UNDERGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS
after World War II, working in the Kola Peninsula, the Arctic Circle Region in Russia. I would imagine myself in his shoes; the endless landscape in front of me, months without sunlight, Aurora Borealis dancing overhead, polar bears roaming the open tundra in below zero weather.
It was only when I was older that I understood the dark reality of his story. By 1937 the Soviet Government had orga- nized all the countryside into state run collective farms. My grandpa’s father was part of such a collective farm located at a small village near the west border of the USSR. He was only 19 when grandpa was born. Desperate to feed his grow- ing family, he stole seeds from the village seed bank, was captured, arrested and sent to the GULAG to die. His family became stigmatized, labeled as the ‘Enemies of the people’; ostracized by both children and parents who were afraid of the same label. With a heavy reputation, my grandfather was not able to attend school or find work. The only way out was exile, and when that opportunity presented itself as manual laborer position within a Field Geologist camp, my grandfather took it.
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There is a need for highly educated professionals within the field, and I have the potential to make a difference despite the challenges, leaving a legacy just like grandpa had done.”
Grandpa spent ten years working in the field and gained experience that brought him invaluable and extensive geologic understanding. Despite the pain, the knowledge grandpa gained had brought him independence, and he was able to find purpose once more in his life. He fell in love with the work and met my grandmother who was working as a kitchen aid at the same field camp. He continued to work for the same place, rising in the ranks over the years until he made a name for himself as a professional Field Geologist without having an actual degree. His story serves as an inspiration because it reflects my own life. My mother and I immigrated from Russia to America when I was only five. The transition resulted in cultural shock and financial difficulties. Living on our own on a limited budget, we found a simple way to cope with the hardship via connection with nature and everything it offers, as my grandfather did. We spent hours exploring upstate NY parks and forests. The most fascinating aspect of our walks for me were the rocks and fossils I would find and sneak back home in my pocket.
The challenges and sacrifices my family faced on a personal and financial level had shaped my individual self. It instilled in me the love of learning and understanding of the impor- tance of hard work and dedication. I am proud to be the first person in my family to attend college and taken up two majors in Environmental Studies and Geology, with two minors in GIS and Wilderness Education. Geology has been my promi- nent focus within my academic pursuits. I was awarded the Seafret Dudley scholarship for being a Female in sophomore year with the highest GPA within the geology department and nominated for the first ever Erin Wagner Geology Award.
Being a geologist is already my identity. Becoming a profi- cient geologist will fulfill my life’s purpose and goals. There is
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a need for highly educated professionals within the field, and I have the potential to make a difference despite the challenges, leaving a legacy just like grandpa had done.
Paige Monyak SA-10937 Oberlin College Ohio Section
What started out as a rock collection in my childhood bed- room has turned into a true passion and dedication to the field of earth sciences. I’ve always felt as though the natural earth beneath our feet was overlooked and taken for granted, and I began to question how things came to be as they are right now during my time on earth. As a professor of mine said on the first day of class in “Evolution of the Earth” – “geologists are just storytellers, seeing who can tell the best story of how the earth came to be.” That quote has stuck with me ever since, and it’s inspired my own perception of how I can be the best storyteller for others who haven’t thought twice about the natural world.
In my first week of college, I took a chance by attending a lab meeting with Dr. Amanda Schmidt and jumped on a proj- ect investigating the impacts of deforestation in southwestern China, which led to a life-changing field experience in the rural Sichuan province. Since then, my academic work has revolved around understanding human impact on the surface of the earth and exploring how the impacts we cause at a small scale translate onto a larger scale. By focusing on the geological and geomorphological processes we interact with, I feel we can have a better understanding as to how fluctuating landscapes play into solving complex issues such as the current climate crisis. Through my research on fallout radionuclides, I’ve been able to investigate and measure these changes which will contribute to advancing the collective knowledge of our environment and help solve the future challenges that we will face.
As a practitioner in the field after graduation, I want to work towards establishing sustainable tourism and educational opportunities portraying our relationship with our environment to better inform the public.”
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After presenting my preliminary research at my first geology onference, I was left feeling disheartened by the overwhelming lack of inclusion and diversity in the field. As a woman in STEM, it felt as though I didn’t have a place in some conversations and, therefore, uncovering a new motive and meaning in my role in becoming a professional geologist. Although, paving a way for those similar to myself still does not account for Black, Indigenous, People of Color and other marginalized groups who are even more widely underrepre- sented in our field. In my statement for becoming a student representative for my Geology Department Council, I specified my goal to uplift the voices of BIPOC individuals within earth
Jul.Aug.Sep 2021 • TPG 25
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