“WHY I WANT TO BE A GEOLOGIST.” Kasandra Saiki, SA-6466, University of Alaska Anchorage


When I was a college sophomore I fell in love with geology. I fell in love with the rocks, the fieldwork, and the culture of geoscientists. I always wanted to have a better understanding of the world around me and geology afforded me the opportunity to do so.


Rocks themselves always fascinated


me. I loved how they looked, how they felt and I loved how different and unique each one was. Little did I know that each rock had its own unique story, each one had travelled places I could never dream of and each one had its own unique set of circumstances that led it to exactly where I had found it.


I remember when I took historical geology, I was the typical disenchanted college sophomore. When I took the class I had no idea what geology really was or what it entailed. The only people I really knew who had completed college were my k-12 teachers. Going to college was challenging and I didn’t have many people I could go to for help and guidance. I felt as though I was completely alone in my struggles.


One day my professor showed us, what I now know is a greywacke. The professor was talking about geologic settings and told us that this rock was from a deep marine setting. I thought that had to be untrue and I was remarkably skepti- cal. Many of us did not believe him. Little did I know that eventually my professors and classmates would help me gain the confidence to become a geologist. I would know exactly where that rock came from, I would learn about the Bouma sequence and turbidite processes that created that greywacke; and I would be doing an extensive senior thesis project that involved categorizing hundreds of glacial gravel samples, most of which happened to be greywackes.


Eventually I started to excel in my studies. I started to get A’s and my professors really started to see my potential. I took a Sedimentology class with Dr. Kristine Crossen, and my life was changed forever. The last part of the course was field work and I loved it. I kept all my old assignments. I drew so many elaborate field sketches, took meticulous notes and made so many interpretations. I never thought much about research until Dr. Crossen took us to Portage Glacier. Although it was just outside of Anchorage it seemed like a brand-new world to me. I wanted to spend more time there, I


wanted to understand all the processes that were taking place there, and I wanted to know how somewhere so beautiful and pristine could even exist. Most importantly I wanted to know more about the rocks there.


In my junior year, I approached Dr. Crossen about doing a Senior Thesis study at Portage. I wanted to focus on the gravel sedimentology there. We decided to do a sedimentology study, draft a map of the landscape evolution, and examine the changing bathymetry of the lake basin that contains the mouth of Portage Glacier. Meltwater streams from Portage Glacier and the nearby Burns Glacier are creating deltas proximal to the mouth of the glacier. I am trying to determine if a sub- stantial sediment platform is building from these glaciofluvial deposits, and if a glacial advance is possible.


I applied for a grant through the Honors College at my university and in May of last year I was notified that my project was fully funded. I was so excited. I spent the month of July working with the Forest Service and collecting gravel samples from the mouth of both glaciers, from the glaciofluvial streams transporting the glacial debris, and from the deltas themselves. I would hike in to my site every morning, collect my samples, and organize my data in the evening. I hiked up waterfalls, made many new friends, stood at the face of calving glaciers, and bushwhacked my own trails. Wherever I did geoscience work I always found adventure and I fell in love with field work.


The geoscience culture that I’ve experienced has been so overwhelmingly positive. The people I’ve met in my studies and field work have been so kind, helpful and selfless. People who study geology are unique and special people in the world of scientists. Geologists know how to have fun, get the job done, and create an inclusive work environment. We are a relatable bunch of people who value teamwork. Geoscientists are the type of people that will help someone who needs a little direction. I would not be where I am today if it weren’t for the support and guidance I’ve received from the geoscientists who chose to believe in me. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time as a student, researcher and member of the geoscience community. These experiences have made me so confident in my decision to pursue a degree and career in geology. I am proud to call myself an aspiring geologist.


Anna Stanczyk, SA-6099, University of Alaska Anchorage


If you had asked me a year ago why I wanted to be a geologist, my answer would have revolved around my per- sonal interests in earth science, around the allure of a field-based career, and around the positive impact I could have on society by studying geohazards. If you had asked me a year ago, although


I would have had the greater good in mind, my answers would have been narrow and perhaps somewhat selfish. But now, as this question is posed in 2017 in a new political and societal epoch, my reasons for wanting to be a geologist have broadened,


www.aipg.org


deepened, solidified. While my previous reasons remain true, it is not “simply” that I want to be a geologist. In a profound way, I want, and daresay need, to become a geoscientist.


First, I want to become a scientist in order to speak intel- ligently and accessibly about scientific ideas to non-scientists. Over the last year, I oftentimes felt helpless when listening to the news, harangued by empty adjectives and “debates” over scientific results that are no longer debated by scientists. Much of the denial is based not in the facts, but in the psychology of accepting difficult truths. Thus, in addition to my geologic endeavors I plan to take psychology and communication class- es. I will use those practices when discussing my own work (it


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