UNDERGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS


Faith Renner, SA-10474 Hofstra University- Northeast Section


When I was in eighth grade, I accept- ed Jesus as my God and my life. When I was in ninth grade, I spent spring days on the lake, or hiking the nearby hawk sanctuary. In tenth grade, I traveled to London, England and was able to see the rolling, vibrant red poppy fields. I spent a whole day laughing with friends in the


sunny, grassy surroundings of the mysterious Stonehenge. Eleventh grade, I found myself trekking up the misty, mossy mountains of Denali, Alaska. We camped deep in the park, and I woke up every morning that week at 3 am to check for the Northern Lights, just to crawl back into my tent and report more grey skies to my less-than-half-awake dad. The day after I graduated from twelfth grade, I was on a plane headed to the rivers, rainbows, sloths and sunsets of the Ecuadorian rainforests. The summer after my first year of college, I was standing in the valley of Chaco Canyon in New Mexico, under a half moon and the constellation of Scorpio, so bright we could see our shadows on the rust-colored ground. Last August, I walked barefoot along the sandy, pebbly, shores of all five of the Great Lakes within a week, my pockets heavy with stones specially picked from each of their waters. I stood at the base of the American side of Niagara Falls, immersed in the crashing sound of the water and the sun refracting new colors across the ever-present fog.


In every one of my adventures, I have experienced over- whelming wonder at the earth around me and the sheer power in such magnificent creations. I have stood before some of the greatest beauty imaginable, in corners of the planet where it seems Heaven touches earth. In light of what I have seen, I have come to one conclusion: what other career path could bring me closest to this feeling everyday? In what other field could I get to find myself studying, appreciating and working to protect the very places that inspire me most in life? What else could be more worthy of my time, thoughts and efforts than using my hands and feet to learn about and honor the earth freely given to all by my God? This is why I want to be a geologist.


It is easy to enjoy and even love nature. It’s easy to love the sunlight shining through the leaves of a fern, the glimmer


Jessica Ware, SA-10152 Georgia Southern University - Georgia Section


George Washington Carver (1864- 1943) was considered a revolutionary agricultural research scientist for his work with cotton, sweet potatoes, and most notably, the peanut. He found over 300 uses for a nut many of us consider simple. Carver once said, “I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting


station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in.”


I find those words, and George Washington Carver’s work on the peanut, to be profound. The way one man could discover


www.aipg.org “


My choice to be a geologist is about choosing a career that makes me feel like my work is important every day I come to the table.


of a perfectly rounded, black-speckled granite pebble in a stream, or the sound of clear waters running over a ledge. However, it is hard to stand up for them. It is hard to convince others of their importance; even lead is outweighed by money, let alone development and power. To be a geologist is about more than admiring the world around me and striving to learn more about its fine inner workings, and revealing the story of its history. Being a geologist means speaking for a planet that cannot speak, and that sustains me though it does not need me to sustain it. Should we as a race let the earth continue to overheat, to be filled with storms, droughts, floods and fires, the world will still continue to be. Animals, plants, and life itself will learn to live or submit to extinction, as it always has. It is we who will not continue as we always have; it is we who will soon be the reapers of what we have sown-- who are reaping it now.


To be a geologist to me is to relinquish my due of resources that society has expected me to claim. To be a geologist to me is to decide consciously that this earth and the resources around me are not mine, and not even ours as a current modern civilization. They belong to the inhabitants of earth who are not yet living, who will live long after us. This career choice is much greater than the fascination I have with the natural world around me, though it is that fascination that has led me here. My choice to be a geologist is about choosing a career that makes me feel like my work is important every day I come to the table. This line of work is one where I am directly able to experience the creation of my God and honor him with my curiosity, kindness, collaboration, and enthusi- asm for the world around me. And, to extend my passion to those who share this planet, this home, but more than that, this urgency and inspiration with me.


About the Essayist


Faith Renner is an upcoming senior at Hofstra University from Souderton, Pennsylvania. Faith is inspired by this work because of her Christianity, and seeks to pursue a doctorates to become a professor..


hundreds of hidden uses for a singular type of nut is astonish- ing. It makes one think of all the undiscovered applications there are for soil, sand, and different minerals. Nature exists in all its majesty waiting to be studied, appreciated and enjoyed.


In my words, geology is loving our multi-faceted Earth enough to devote one’s life to learning about it. Upon entering Georgia Southern University, my love of the earth and pas- sion for learning inspired me to choose geology as my major. I was attracted by the many aspects of study and the variety of careers that a geology degree affords. While I am still not sure of exactly what I want to do as a geologist, I have no doubt that this is one of the best decisions I have made.


The world has been in existence for over four billion years and continues to be a mystery to us. I see this mystery as an opportunity to advance human life and to give back to the earth. To a large extent, human interaction with our planet


Jul.Aug.Sep 2020 • TPG 19


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