UNDERGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS
Jasmine Peach SA-10902
San Diego State University California Section
As a child, I grew up reading books and watching movies about the hero architype, books like the “Chronicles of Narnia” and movies like “The Lord of the Rings.” I was captivated by their adventures, travels, struggles, and triumphs. I also remember obsessing over the giant atlas my grandparents had, studying the illustrations of Earth’s core and the topography of the ocean floors. I dreamed of exploring this world and pos- sibly others and embarking on adventures of my own, but I was not sure how I could achieve such a feat. I grew up in a small religious community that believed in creationism and groomed their youth to become theologists or medical profes- sionals. They believed serving God and their community was best done through these professions. More than two-thirds of my high school senior class were expecting to attend college as a biology or pre-med major. I had always enjoyed science but never understood what the job of a scientist really meant or could be. Because the medical field was overly represented in my community, I believed it was easier to become a doctor than a scientist, but the medical field was just not for me. For the longest time, I felt my hopes of adventure were just childish dreams and my passion for science was just a casual interest.
...I could become an adventurer and a scientist; I could become my own hero. At the age of 28, I decided to chase my childhood dreams and follow my passions by returning to school to become a geologist.”
“
As an adult, I enjoy the mountains and I love to hike, climb, and snowboard. The best jobs I ever had were in the mountains such as a Ski Patroller, a Zipline Tour Guide, and a Ranger. As a tour guide and ranger, it was my responsibility to know about the local flora and fauna as well as the geology. I remember learning about how the bend in the San Andres fault through the Cajon Pass resulted in the uplift of both the San Bernardino and San Gabriel Mountains and I was hooked. It changed how I looked at the land. Every landform had a story and I needed to know more. I began to learn about all the different types of people who were responsible for the local wildlands; forestry services, environmental agencies, surveying agencies, etc. Every department or agency had a geologist. That is when I realized that I could become an adventurer and a scientist; I could become my own hero. At the age of 28, I decided to chase my childhood dreams and follow my passions by returning to school to become a geologist.
Being a geologist is not just a job title or awarded with a degree, it is a way of looking at the natural world around you. Since my first geology course, I have not been able to look out the car window or at a granite countertop and not think, “how did that come about?” Over the course of my undergrad,
28 TPG •
Jul.Aug.Sep 2021
I have developed the heart and soul of a geologist. Geology has reawakened the childish wonder and sense of adventure in me and has become the first lens at which I view the world. To me, becoming a geologist represents the beginning of a new a journey and the opportunity to hear different geologic stories. But it also has become a conduit to serve a much larger purpose. Through geology, I hope to protect and serve both society and the wildlands I hold so dearly. I hope to become an exploration geologist in either the mining or petroleum industry, industries that can be detrimental to both the environment and people. I want to be a part of these industries to help build more sustainable and healthy practices and to clean up the mess of previous generations. Much like my high school classmates who went on to become medical professionals, I, too, can serve my community (humanity) and God (the environment).
Emily Sonnenberg SA-10977
University of Florida Florida Section
As someone who is pursuing my dreams for my own personal fulfillment as well as for informing and protecting human populations from future hazards, becoming a geologist is the ultimate satisfaction I can achieve in my lifetime. Being a geologist means that I can combine my love for working both in the lab with various chemicals and acids as well as trekking the outdoors and carrying far too many rocks in my pack than I should. I have spent an abundance of hours in the clean lab and experimental petrology lab, taking part in the vital pro- cesses it takes to obtain the data that will change or heighten the collective knowledge of significant topics in geology, such as the Lesser Antilles subduction zone and high Mg-suite of lunar rocks. There is nothing more challenging yet thrill- ing than to be an important cog in the overall collection and interpretation of geologic data that will ultimately be shared with not only other scientists, but to inquisitive minds of the public population.
My drive to become a geologist also stems from how I grew up in a minute town in the middle of central Florida called Tavares, where disregard for scientific pursuit was prominent. My understanding of small-town America mindset has urged me to become an excellent communicator of geologic informa- tion to a range of audiences such as my hometown. Small- town America is a segment of our population that can become somewhat marginalized in respect to the dissemination of scientific or geologic information due to the draw that dense
My desire to spread awareness of science and geology intertwines perfectly with the global drive to push consciousness of how we affect our world, such as climate change, through scientific evidence.”
“
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
