UNDERGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS
has resembled that of a parasitic relationship. Deforestation, fossil fuel emissions, and water pollution are examples of how the earth suffers from our behavior. I wish to find ways to care for the earth while still using its natural resources to improve the human quality of life.
the earth’s resources. Whether it be in medical applications, building materials, or more effective soil nutrients for agricul- ture, I seek to find more efficient ways to solve human issues such as disease and world hunger with natural resources. I feel we have yet to unlock much of nature’s potential. I believe, that within the confines of nature, God has given us unlimited potential to better our world.
If George Washington Carver could impact the medical world, agriculture, and textiles with the peanut, I am con- fident many of the minerals we take for granted could solve problems as well. I am eager to embrace the challenge of unlocking earth’s secrets in my own research, studies, and daily work. In class I enjoy studying Mineralogy, Petrology, and Structural Geology. I especially enjoyed the units that taught how humans interact with different minerals, such as diamonds, or the medical problems developed by interactions with asbestos.
I wish to spend my life “tuning in” to the geology of nature. If there are over 300 things to discover about a peanut, there is certainly much more to uncover about our earth. I think the science of geology allows a person to think “outside the box” and explore learning opportunities for discovery and problem solving.
About the Essayist
I want to support methods of caring for the earth such as planting trees, cleaning our oceans, and reducing the nega- tive impacts of mining. However, with my geology degree, I would also like to discover new and sustainable ways to use
Adym Warhurst, SA-10606 Southern Utah University- Utah Section
The earliest memory I have of geology is when I was about five years old. Our family lived near the Great Salt Lake and I remember being curious about how it formed. I was fascinated to learn it once covered most of Utah and is named Lake Bonneville. I was in awe to hear that it existed thousands of years ago. I wondered what power could cause such
a change. A few years later our family moved to Idaho and I remember feeling wonder seeing the basalts of the Idaho Batholith. Again, I wanted to know what force could bring magma to the surface to cover thousands of square miles. As I grew, our family went on countless trips to parks like Yellowstone and every time I remember feeling the same sense of curiosity and wonder.
As a child when I would ask my parents geology questions, I would get answers based on non-scientific, traditional think- ing, and I wasn’t satisfied. Much of the education system in rural Idaho didn’t teach about earth science when I was young. Things like geologic time scale and evolution were taboo in the culture, so many of the schools seemed to avoid the subject. I wanted scientific answers, but my resources were limited, especially at a time before the internet.
During my teenage years, my parents gave me a computer as a birthday gift. I still didn’t have the internet for a few years, but I soon learned how to troubleshoot and fix common problems. After high school, I went to a technical college for computer training because it was local and cheap. I didn’t
20 TPG •
Jul.Aug.Sep 2020
Jessica is from Powder Springs, Georgia, and she is going into her fourth year at Georgia Southern University. She loves learning new things and can’t wait to attend field camp.
realize it at the time but learning about computers would become a large part of why I want to be a geologist today. Although I studied computers, I still watched documentary series like The Universe, and How the Earth Was Made, and I desired to learn more. I began to look for books about earth and planets and absorbed as much as I could find. Eventually, I concluded that I wanted to finish my bachelor’s, but this time in a scientific field.
When I got the chance to return to college, I got acquainted with a great professor who showed me how geology as a study was the right path for me. Chemistry was the first supporting class I took and immediately I made connections between geol- ogy and chemistry. After taking mineralogy and petrology, I was hooked. I wanted to be a geochemist. Many of my peers were getting GIS certificates with their degrees and I found that the computer training I had over a decade ago related directly to GIS. I got excited about the idea that I could use computers with geology. I used GIS in every assignment that I could after that.
Through my studies at Southern Utah University, I have learned about our natural resources and how drilling, min- ing, and developing land through history often affected local communities in a devastating way. I understood that these resources are necessary to support our standards of living but I also felt there should be ways to make it cleaner and safer. I knew when I graduated and found a job, I would want to do something where I could influence necessary changes.
This year I have applied to geology graduate programs because I wish to continue my education. I know that more education will give me more opportunities to change the way we coexist with the earth. I want to be a geologist because I want to make improvements. My goal is to contribute some- thing positive and I believe with my supporting interests in
www.aipg.org
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64
