OLLU student Emily Hamilton spent six weeks this summer studying sustainability, marine ecosystems, and environmental leadership through the Middlebury School of the Environment in Monterey, California.
A third-year psychology major and TExAS FAST participant, Hamilton attended the program through funding connected to the USDA grant supporting TExAS FAST. The program provided a place-based curriculum that combined classroom study with field experiences throughout the Monterey Bay region.
Her coursework included marine ecosystems and biology, environmental leadership and environmental-focused creative writing. Field experiences took students to tide pools, redwood forests, marine environments and other ecologically significant locations.
One of Hamilton’s most memorable experiences was diving in Monterey Bay and seeing the kelp forest and marine life she had been studying firsthand.
“Being down there surrounded by kelp forest and marine life made everything we had been studying feel real,” she said. “Seeing the ecosystem up close … is something I won’t forget.”
Hamilton also worked with a classmate to develop a grant proposal supporting giant and bull kelp restoration and created an ArcGIS story map highlighting environmental art and experiences from the program.
She said her environmental science, sustainability and ecology coursework at OLLU helped prepare her for the intensive summer program, while her TExAS FAST cohort experience strengthened her ability to collaborate and work as part of a team. Although she had not previously taken marine science courses, she said her OLLU coursework gave her a strong foundation for understanding many of the environmental concepts explored at Middlebury.
The experience also introduced Hamilton to new possibilities within marine science and allowed her to see environmental concepts come to life outside the classroom. From studying kelp forests to exploring marine ecosystems firsthand, she said the summer experience gave her a deeper appreciation for the field and the opportunities it could offer in the future.