Marlowe Gardner ’22 is an Earth and Climate Sciences major from Ambler, PA. She was recently awarded support to participate in a field experience in Death Valley from the Edward Sturgis Grew Earth Sciences Endowment Fund.

We asked her to tell us about her experience.

Why did you choose this major?

I have always been interested in rocks throughout my childhood. One time, I convinced my entire family to vacation somewhere in North Carolina where we went into a mine and picked out our own rocks. This was an experience that I’ll never forget and I still have rocks in my collection from this fourth-grade trip that my family took. When I came to the University of Maine, I was originally a physics student, but I was always reminded of the Earth Sciences and changed majors pretty quickly. 

How have the scholarships you received helped you in your educational journey?

The scholarship I received helped me to go on my field camp. The field camp experience gave me hands-on experience with rocks and geologic mapping out in Death Valley. Death Valley was an amazing place to travel to and I loved going out west for the first time ever. The rocks and the geology in Death Valley are absolutely stunning and gave me a new outlook on life. This scholarship helped pay for this experience. I work several jobs during the school year and during the summer, but this scholarship helped me take a step back last semester and focus on my schooling,

Tell us about your field experience at the Death Valley and how it has helped your education.

The field experience was amazing, I was able to study rocks that I had never seen before. I got to meet intelligent new people, professors, and students alike. All of them challenged the way that I think and the way that I should study. The experience also opened my eyes to travel. I’ve always been nervous to travel or go anywhere because of the dangers of traveling. However, this has inspired me to get out of my comfort zone more often and push myself to experience new things. My field experience has made me rethink how I think and has pushed me to discover new things about myself. 

What are your plans for the future?

I’m currently enrolled in Boston University’s Energy and Environment master’s program for next year. After studying the Earth and Climate Sciences, I realized that I wanted to pursue a career to save the Earth that we’re on. I plan on going into renewable energies and sustainability. The skills that I’ve learned in the Earth and Climate Sciences will help me create new paths in renewable energy and question everything that I think I know to encourage innovation.