“Come to college with an open mind. Use the opportunities that Witt provides and study abroad, befriend people who are the exact opposite of you, and take advantage of all the activities we have around campus. Oh, and recycle. That's my standard piece of advice.”
Carrie Schmaus, and biology major and marine science minor from Broomfield, Colo., never consciously chose to take science classes. “It just always seemed natural—so biology was an easy major to pick. As far as my minor, I decided upon marine science when I visited the Duke Marine Lab with my marine ecology class and fell in love with studying the ocean,” she explained.
According to Schmaus, that field study stands out as one of the most enriching experiences she’s had as an aspiring scientist.
“Though about half of this semester was not actually abroad, I did participate in a research cruise that sailed into international waters. We sailed out of Hawaii, and I spent the month of January in the middle of the ocean researching abundances of phytoplankton. Though there were difficult moments—we spent three days trying to dodge a typhoon, during which it was difficult to walk anywhere on the ship because the waves were so intense—overall, I walked off the ship a more independent and confident scientist. Another month of my study abroad experience was spent in Singapore, where I learned how one country has approached balancing environmental concerns and urban expansion. This experience contributed to my decision to pursue a master's in a program that considers the human and environmental implications of the climate change we are currently experiencing.”
Next year, Schmaus plans to attend the University of Washington in Seattle to get a master's degree from the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs. “After that, I might pursue a Ph.D., but my ultimate goal is to work for the government in marine and environmental policy—I hope NOAA has a place for me!”
Working with a variety of organization across campus has provided Schmaus with many sources of inspiration.
“The list of people that have inspired me at Witt is extraordinarily long, but I would say as a whole, this community of passionate people have helped me find who I am during my time at Witt. One person that was especially important in this is Dr. Phillips, who once told me, ‘If you're not getting better, you're getting worse.’ That's a tall order, but I've been trying to apply this mentality to everything I do.”
Taking his words to heart, Schmaus has dedicated her time to bettering the community—locally and globally.
“I was fortunate to serve as the PoWER president for the 2014 year, as well as sitting on the Sustainability Task Force. Between these experiences, I was able to expand my passion for environmentalism as well as learn about the challenges our campus and our society as a whole faces when it comes to sustainability. One other experience that really stands out is the trip I took to New York City to participate in the largest climate change march ever—the People's Climate March. Without participating in these activities, I'm not sure that I would have found my passion for conservation, so I have Wittenberg to thank for that.”
“Though there are many other aspects of my college experience that I would credit for building my character, another program I'd like to mention is 4 Paws for Ability. I was extremely lucky to be able to foster two dogs this year. Through fostering a 4 Paws dog, I learned a lot about myself as well as what it means to help other people.”
Her advice to other students: “Come to college with an open mind. Use the opportunities that Witt provides and study abroad, befriend people who are the exact opposite of you, and take advantage of all the activities we have around campus. Oh, and recycle. That's my standard piece of advice.”
