Kristin Ricigliano
Name: Kristin Ricigliano
Age: 21
Hometown: Highland, Maryland
Major: Environmental Science & Policy
Academic Year: Senior
I chose the University of Maryland and a major in the College of Agriculture & Natural Resources because I'm interested in the environment. People are talking a lot now about globalization, and a big test of the world in the future is to understand global warming. I declared an Environmental Science & Policy major, and chose my concentration, Soil, Water & Land Resources, after taking various introductory classes in the major.
Academically, the College of Agriculture & Natural Resources has given me a lot of opportunities to learn about a wide range of environmental issues and has given me a broad perspective that I plan to take into my career. There is a lot of diversity here - people who have majors in this college have a niche. The classes are really unique and interesting, and it goes to the roots of the university.
I have done two internships related to my major: One at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, and one at the Maryland chapter of the Sierra Club. At the Smithsonian, I worked in the Discovery Room, which is an interactive room designed for kids of all ages. I worked on their geology activities and helped docent guides. At the Sierra Club, I worked with a lot of the members and their projects, specifically the effort to save Mattawan Creek. They want to build a road through it, and the resulting urban sprawl will disturb the watershed. This internship was more the policy side of environmental science, and it helped me realize that I wanted to do more with education.
I am also a member of the 2009-2010 UMD Soil Judging Team. I've gained practical knowledge; I can translate things from my classes to the real world. Once you get to the competition you realize how prepared you are, and I was able to bond a lot with the other people on the team.
Favorite class: ENSP101. I learned a lot in the class, and I liked that it wasn't skewed towards certain beliefs. You are presented with the facts, whether they agree with the current trends in the media or not. It's nice to be able to have a conversation about environmental issues and know your facts. Dr. James took the time to learn everyone's names in the class. It's the best class I've taken in college.
Advice for prospective students and their parents: Take as many introductory classes as you can in the college to try to find where your interests are. It's nice being in a college that has a smaller community. You get to know your professors and fellow students really well, which makes for a great learning environment. Especially with environmental issues gaining popularity, people who have majors connected to agriculture and natural resources are definitely going to have a niche in the workforce.
ShareThisLast updated: 02/15/2011