When I was looking at schools, I considered
Kutztown because I knew that both of my sisters had gotten an excellent
education here. While I was in high
school,
I enjoyed art and I also knew that Kutztown had a good art program.
So I signed up for that, and I also wanted
a school that was
local and close to home; something I was
familiar with. So,
I ended up choosing Kutztown and eventually found the geology program
here,
and now I'm at my third year as a geology
major.
So my freshman year, I was interested in
traveling
and asked my sister if she knew anyone who could give me some advice.
And umm...she gave me Dr. Friehauf's name, and so I went to him and he was very
welcoming
and gave me advice, and he also kinda shared
his world
with me. He shared with me the geology
program here
and that's when I got to see what
exactly this program had to offer.
Umm... And as I got to learn about the
program more,
I saw the opportunities that my sister
had.
I saw my sister travel to South Africa,
work on research
constantly,
and the more and more I was learning
about the geology program here, the more
I saw
you know, I have the possibility to go travel, to go
do complex research projects and to
work with professionals.
And I also saw the support of the
professors here.
Umm, the professors here bend over
backwards for their students,
to keep them involved with research and
travel. And
I think that having those experiences is
what's necessary to really develop in
the field that you love.
So Kutztown's given me the tools to
go from not knowing what exactly I would like to do growing up,
to focusing in on what I would like to
do,
specifically in grad school. Not
only that, but in the Geology Department,
I've been given the tools to succeed in
graduate school. I...
I've now collaborated on several projects
and been traveling
with professionals and with my
professors and peers, and learned how to
work with them.
And, I've also gained the ability
to answer these complex problems, and put in the hard work and all of
the hours that graduate school's going to demand.
Just all of the days that I have here
and this environment,
and that
I am surrounded by the people that
really want to support me.
And I'm surrounded by challenging, intellectual
problems
and I have, you know, the perfect
environment, here,
to work on them and to develop myself as
a student and as a scientist.
The more that I work within this
program, the more I'm fine-tuning
what, within geology, I like. So far I've
been gravitating towards
earth material and mineralogy.
So really I'd hope to go on to grad
school
and do a master's in mineralogy,
earth material or gemology,
and really kinda hone in physics and
chemistry and geology,
all into one field.
I would say take advantage of
everything Kutztown gives you, you know, Kutztown
has a myriad of clubs,
professors who are willing to put in the
time and effort for their students.
You just have to go ahead and take
advantage of them,
and it's okay if you don't know what you
want to do
in school. That's why these resources
are here,
so you can find yourself and you can find
what drives and compels you,
so you can succeed in it.
