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Convocation
Environment alumnus returns for long-awaited convocation celebration
Like many 2020 graduates, Adrienne was disappointed to have missed the opportunity to walk across the stage in front of family and friends. After initially walking away from university at the age of 20, Adrienne has been waiting longer than most for the celebration.
“As a ‘mature’ student, I’ve waited a long time for convocation. Even though it’s two years later, I’m still sad that I didn’t get that experience at the time, and so I want to take the opportunity to do so,” says Adrienne.
Rising COVID cases not only impacted her plans to tie up her undergraduate studies, but also interrupted her ability to accept and carry out a Vice President Research Undergraduate Student Research Award which gives undergraduate students the opportunity to participate in major research projects.
“Because of COVID, [my son’s] summer camps were cancelled, and I decided to spend the time relaxing and reconnecting,” says Adrienne.
With plans to start her MSc in Geography the following fall, Adrienne spent the summer fishing, swimming and camping with her partner and son.
Adrienne is now almost two years into her master's program studying digital soil mapping. More specifically, she is looking to improve pedotransfer functions which help predict soil attributes. Improving this will allow for better estimates for use of soil mapping and maximize the use of legacy soil data, allowing scientists to be more efficient and accurate in their soil data acquisition.
Admittedly, working from home as a TA and missing out on connecting with classmates has made the experience a bit different than Adrienne had pictured, but it is not without its tradeoffs. “The benefit of working from home was that I was able to be there for my son, which was really valuable,” says Adrienne.
Looking forward, Adrienne is excited to start her career and hopes to one day watch her son walk across the stage at a convocation of his own.
“I went back to school because I wanted to provide him with a better life than I could in my previous career as a baker – but I found that I have benefited so much as well, gaining self-confidence and a new perspective,” says Adrienne.
Read more about Adrienne’s undergraduate experience here.