Sonia Clemens ’20

Major: Earth and Environmental Sciences

What else are you involved with on campus?

In my time at Furman, I worked at the Shi Center my freshman year on the Lake Restoration Project making the signs that can be seen around the lake. In my sophomore year, I lived in the Eco Cabins and began working as the Earth and Environmental Science (EES) department assistant. In my junior year I got a jump start on student research and worked during the summer for Furman EES and Biology, and then went abroad to Denmark and Greenland in the spring to study glaciology. In my senior year, I went to Croatia to conduct field work and finished my senior thesis.

What is your favorite Engaged Living memory? 

My favorite Engaged Living memory definitely has to be all the field trips we went on. Our class went to farms, Bald Rock, Paris Mountain, and more exciting places that brought us close to nature and closer together as a class. Sitting in the EES van on your way to a field trip is definitely a bonding experience and I felt that I was able to connect a lot more with my classmates through EL, especially as a freshman.

Why did you apply to Engaged Living?

I applied to Engaged Living because I was excited to have a unique and more specialized experience. I knew I was interested in environmental science, so being able to have a more tailored writing seminar, classes, and labs made it easy for me to be able to do exactly what I wanted. Also, living in Lakeside was amazing!

How did Engaged Living make an impact on your Furman experience?

Engaged Living really set the tone for the rest of my years at Furman. Starting off by being involved made me feel a lot more confident and equipped to continue staying involved at Furman, and also to pursue a lot more opportunities, like studying abroad or starting research early.