As a third semester senior at George Mason University, attending the Smithsonian-Mason Semester of Conservation has been one of my main goals since my sophomore year of college. Finally getting the chance to be a student at SMSC is sometimes surreal but often very grounding. This opportunity comes along with the chance to meet countless conservation professionals and experience a myriad of different events and ideas. Timing could not be more perfect for me to develop and further my goals for my future.
By the time I reached my senior year, I had been through multiple majors, career choices and personal interests which have given me a unique interest in the conservation field. My personal interests are directed towards animal care and disease ecology and how these topics can be combined to create more effective conservation plans for the future. Additionally, I am interested in the ways people choose or choose not to interact with nature in countries all over the world. Ideally, I would like to find a way to combine these interests in either a research or educational aspect in order to encourage support for conservation and sustainability practices. I believe that disease ecology is an opportune way to connect humans with nature by making it clear that what is done to our ecosystems has a domino effect on all organisms, ourselves included.
This semester will allow me to strengthen my weak areas and further my skills where I am already competent. Weaknesses I need to focus on include being able to speak up about my opinions in a classroom setting and being able to express my own ideas on short notice. Both of these will contribute to my critical thinking skills. In opposition, I am confident when it comes to working with my peers and colleagues and I am able to understand or empathize with others ideas and experiences. Global understanding and group work require both of these attributes. It is vital to grasp these ideas in the conservation field which relies heavily on groups working together from different backgrounds. In addition, I am looking forward to a chance to gain tangible skills in field and lab work. At the end of this semester I expect to have a better understanding of sampling and surveying methods along with data management skills. Additionally, I would like to have visual representation of these skills via individual and group projects.
