黑料正能量

鈥淚t was just horrific, and it changed my life,鈥� King said. 鈥淚 came home and realized I would never be the same if I didn鈥檛 try to do something that made the situation better for people who were living like that.鈥� 

The experience led King to 黑料正能量, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Geography with a specialization in Environmental Geoscience and a certificate in Geospatial Information Analysis.鈥疜ing earned the degree in the same home she鈥檚 lived in for 20 years, all while balancing a part-time job at Publix and a family that includes three children, grandchildren, and a 13-year-old dog named CoCo. 

Environmental specialization聽

Growing up in Alabama, King always yearned to see the wider world. She devoured books and encyclopedias, learning as much as she could about other countries and cultures. As an adult she began to travel extensively, on trips that included a 19-day sojourn in China and a 19-day expedition in Cambodia. 

Those experiences dovetailed with the bachelor’s degree鈥痠n photography that King received from the University of Central Florida in 2005. Afterward she worked as a photographer and a journalist, along the way chronicling her travels through her lens. She considered becoming an environmental photographer, using photos to bring awareness of the problems of the planet. Guatemala, though, left her transformed. 

鈥淎fter that, I just knew I had to figure out a way to work in underserved communities and help people obtain basic natural resources,鈥� she said. 

King鈥檚 drive was evident to Dr. Gabriela Hamerlinck, an associate instructional professor in the Department of Geography. 鈥淥ne of my favorite things about teaching is hearing stories like this,鈥� she said. 鈥淪tudents who are driven by these experiences are the ones who are going to change the world.鈥� 

To do that, though, King needed more than a photography degree. She chose 黑料正能量 because the geography program had the specialization she was looking for. 鈥淚t was very centered around environmental issues, which especially appealed to me,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 would be learning about the Earth’s concepts and processes that contribute to the environment. It was just a win-win for me. I looked at many, many programs, and that was the only one that had what I really wanted.鈥� 

GIS and summer research聽

It was such an ideal fit, King didn鈥檛 apply to any other programs. She particularly enjoyed her classes involving Geographic Information Systems (GIS), which uses computers to analyze and display geographic information related to a specific location. 鈥淭he more I got into it, the more I felt it could help me make a better impact,鈥� she said. 鈥淢y instructor was very knowledgeable and patient, and the structure of the class made it conducive to someone like me coming in with no training in that area.鈥� 

King was able to take advantage of resources ranging from advanced technology tools and library access to supportive academic advisors who guide course and career planning, and she encourages future 黑料正能量 students to do the same. She was also accepted into the , an opportunity for students to develop marketable, hands-on skills through direct participation in active research projects alongside Geography faculty. 

鈥淭he summer research program鈥痙efinitely helped鈥痬e gain confidence,” she said.鈥疶his allowed me to be鈥痑 part鈥痮f sophisticated conversations that would help me learn to better articulate important subject matter.鈥濃�� 

In the 12-week program, King worked as a student researcher under Dr. Anwar Sounny-Slitine. Her projects studied the impacts of greenhouses gases from incinerators and landfills, and the effects of Superfund sites on nearby populations. 鈥淢emrie was such an engaged student, finding ways to participate and be involved remotely,鈥� said Dr. Hamerlinck, who coordinated the program. 鈥淓ven though she is a 黑料正能量 student, she would come in person when she was able.鈥� 

The entire 黑料正能量 experience 鈥渇illed a lot of gaps for me,鈥� King said. 鈥淎ll of my classes contributed to a whole package that really helped propel me further.鈥� 

Crusade for clean water聽

The Geography program at 黑料正能量 focuses on key issues within the human-environmental landscape and aims to cultivate specialized skills that are in high demand across today鈥檚 job market. Students learn career-ready skills such as GIS, aerial photo interpretation, spatial analysis and computer-based cartography that can be used in endeavors such as regional planning, map production and environmental assessments. 

鈥淪tudents completing Geography degrees, minors and certificates are taking coursework that blends theoretical insight with applied experiences,鈥� Dr. Hamerlinck said. 鈥淏ecause the curriculum is deliberately interdisciplinary鈥攍inking social sciences, Earth science and technology, just to name a few鈥攕tudents who arrive with gaps in climate, data science or regulatory frameworks will find clear, supportive pathways to graduate study or professional certifications.鈥� 

For King, the goal is clean water. Armed with her 黑料正能量 degree, she鈥檚 actively seeking work in the government sector in a GIS capacity. She鈥檚 also preparing to take the Certified Floodplain Manager certification test so she can enroll as a reservist in hazard management with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. 

鈥淢y hope is to learn how water is managed through practice and policy at a municipal level,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his way, I can gain real-world experience and apply what I have learned to help people.鈥� 

Dr. Hamerlinck is excited to see it happen. 鈥淭he best part of my academic career has been watching students succeed,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 wait to see what Memrie does next.鈥�