Week of January 9

Interview with my mentor

Q: What about the environmental field of studies, enticed you to become a part of it?

A: I ended up at an Adopt a Stream Workshop by accident and was exposed to citizen     science and an educational outreach program in which my love for the environment and the combination of both aspects was perfect for me.

R: The love that you have for any career path will turn a career into a passion in the blink of an eye.

Q: What would you say to people who are thinking about having a career in a field like yours?

A: Expose yourself to real citizen sciences in every way possible. This will guarantee whether you like this line of work and can even consider it for a career.

R: You had better make sure you like something before you do it for the rest of your life. Not only does this apply to a career but also other things, like sports and hobbies.

Q: What does a “normal day at the job” mean to you, and what does that look like?

A: On any given day, I will deal with many different projects that include elementary school presentations to students in an intimate setting talking about environmental issues in a fun way and getting out and monitoring water quality in streams or organizing cleanups.

R: He deals with a lot of different people and activities in just one day, which is what I want to do. I what to be able to make choices and not become settled into any one activity at any given day.

Q: What about this job makes you want to come to work every day?

A: The freedom and the flexibility to do whatever I want to do, as long as it’s within my boundaries and also the limited negatives aspects of any part of this job.

R: Any job that is flexible and gives you choices to make is a job that I could see myself doing, no doubt. As long as my career has little negative aspects, like his, I feel that I can fit right in and get to work with little hindrance.

Q: Describe for me your favorite project that you have ever tackled?

A: I get to be around students and other people and teach them about all the things that I love to do.

R: He gets to do what he loves to do and that is crucial to have success in any career.

Q: What it is like working for the county where you call home knowing that you are bringing to sight the environmental sustainability principles that we all should be readily aware of?

A: It was initially burden, and it was very personal. Then, it turned into a privilege, a part of my identity. Everywhere I go, people know me by the job that I do, and that means a lot. Overall, I feel like I am a public servant above all.

Q: What skills do you use every day that you developed before you started this job, either in school or in your other jobs?

A: Since I was a teacher before I started this job, my classroom skills and management allowed me to thrive when I am in the classroom setting. My social skills also allow me to bond with the community in way that I cannot survive without.

R: Skills that you build before you start a new job can often be as important as the skills you build during your career.

Q: How many different projects, on average, do you work on in any given week? Do the different times of the year affect how many jobs you have? Are there any times where there is no work to be found?

A: I would say that there are three constant jobs at a time: educating students, stream monitoring, and frog monitoring. Then, at any time, there may be some special events like mass cleanups that require planning. As for the seasonal aspect, it used to be. When I first started and was beginning to get my feet wet, I did not have all the summer camps and large groups of students to keep me busy all year round that I do now. The only times that I am down is during school breaks, including testing and holiday breaks.

R: He is a very busy man, but that means high job security. I want to be able to say that I always have work to do because that means that I will, hopefully, never be out of a job in my career field.

Q: Have you specifically work, in conjunction with other businesses or not, on any environmentally sustainable landscapes or buildings?

A: In fact, a couple of years ago, I was involved, on the biological side, with the major stream renovation behind Midway Park. I made sure that what they were doing would not hinder the growth of the wild, native species in the area.

R: This type of work is specifically what I would love to do. I love to get my hands dirty and work alongside Mother Nature to make her more beautiful and better to look at every single day.

Q:  How does your business interact with others and on what projects?

A: I work with the corporate world, since they are our sponsors. I work, very rarely and only on severe issue, with the EPA. The major other businesses that I work with are the other affiliate groups to Keep America Beautiful, and more specifically Keep Georgia Beautiful, since we are also an affiliate with major river cleanups or projects as mentioned above.

R: Working well with other businesses is crucial for the future success of any business. If you want your business to continue to be successful, and keep the business of others.