UNDERGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS
Hailey Pantaleo, SA-9978 University of Michigan- Michigan Section
Many kids growing up know exactly who they’re going to be when they get older, whether that’s a doctor, a pilot, a teacher, a firefighter, et cetera. These career plans are thought about for years and built upon. And while these profes- sions are all important in keeping the human race thriving, none of them truly
intrigued me as an adolescent. For a while I considered being a professional musician. I played violin for seven years and enjoyed it decently enough, so what other options could there really be for me? I believed I was destined for this future all through high school. Then May 31st, 2016 happened-- the day I discovered I wanted to work in geology. My sister had recently moved out west. My family rarely gets a chance to travel outside of Michigan, but we saved up for a trip out to Las Vegas to see her and for a hiking trip at Zion National Park. At the age of 17, it was my very first time visiting a national park, and hailing from the flat suburbia of Michigan, I was not expecting to see anything spectacular or wildly different from home. But just like Dorothy leaving the drab black and white colors of Kansas for Oz, I was met with a beautiful world of surprise and color. On May 31st, we reached Zion. I was immediately awestruck. Red, white, and tan stripes colored mountains as far as the eye could see. Oddly shaped cliffs and waterfalls filled the park and plants grew out of these geologic wonders. I read every plaque I could find detailing the geologic history and mineralogy of each landmark, yearning to know how this was possible. This wasn’t boring Michigan anymore.
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I remember standing on the top of Angel’s Landing after a multiple hour hike, closing my eyes and pic- turing myself at home, and then reopening them to see the peaks of mountains below me, people looking like ants on the ground, and insanely gorgeous red colors in the rocks glimmering under the summer sun. It was a surreal experience. That’s when I realized I wanted to be a geologist.
The views got more spectacular as we hiked Angel’s Landing and The Narrows. I remember standing on the top of Angel’s Landing after a multiple hour hike, closing my eyes and pictur- ing myself at home, and then reopening them to see the peaks of mountains below me, people looking like ants on the ground, and insanely gorgeous red colors in the rocks glimmering under the summer sun. It was a surreal experience. That’s when I realized I wanted to be a geologist. I wanted to study how
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formations like these came to be created, what they’re made of, and how parks like this can be better preserved.
My father always told me growing up, “If you do something you love, you’ll never have to work a day in your life.” I always questioned how that could possibly be realistic, but it’s true for geologists. Since September 2016 I have been taking Earth Science classes and have loved every minute of every one of them. I have also been training myself and taking courses in ArcGIS, STELLA and Microsoft programs which I have found to be incredibly fulfilling and very useful for understanding the interactions of geology with the world around us. I am cur- rently working with scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey on a research project. I hope to continue working for the U.S.G.S. post-graduation in order to further my career studying geology. This spring I had planned to do field work at the University of Michigan Biological Station to better understand how organ- isms play a role in our geological world. And in the summer, I had hoped to have taken part in a study abroad program in Europe. This program examines the direct effects of climate change in Italy and what sustainability practices might be best to implement there. However, both of these plans were unfortunately lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This sum- mer, I now plan to take science courses online, continue to work for the U.S.G.S., and have an internship lined up doing scientific research for the Detroit Historical Society regarding the Great Lakes! I am optimistic that by next summer both of my prior two plans for summer will be available again. After college I hope to do follow-up work in geologic natural hazard remediation in order to protect people, as well as our Earth, from dangers potentially stemming from climate change. I have huge ambitions for myself and want to play my part in making this world a safer, better place for everyone.
Every profession is important in its own sphere of influence, but understanding Earth Science is essential to the well-being of our whole planet. Everywhere we go, there is Earth below us. It’s imperative that we understand how it all works to know what resources we have, their significance, and potential hazards they may pose. I am fortunate that when I thought I had my career figured out, I finally looked beneath my feet.
About the Essayist
Hailey Pantaleo hails from Canton, Michigan and is a junior studying Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Michigan. She is interested in the interactions between geology, oceanography, and biology, and plans to continue working with the U.S. Geological Survey, as well as conducting her own research on environmental issues in the Great Lakes.
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