CSUS student, Aubrey Everett, shares the importance of making connections
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EmailAubrey Everett shares the importance of meaningful friendships and impactful connections she's made during her time as a Sustainable Parks, Recreation and Tourism major in the department of Community Sustainability.
Name: Aubrey Everett
Hometown: Hanover, MI
Major: Sustainable Parks, Recreation, and Tourism
Minor: Conservation Recreation and Environmental Enforcement
Expected graduation date: Spring 2024
Why did you choose SPRT as your major?
Growing up from a small town, I was always out in the woods and exploring nature. I feel like the SPRT major is the most fitting thing for me and helps prepare me to do what I enjoy professionally.
Who or what inspired your interest in sustainability?
My dad, Dr. Mike Everett, is really the person who has inspired me. He taught me how to survive in the outdoors and I think it is important to be in and connect with nature.
What has been one of your best experiences within your major so far?
One of my favorite experiences in college so far is the Introduction to Wildland Fire class (Forestry 215). It was a great experience because I made a lot of friends during the trip to Ft. Custer. As a part of this class trip everyone in the class got to hang out and really get to know each other. I feel like I came out of it with a lot more knowledge about wildfires and close friends for the rest of my college experience. In CSUS specifically, the Travel and Tourism class (CSUS 273) was also amazing because that class helped connect me to my internship. The connections I made in that class with the professionals that came to guest lecture really helped me advance my academic career.
What do you want others to know about this major?
There is a lot of things that can come from being in this major. It’s a diverse major and there are a lot of different trajectories your career can take.
Any thoughts or advice for current or future students?
Focus, make sure you study hard, and don’t be afraid to make connections in your classes. Always talk to your professors because they know a lot of people from different organizations and can help get your name and resume out there. I really like the quote I heard from one of the recent guest speakers, CSUS emeritus professor Dr. Chuck Nelson, in my class recently- “Don’t feel constrained, feel opportunity.”
What are your future plans?
I would like to work with the DNR in Michigan, specifically as a conservation officer. In the short term, hopefully over the summer I’ll work at Sleepy Hollow State Park.
What’s your favorite thing about MSU?
The diversity of people and experiences you can have here. I’ve made so many new connections and friends from all over the world and with different life experiences.
Aubrey completed her professional internship during summer of 2023 and she shares some additional insights with us from that experience.
Where and with what organization was this experience? Crystal Mountain in Thompsonville Michigan
Can you briefly explain what you did during your internship?
I worked in the recreation department of Crystal Mountain. Crystal Mountain is a resort in Northern Michigan that has a lot of activities for families and forests for recreation. I worked at the rock wall and the zipline course helping the customers work their way through the adventure course. I also did a big project as a part of my internship where I worked with the recreation director to create a plan for an accessible trail. We planned it out and I developed the planning materials and wrote a grant to help fund it. When I was writing the grant, I used all the materials from the CSUS grant writing course (CSUS 433) with Dr. Sorensen. It was cool to be able to see how to use the things I’ve learned in my classes in a real-world professional experience.
What was the most valuable part of the internship experience?
Meeting people from across the world and making lifelong friendships there. I still talk to one of my roommates I had during the internship this summer and she lives in Nepal. I hope to go visit her someday in Nepal and it’s amazing to have friends now all over the world.
