May 05, 2019

Kaitlyn Gardineer ’21, a triple major in earth and environmental sciences, studio art and German, enjoys the variety she has been able to pack into her time at Susquehanna.

“I’m never in the same mindset for too long, so nothing ever gets dull or repetitive, and I feel like a more well-rounded student in general,” Gardineer says.

For her Honors sophomore essay, for example, Gardineer explored German-born author Herman Hesse’s representation of rivers in his work. Combining her love of nature and interest in creative literature led her to the interdisciplinary research topic and gave her the opportunity to unite some of her fields of study.

Last summer, she also worked with the Freshwater Research Institute and for the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, helping collect river sediments from the tributaries of Susquehanna River, catch fish through electrofishing and work on tree identification. After her summer research ended, she has continued to intern at the FRI growing seeds and planting trees that will be used as a riparian buffer.

“I really loved just being outside. Wading through water and catching fish for the first time, away from busy streets and buildings, walking outside with my tree identification gear… there was nothing else like it, and no day was quite like the next,” Gardineer says.