College of Earth and Mineral Sciences Student Council

As an incoming freshman to Penn State's College of Earth and Mineral Sciences (EMS) in 2004, I attended a freshman orientation called TOTEMS, or "Total Orientation to Earth and Mineral Sciences." A group of about 60-80 incoming freshmen are transported to Pennsylvania's Lake Raystown with about 25 student and faculty mentors from the college several days before classes officially begin. All the participants live in cabins by the lake for most of the week, participating in activities, getting to know one another, and making friends even before walking into their first class. It was a really great experience and a fantastic way to meet friends and fellow classmates.

TOTEMS is organized each year by the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences Undergraduate Student Council, a group that strives to provide a connection between EMS faculty and students through various professional and social activities. Having had such a great experience on TOTEMS, I decided to join the Council immediately at the beginning of my freshman year in fall 2004. Over the course of the year, the Council oversaw such activities as Casino Night, the college's biggest social event, a semi-formal with casino-style games and dancing where faculty and students enjoy socializing and mingling. The Council also organized EMEX, the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences annual open house.

In April 2005, I was elected by the Council as Secretary for the 2005-2006 academic year. My main duties as secretary included keeping official council correspondence and bookkeeping. In addition, I oversaw and managed the Council's advertising and web committees. The biggest projects single-handedly orchestrated by the secretary are the college's biannual Career Fair Recruiter Receptions, which are still in their relative infancy. These receptions are scheduled to coordinate with Penn State's university-wide Fall and Spring Career Days, career fairs which attract hundreds of companies every semester. The Council invites the companies attending the university's fairs to visit our receptions, where a student from each of the EMS majors gives a brief talk explaining their program and the skills students within each major are prepared with that will benefit future employers. In September 2005, I organized the college's second Recruiter Reception and the College's third reception, held in March 2006, was expanded to include a College Networking Reception later in the evening, encouraging EMS students to build connections with prospective employers and corporate representatives. Over the 2005-2006 academic year, organizations such as Morgan Stanley, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and AccuWeather attended our receptions.

In March 2006, I proposed a plan to get the Council involved with Penn State's Homecoming activities in 2006. Since then, I have led the effort to get involved by attending university meetings and creating a new Homecoming committee within the Council. Our ambition to become involved has paid off and our plans to participate are moving forward quickly. The Homecoming effort will later be overseen by the Vice President of the Council.

In April 2006, I was elected President of the Council for the 2006-2007 academic year. Not only must I ensure that all activities within the Council are running smoothly, but I also act as the representative of the undergraduate student population in the College of EMS. I serve as the undergraduate representative at all meetings of the College Council, which are organized by the College's dean, Dean Eric Barron. I also act as chief organizer of both TOTEMS and EMEX.

During the summers of 2005 and 2006, I returned to TOTEMS once again, but instead as a student mentor to the new class of incoming freshmen. I also remain very active in other council activities, including Casino Night, EMEX, and EMS THON, a branch of Penn State's Dance Marathon, which raises money for pediatric cancer research and family financial support through the university's Four Diamonds Fund.