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Callie Knight
By Bohdan Petrina, freshman; major is still undecided, but possibly business.
 When Callie came to visit UAlbany, she was immediately taken with the campus and the people she met, and decided to attend. She originally planned to be an atmospheric science major because in high school she took earth science classes and enjoyed them. During her freshman year in college, Callie took an environmental geology class which she loved.
Callie is so interested in the environment that she even has a small rock collection in her dorm room. Callie�s focus turned towards geology during her last couple of years at UAlbany and decided this would be her major. �The earth science program is outstanding here, and has exceeded my expectations, to say the least. Having the opportunity to work with such an amazing faculty has been one of the greatest experiences of my life.�
Life at college wasn�t all easy. Callie went through her share of difficulty. Freshman year her grandmother died just before Callie was to take finals. She learned then just how much strength she had, as well as who she could rely on for support. She realized during her sophomore year that she really had a second family at UAlbany and this �family� helped her get through difficult events such as 9/11. That event made Callie more aware of her surroundings and made her realize that �bad things happen in places that seem normal and peaceful.� It was also a time when she saw everyone come together as a community and help each other out.
Callie absolutely feels ready for her future. Her education here at the university provided her with the skills she requires to achieve all her goals, both short-term and long-term. In the short-term, she plans on acquiring her Master of Science degree in either geology or geo-environmental engineering. Her long-term goals include working for an industrial facility as the environmental compliance manager or as an environmental consultant. After that, she would like to work for the environmental protection agency, enforcing regulations.
A piece of advice she would like to offer incoming freshmen is to get involved on campus. �There are a great number of different groups and activities available at UAlbany, and if there is something you think is missing, you can start up your own organization. The opportunity to be a part of a group and make new friends is definitely present, and should be taken advantage of.�
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