Whitney Seymour will be graduating this June with a BA in Geography with a GIS Emphasis, and she’s going out in style! Not only did she land a job with the US Geological Survey as an undergraduate, but she’s made a major statement in the world of GIS fashion as well: “I didn’t come up with the slogan for the Geography shirts this year but I did design them! I can order more if enough people want them! American Apparel, Regular and Deep V Neck. Email me at whitneyseymour@umail.ucsb.edu if you’d like one!”
“I’ve been working for the USGS California Water Science Center in San Diego since the summer of my freshman year at UCSB. I found out about them through an internship for high school students posted on my HS website. I contacted them about it, and they said that because I wasn’t in high school they couldn’t offer me the internship, but, if I wanted, I could come in for an interview to work for the summer. I made copies for 40 hours a week for 3 weeks that summer and did some other file work for them that summer. I kept in contact with them and managed to come back for 3 more summers, during which time my work got a little more interesting, especially when I was introduced to GIS the second summer. When I changed my major at the end of sophomore year to Geography I think then I realized how great a gig I had working for the USGS. My supervisor has been very supportive of bringing me into the SCEP (Student Career Experience Program) since this past summer, and I recently heard the news last week. However, to be in the program, I need to actively put in hours, so I’m working 10 hours a week up here in Santa Barbara, starting this last week. and SCEP could lead to a full time position.
I’m originally from San Diego. Being from SD and growing up 7 blocks from the beach, UCSB was an easy choice once I visited the campus a second time and appreciated its beauty. I came to UCSB as a declared communications major. I took geography 3a my first quarter freshman year because it sounded interesting. Although I wasn’t impressed with the professor and his lectures, my T.A. (Ted Eckman!) was awesome and helped me really enjoy the course. I ended up taking his course the following winter (Geography 14, I think). Before I went abroad my 3rd year, I had to declare a major–I had taken probably 4 geography prerequisites and 1 communications course, so geography it was!”
