My name is Charlotte Anne Pfamatter and I just completed my second academic year at Longwood University. I am an Integrated Environmental Science major with a concentration in Life Sciences. I am the Director of female acapella group Lady Joan’s and member of Epsilon Eta (the honors environmental science fraternity). I am also the Assistant Director for the Office for Sustainability and a member of the Cook-Cole College Student Advisory Board. My career goals are uncertain at this point; however, I am hoping that my research with Dr. Kathy Gee will guide me to a more focused path.
My love for science was not always obvious for me. In high school, I attended a 4 year college-like specialty center for the humanities, where a cohort of students studied literature, history, art, culture, religion, politics, and more in advanced classes separated from the general population. In these crucial years of discovering my interests, I was never set on one particular career. I considered becoming a Spanish teacher or a writer. It was not until my senior year when I took Advanced Placement Biology where I fell in love with environmental and biological sciences. (I also can attribute my love for science to Bill Nye The Science Guy, who was planting science seeds in my conscience since elementary school). When it came time to apply to Longwood, I casually declared “Environmental Science” as my major. Little did I know that it was the best decision I could ever make and that it was where I belong.
While it was not the major that I or anyone was expecting me to choose, I enjoy the challenge of studying a side of academia I had once thought I “wasn’t good at” or “could never do”. My background in the humanities has made me a stronger scientist. I am able to analyze, interpret, critically think, and write proficiently due to my interdisciplinary background. I am a multi-dimensional student and I can already see the benefits of my humanities background, even in my first year at Longwood.
My plan after Longwood is to obtain a Master’s Degree and either pursue a job researching, doing field work, or possibly working for a non-profit or the government. No matter where I end up in my journey, I just want to be saving the world.
“Science is the key to our future, and if you don’t believe in science, then you’re holding everybody back.” – Bill Nye
