D.J. Monette ’94 found inspiration and diversification at St. Lawrence. Upon graduating, he worked with the San Carlos Apache Tribe as their wildlife habitat specialist, performing wildlife habitat restoration activities.  He joined the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) as a fish and wildlife biologist in New Jersey. Today he is a liaison between the USFWS and the federally recognized Native American Tribes; from his offices in Hadley, MA, he administers a multi-million-dollar Tribal Wildlife Grants program that addresses fish and wildlife activities on tribal lands throughout the Northeast. 

“St. Lawrence prepared me to be well diversified in the career path that I have chosen,” he says. “Inspiring professors played key roles in guiding me to where I am today.”  While pursuing a multi-field (biology/environmental studies/education) major, he interned with the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe’s Environment Division as a student, participating in “Super Fund” site activities and gaining experience with water quality monitoring. He also did research papers on such topics as the bald eagle, big-game poaching in Kenya and zebra mussels in the St. Lawrence River.

D.J. has this advice for students interested in environmental careers: “Take as many biology and environmental studies classes as your schedule will allow, but be diversified in your course work; seek summer employment in a field that interests you; and find a mentor in the same career path that you are pursuing.”