What led you to your graduate program at BSU? 

I graduated from Ball State with my undergrad in 2014, and then I was kind of trying to decide what I wanted to do. I knew I wanted to be in the environmental space for my career. I like sustainability. I think being environmentally conscious is a good thing for any and everyone. But here I was, you know, having focused more on wildlife biology in my undergrad. I knew I wanted to lean more toward the environmental side, but I have a degree in wildlife. So, that’s what led me back to pursue a master’s degree. I wanted to specialize a little more in the environmental space, and Ball State has a great environmental program. I majored in biology for my master’s degree with a concentration in environmental sciences. I was able to pick my classes and tailor my degree.

What was your proudest memory as a BSU grad student? 

I would say finishing my final project. It wasn’t a thesis, but it was still an overarching project. I focused mine on Summit Lake Park. I was doing some environmental studies out there, specifically for my class requirement, but the park ended up using my project. I was in communication with them a lot; I was there for two summers doing environmental studies in the wooded and wetland areas. I wrote a long paper that kind of discussed everything I had done, the results, etc. There were lots of edits and back-and-forth messages with my advisor, but finally doing that myself and getting it all put together was one of the prouder moments of my grad school. Also, just in a larger sense, managing my time in grad school while working was a great accomplishment.

How have you been able to use your graduate degree from BSU? 

I’m currently a sustainability project manager for IU Health. I just started this role in January, so it’s pretty new. I have spent half my career on the government side of environmental management, and then moved to consulting to help businesses and industries be more environmentally friendly and follow environmental laws. So, now the main responsibility of this role is to help make IU Health hospitals more environmentally friendly, from energy usage to waste reduction, more recycling, etc. It’s been super cool so far.

What advice or wisdom do you have to share with current BSU grad students? 

I have two things come to mind. The first is to always look for graduate assistantships or a teaching assistantship. You should try to get the school or your current job to help you pay for advanced degrees. My graduate assistantship was with Teachers College, working for iCare. It paid 100% of my tuition and paid me a biweekly stipend. My second piece of advice is that it is okay if you don’t know exactly what you want to do. I went into grad school knowing I wanted to work in the environmental field, as just a general idea of my career. I was able to narrow it down to exactly what I want to do, and I found my spot. It’s okay if you don’t know what you want to do at 18 or even 22. Don’t stress out.