of Siccar Point, the meaning of the words connecting to the strange configuration of sedimentary rocks on the projector screen, I felt goosebumps. The more I learned about the complexity of Earth’s history as inscribed in the rock record, the more fascinated I became with the field of geology. Geology is the greatest lens through which to view the past: it allows us to reach back billions of years in time to the formation of the Earth and the origins of life, as well as to refine our understanding of changes in climate


Jul.Aug.Sep 2024 • TPG 25


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