Week 13 — Art Activity — Portfolio Research
Spending some time this week researching information important to my desired career was actually quite interesting and fun. It helped me to learn more about my options as I plan to move forward in life, as well as get a sort of gameplan for next week’s website assignment.
Research 3 or more companies or clients who might hire you either as a full-time employee, or as a consultant, or who might give you a summer internship. In your Medium post, list each company or client. For each company or client, write 1 paragraph about what they do and 1 paragraph about how you see yourself offering value to them.
1. National Park Service: The National Park Service has been taking care of our national parks for over a hundred years with the help of volunteers and partners. The NPS has helped to revitalize communities, preserve local history, celebrate local heritage, and create opportunities for people everywhere to experience nature. The mission of the NPS is to preserve “the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations.” With about 20,000 employees, the NPS is strong and passionate about what they do.
I can see myself applying to a summer internship with the National Park Service. I live very close to Yosemite National Park, and their website does list multiple internships located at Yosemite for Environmental Science college students. Since I have grown up near the park, I already have a love and deep appreciation for Yosemite. Because of that, I already know a lot about the park and its history. I have spent a lot of time exploring the park and know it fairly well.
2. Environmental Protection Agency: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s mission is to “protect human health and the environment.” The EPA ensures that we have clean air, land, and water; works to reduce environmental risks; pushes for and helps to enforce federal laws that protect human health and the environment; helps to spread accurate and important information regarding the environment and human health; and much more. They do this through their headquarters in Washington D.C. as well as their regional offices around the country.
I would like to end up working in the EPA as an Environmental Scientist. There is a wide range of jobs in the EPA where I can make an impact in our country. Since the EPA has regional offices in both Los Angeles and San Diego, there are locations near me currently. I think working in the EPA would allow me to make the largest impact on protecting the environment since it is a government agency. Since I am majoring in Environmental Science and Policy and plan to minor in Political Science, I think I will be well-prepared for a job in the EPA. If I end up going to get my Master’s Degree, I will be even better off.
3. Caltrans: Caltrans manages California’s highways and freeways, provides rail services, permits airports and hospital heliports, and works with many local agencies throughout the state. The mission of Caltrans is to provide “a safe, sustainable, integrated and efficient transportation system to enhance California’s economy and livability.” Caltrans does so with 6 primary programs: Aeronautics, Highway Transportation, Mass Transportation, Transportation Planning, Administration, and Equipment Service Center. Overall, Caltrans is performance-driven and meets the challenges of this world head-on through leadership, innovation, and teamwork.
Even though Caltrans isn’t the first company someone may think of in regards to jobs in Environmental Science, Caltrans is actually very concerned with the environment. I could see myself working for Caltrans as an Environmental Consultant or Environmental Planner. With my background in Environmental Science and Policy, I will be able to help projects minimize their environmental impact and find innovative ways to help the environment as well as people across the state. I think it is an ideal company to work for since there are locations across the state, as well as the fact that Caltrans plays an extremely important role.
Research 3 or more people who do what you’re interested in doing. Find their website. Find their blog. Find their resume. In your Medium post list each person you found. For each person list a link to their website. Write 1 paragraph describing how they present themselves.
1. Julia “Butterfly” Hill: Julia Hill is an American environmental activist, tax redirection advocate, and motivational speaker. She is best known for living in a California redwood, named Luna, for 738 days to prevent loggers from cutting it down. Her time living in the tree led to Luna and other trees in the area being preserved and protected as well as an agreement being made with Humboldt State University for research into sustainable forestry. Since then, she has spent much of her career as a motivational speaker. She has written a book about Luna, been featured in many television shows and throughout the music industry, and spoken in many interviews. She has shown great courage, commitment, and passion as she has continued to fight as an environmental activist with her powerful and inspirational voice. Her nickname, Butterfly, is very fitting, as she herself has undergone a great metamorphosis throughout her life. Her website continues to share her inspirational message and deep passion for what she does.
2. Eric Rignot: Eric Rignot is a Chancellor Professor of Earth system science at the University of California, Irvine, and Senior Research Scientist for the Radar Science and Engineering Section at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. According to his Research Group’s website, the primary interest of the group is to understand the interaction between ice and climate in order to determine how the ice sheets in Antarctica and Greenland will respond to climate change in the coming century and how they will affect global and regional sea levels. The website is a mix of formal scientific work and information about how important and necessary this work is. It lists information about the lab members, different publications and research projects, and data they have found in their work.
3. Ken Caldeira: Ken Caldeira is an atmospheric scientist who works at the Carnegia Institution for Science’s Department of Global Ecology. He researches ocean acidification, climate effects of trees, intentional climate modification, and interactions in the global carbon cycle and climate system. He speaks out against quick fixes that have unknown consequences on Earth’s climate, and he also is a known author and committee member. His lab’s website also contains a mix of their formal scientific works and news about how this affects people and why it is so detrimental. There is detailed information about their research and members, as well as other media and websites to explore for more information.
Based on your research of companies/clients and your research of professionals in your field, write 1–3 paragraphs in your Medium post describing how you would use a website to position yourself as a promising candidate to be an employee, consultant, or summer intern for the companies/clients you’ve listed.
A professional and complete website can be extremely beneficial and useful for anyone who is seeking a job or internship because it shows initiative and professional qualities that companies are looking for. For the companies I listed, the EPA, the NPS, and Caltrans, a website could help me show my experience and capabilities. On top of listing my job experience and schooling, I would be able to list my volunteer experience and extracurriculars that have to do with the environment and sustainability. For example, I have spent over 300 hours volunteering at the zoo in my hometown, and I spent a great deal of time during high school fighting against a proposed quarry in my hometown due to its harmful effects. I would also be able to show the passion I have for nature and the environment overall. My passion for these subjects goes beyond just simply loving and caring for the world. I seek to make an impact in this world so that the environment will remain protected for years to come. A website would be much easier to reveal this compared to a simple resume.
