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that I became convinced that I had found a field that was tangible. I could learn theory in the classroom and then step outside and apply that knowledge to everything around me.
Since then I find myself becoming more invested in the field of geology each day. Transferring to Stony Brook opened my eyes to the countless things that you can do with a geology degree. There is no shortage of opportunities, as everything is interconnected. I want to become a geologist because I want to work in a field that will allow me to incorporate field work and research into my career. As a lover of the outdoors, I simply did not want a career where I sit in a cubicle all day. I want
Sam Jacob, SA-10578 Bucknell University- Pennsylvania Section
I can feel it even as I write this on a cold, icy January day. The misty morn- ing air surrounding me as I creep up the creek, trying to hide behind the boulder in front of me in order to sneak up on the next fish. The cast, a slight flick of my rod and line, just enough to get it to the front of the crystal-clear
pool. The feeling of anticipation, awaiting a slight tug on the line as I watch my fly drift lifelessly down the stream.
Growing up in Maine, I have been blessed with tremendous fly-fishing opportunities that would not have been available to me had I lived elsewhere. Whether it be hunting brook trout in cool mountain streams beneath the rugged granite peaks of Baxter State Park or casting to striped bass on the sandy beach- es of the southern coast near where I live, the places that I have journeyed to in order to chase fish on a fly rod in Maine have all been nothing short of spectacular. Along the way, spending all this time around these amazing areas brought questions to my attention. How did the mountains become so tall? Why are the streams so cool even in the heat of the summer? Where did all the sand come from at the beach? As it turns out, all of these can be answered using geology to understand the earth around me. Due to my fascination and love of these places and similar areas around the world, I want to do everything I can to make sure they remain in the pristine state that I found them in.
Supplementing my love of being outside in the mountains or by the sea, I also knew growing up that my grandfather was a geologist. As a mining geologist, I was able to hear stories from him about all the places that he was able to visit and live in throughout his career. Mexico, Paris, Guinea, Suriname, and the Congo were just some of the places that he was relocated to in order to work. To me, it always seemed like it would have been amazing being able to live in all these places as a result of a career. This belief that I could travel to incredible places as a geologist always stuck with
a career where I can spend time outdoors understanding the world around me. It is incredibly important for me to apply my knowledge to the things around me to try to learn something new. I have also been surrounded by such incredible people who push one another to be better scientists. I hope to, one day, inspire in ways that the geologists in my life continue to do.
About the Essayist
Taylor is from West Sayville, New York. She is a rising senior at Stony Brook University and is interested in shallow subsurface geophysics. Post-graduation her plan is to attend graduate school.
me when thinking about what I wanted to do with my life, and to this day I still hope I am able to go to such places.
However, early during my time at Bucknell, I learned that the mining industry might seem grand, but in reality it is tainted with problems that often do not get accounted for. Because the mining industry in the places that my grandfather worked in were often very poorly regulated, environmental degradation was common and widespread. Bauxite mining in Guinea caused massive amounts of erosion to take place, bringing sediment and heavy metals into the surround- ing bodies of water. The niobium mining in what was then Zaire resulted in mine waste chemicals that sat in tailings ponds, slowly leaching into the groundwater used by native people for drinking water. All the other places that he worked in brought their own individual environmental problems.
I then realized that I had predicament. On one side, I wanted the opportunities that my grandfather had to travel the world and work in amazing places. On the other side, I knew that I would be contributing to extreme environmental degradation, especially to bodies of water similar to those that I loved to fish. As it turns out, I now know that I am able to combine my skills in both civil engineering and geology and help solve the environmental problems associated with the mining industry. Just about every sub-discipline of geology will be useful in my forthcoming endeavors which is why my geology education will be so useful in trying to solve the massive problems associated with mine waste. As a result of becoming a geologist, I know that I will be making the world a better place by protecting the bodies of water that I so dearly love – all while being able to journey to new exciting places that I would never have the chance to visit otherwise.
About the Essayist
My name is Sam Jacob. I grew up in Scarborough, Maine, and I am currently entering my fifth year at Bucknell University in Pennsylvania. I am double majoring in civil engineering and geology with a particular interest in prob- lems associated with geochemistry and hydrogeology. After graduating, I hope to pursue graduate school while studying geoenvironmental engineering with a concentration in mine waste remediation.
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Jul.Aug.Sep 2020 • TPG 15
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