I met up with my mentor, Adrianna Pollee, this week and had an interesting conversation relating to several areas of interest, all of which she provided insightful information, information that will surely aid any burgeoning freshman lost in the wide world of collegiate expectation. To preface, she spoke of her choice in major, forestry, fisheries, and wildlife (henceforth named FFW). She chose this over other majors of similar virtue as the specialization options within FFW appealed more to her than the general spectrum of classes offered in, for instance, evolution and ecology. She is also planning on minoring in entomology, which she will use to aid her in her goals of maintaining forest and wild life health. Specifically, her ideal career allows her to remain outdoors, a place she loves, and not “behind a desk,” being a field researcher for as long as possible before retiring to a stable researching position is one career among other potential avenues of pursuit.

Beyond academia, she has chosen to stay a regular member of ENR Scholars in a mentor position, as well belonging to “Terra Aqua,” a campus student organization that focuses on the maintenance and preservation of waterways, and the “Fishing and Wildlife Society,” which is akin in the missions of other environmental groups. She also holds a job, unrelated to her ecological pursuits. She also chose to impart some wisdom regarding extra-curricular and other optional commitments: don’t overdo it. She stressed the importance of keeping a balance, and to always keep some time for leisure, being an athlete, officer in a club, having a job and research position looks fantastic, but is also ultimately unsustainable.

We also spoke of the impact of our shared group, ENR Scholars, on her life; she said that, despite being a vegetarian since fourth grade, she still knew surprisingly little of how to live sustainably. Her time within ENR has shed light on areas that she hadn’t previously considered, such as food sourcing, water waste, and other impacts of a poor environment that simply never factored into her personal life. Beyond being merely a tool of teaching sustainability, ENR also brings in how to practice sustainability, which, to Adrianna, really separated the group from just another class. She also loved the annual backpacking trip, signifying that as a defining moment in her experience, she also noted that she has made many of her best friends within the group, and the community that has sprung from this will last beyond her years as a member.

Adrianna’s responses hammered in a different perspective than my own, which helps to diversify my own thoughts. With regards to involvement and academics, we parallel in several places; neither of us majored in what we did with the goal of financial gain, we majored where we did because that’s where our passions lie, and neither of us could live in mundane contentment with an ‘office’ job just because it gave steady economic security. Her advice will stick with me, in high school, I frequently over-committed in my endeavors, which lead to little actual participation in for each club. If nothing else, our conversation, and my subsequent ‘interview’ of her demonstrated that, even if we no longer have the bond of ENR, she will be more than glad to help me with anything she can.