Molly Patterson `12

When I first came to St. Lawrence I had no idea what I wanted to study. I knew I had an interest in the environment, but I did not know where to go from there. I spent the fall semester of my first year taking a wide range of classes trying to see what interested me, but nothing was clicking. That spring I enrolled in Intro to Environmental Studies as well as chose a First Year Seminar called “Just Dirt?” Initially I wondered to myself “how much is there to know about dirt?” Well, as it turns out, quite a bit. This semester course, that I had originally picked on a whim, ended up being the course that changed my college career. After that semester I realized how captivated I was with learning about the earth and the environment around me. Being a combined Environmental Studies and Geology major has been an amazing experience. My geology classes focus on the earth itself, how it was formed, and the processes that morph it. My Environmental Studies classes address the anthropogenic impacts on the earth, our interaction with it, and what we need to do in order to sustain a healthy planet. This blending of Geology and Environmental Science forces me to think critically and challenge current ideas, while also pushing me to search for solutions to the current and future problems that face the planet.

Last spring I had the opportunity to study abroad in New Zealand for the semester. While there I enrolled in courses such as Environmental History of New Zealand, Ecology, Marine Science and New Zealand Geology. The courses as well as my personal trips and experiences not only had a huge impact on me as a person, but made me much more appreciative of the world around me and what I am studying. My semester in New Zealand was one of the best experiences of my life!

During the summer of 2010 and winter of 2011 I was an intern at an environmental consulting firm. I enjoyed every part of my experience and hope to continue into that field after graduation.