Today is graduation day for the Department of Geography, and many of our seniors are going on to do great things. Three, Kadie Clark, Jefferson Daubitz and Abby Hunt, share their plans, futures, and memories with the department before a final farewell sendoff. Congrats to all our grads!
Geography: What are your career/educational plans after graduation?
Clark: In June, I will be moving to Washington, D.C., to begin working as an Investment Analyst for Cambridge Associates, a global investment firm, at their Arlington, Virginia, office.
Daubitz: I am moving to Kansas City to start a full-time job as a GIS Analyst at Conexon. In this capacity, I will work on a team to deliver high-speed internet to rural Americans via fiber optic cable.
Hunt: I will be attending the Washington University School of Law in St. Louis to pursue a Juris Doctor (JD) as part of the Scholars in Law program. I plan to focus on environmental law.
Geography: How do you each feel about the decision to leave Columbia and Mizzou and branch off into new careers/educational programs?
Clark: Leaving Columbia and Mizzou is so bittersweet! These final weeks of undergrad have been very busy and filled with final projects for both of my majors. But, they have also been filled with lots of support from my friends and faculty within my majors, and this support has reminded me of all the wonderful relationships I have made at Mizzou and how thankful I am for them all.
Daubitz: I am extremely excited to leave Columbia. My time at Mizzou was incredible and gave the education and life skills I will need to succeed at my future career, but at the end of the day college can’t last forever and this is the right time for me to leave and start a new course.
Hunt: I am excited to pursue this next chapter of life, but it also comes with a heavy heart to leave the community I have built here in Columbia. I am so grateful for my three years at the University of Missouri — and particularly my time in the geography department. I think that the friendships I have built here will serve me well as I explore a new field of study and a new community of scholars.
Geography: How as MU Geography prepared each of you for your new journeys?
Clark: MU Geography has impacted me in so many ways, but moreover, my geographical education/studies has inculcated into my personal and academic philosophy to seek out understanding the relationship between people and the environment in a more profound sense. This lens has impacted how I view pretty much everything and changed how I want to approach my future research and studies.
Daubitz: The department gave me a lot of skills in the field, and those for sure will be useful in the technical side of my career. The opportunities to work with professors and programs such as MSDIS (Missouri Spatial Data Information Service) gave me the skills and background in communication and client relationships that form the cornerstone of why I am so excited to start my new position.
Hunt: Mizzou Geography has taught me to think critically about the dynamic relationships that fill my environment. It has taught me to think deeply about things that seem ordinary and to question and engage with things that scare me. This department has taught me that kindness and passion are indispensable for a successful career. I plan to carry these lessons and perspectives with me into law school and far beyond.
Geography: What will you miss most about your time at Mizzou?
Clark: I love learning new things and having the freedom to pursue studies into many topics that interest me. I will really miss the great relationships that I have within my academic departments — being able to learn freely in a supportive environment, where I can bounce ideas off of my professors and peers is a wonderful resource to have.
Daubitz: I will miss the people here the most. The department is full of incredible staff and faculty that prepared me for where I am heading, but also cared about me as a person. That is a rare thing to find at a major state university, and in a lot of departments, so I feel lucky. Also, I will miss seeing where I can get away with parking without getting tickets.
Hunt: I will miss this community so much. I will miss the spirit of running on the Katy Trail on a Saturday morning and seeing two Columbians riding along with a canoe strapped between their bikes. I will miss the spirit of inquiry and curiosity that fills the halls of Stewart. I will miss lunches at Uprise and evenings at Log Boat. I will miss being free and able to explore big questions with brilliant people around me. In summary, I will miss the people and places that have made the past three years truly magical.
Geography: Where do you see yourself in five years?
Clark: In five years I hope to be back in school pursuing graduate studies in a program where I can study the interactions of humans, the climate, and the economy.
Daubitz: I honestly couldn’t even tell you where I plan to see myself tonight. At the end of the day, I am starting a career with Conexon and I am going to work hard at it every day and trust that wherever that takes me is the right path.
Hunt: In five years, I hope to be graduated from law school and working in my first legal job. Right now, I am really interested in pursuing the intersections of rural equity, climate change mitigation, and environmental justice .... I would love to work for a firm representing a renewable energy company that is engaging with these issues. Eventually, I would like to work in the public or government sectors.
Geography: Would you share a memory at Mizzou that you’ll always treasure?
Clark: One memory that I will always treasure is going on Maymester the summer after my sophomore year with Soren, Grant, Fran, Dell, and everyone else! I really loved traveling around Colorado with everyone, camping in the snow, and learning more about the southwestern region of Colorado. This region is one that I’ve since visited with friends, and am now focusing on for my research, so my first trip there with all my favorite geography people will always hold a special place in my heart!
Daubitz: No, because it would take up too many lines. Brief description: the first time I met each of my best friends and all the things we did together.
Hunt: My memory is a seemingly small one. One morning last fall I came to Stewart Hall for class and wound up falling into a conversation about environmental refugees with some students, speaking with a professor about a class I was hoping to take, and receiving a book from Dr. Larsen called "The Invention of Nature." The haphazard trifecta of these interactions within a span of 20 minutes made me feel so deeply a part of something. I felt like I belonged and was welcomed into the community, and it was such a wonderful and rare feeling!
Geography: Anything else you’d like to add?
Clark: Thank you, to all of the Geography Department for everything you do! I will miss you all, but am so thankful for my time spent with the department!
Hunt: Thank you Mizzou Geography for being wonderful!