Major: Environmental Science and Spanish
Why did you choose your major?
I chose environmental science because it is an interdisciplinary major where there are a plethora of skills that you can be able to learn within your time at Cal Lutheran University. I wanted to study something that is highly applicable across many fields in STEM and Humanities so I was able to get the best of both worlds. I love how I can decide if I want to study present issues like climate change or study past climates through research.
The major has gone through many changes which have only improved the program for me. I will admit, environmental science can be a difficult topic to grasp, but the faculty has been able to help me many times and continues to make me feel welcome to come back to class.
Would you recommend them to a future student? Why?
I absolutely recommend the environmental science major to future students. environmental science has many pathways for careers and grad schools; you will always have options to choose your path along with amazing professors to guide you.
The major provides unique opportunities to do research in the lab and the field if you are interested but if you want a small sample, the classes have many opportunities to travel to places around Ventura County as part of the course. The coursework can be challenging at times but there is support. As a result of this major, I believe that we can learn about the mechanics of our earth systems and also understand anthropogenic dynamics, which will help us to better serve the environment.
What are your future plans?
As part of my future plans, I intend to continue my paleoenvironmental research with Dr. Robert Dull PhD and to produce a publication on the results of that research. My goal as a McNair Scholar is to attend graduate school one day and eventually earn a PhD in Environmental Science as a result of my experience at this university. My goal in the future is to become not only the first in my family to earn a bachelor’s degree, but also to earn a doctorate, which will serve as a testament to the fact that anyone can achieve their dreams with grit and work.
For all the first-generation and minority students, it will be challenging to continue with the coursework and sometimes we lose motivation, I have. But I made sure I made a plan and spoke out to the people who have resources to share like professors and counselors because they are there to support you. It is the legacy you want to leave behind for everyone to see and be an example for people to look up to. It will always work out in the end.
Are there any particular experiences — in or out of the classroom — that have helped you identify that path?
There have been so many experiences that I have had both inside and outside the classroom. Dr. Dull has taken me on many field trips to collect sediment cores from San Luis Obispo and the Carpinteria Salt Marsh. I have learned what to expect doing field work while gaining unimaginable experiences that will last a lifetime.
Once we collected samples, Dr. Dull integrated the lab with a curriculum that enhanced my experience while giving me more motivation and excitement to continue coming back to classes and research. I am glad to have chosen this major because the long-lasting impact inspires me to share my knowledge with other people which makes the experience available for anyone to join in from university students to elementary students.
Anthony is a recipient of a 2023 Ronald E. McNair Research Scholar. With his faculty mentor, Robert Dull, PhD, he is working on a project titled, “Macroscopic Charcoal Analysis in Lake Sediments from Chalchuapa, El Salvador for Fire History and Environmental Reconstruction.”