Before we even get started here, I think it is important to know that I grew up in a small farm town in Northeast Indiana, to devoted and incredibly loving parents. My hometown, North Manchester Indiana, is a Tree City USA with one university, two retirement homes and three stoplights. If you travel 4 miles east of town limit, you’d find my parents’ house tucked in a woods with a long gravel lane. This environment has to be one of the top places for a child to grow up. I had frogs to catch, hills to sled down, and many cousins to play basketball with in my grandparents’ barn. Now that I am three years out of high school and into my degree at Valparaiso University, I love to reflect on my past as I am continuously blown away by my present and future.

Now that you know where I am from, I want to tell you a little about where I am at right now. Currently I am sitting in the north lawn of the Field Museum in downtown Chicago, with the skyline in its full glory as the sun shimmers on the high rise office and apartment buildings. I can see the lake to my right but its natural beauty is somewhat overtaken by the noise and energy of the city in motion. I am contemplating whether I want to get a donut or a cookie for a treat from one of the shops along my walk back to my apartment, or if I should just grab some groceries and stay productive. All of this moment is something different than what I grew up knowing, yet I am able to fit into stride with the millions of people who live in this city. Obviously I have a sense of adventure and curiosity to be able to fit into the crowd like this, but I also believe that I feel comfortable here because of the people who I have met so far. Today as I was in my supervisor’s office talking about the events of tomorrow, and into the room walks a jovial man (Mark Bouman) who will be going with us tomorrow on our drive to Gary, Indiana. We do a little introduction and I find out that he not only graduated from VU, but he also had the same professor as me… in fact, he had Professor Janke’s first class and I had his last! As I reflect on this moment I feel a comfort knowing that we have an immediate connection. I also feel proud to be a student at VU, because this man has been incredibly successful in his career and he is just one example of why VU’s reputation extends in circles outside of Valparaiso. For these reasons, I am anticipating an incredibly bright and successful summer.

Though my past is geographically different than my present, my passion for people and nature remains the same. It is now evident to me that my backyard woods and my grandparents’ basketball games were much more than temporary entertainment. In fact, these things are a huge part of who I will forever be. I will always be a student of nature and a social member of a team. Therefore, I am so excited to be working on environmental community engagement in the Calumet Region for a cohort of Field Museum people that have a passion for healthy people and healthy places.

AKA, students of Ronald Janke’s first and last classes.