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Your Support Makes a Difference—

Stories from 2018 Field Camp Scholarship Recipients

We have written a lot lately about GSA’s field opportunity and made me more comfortable with mapping. Being out in the
initiatives, and with good reason—for many of us, geoscience first field made me stronger physically, mentally, and academically.
came alive in the field. However, a number of students find that I felt more confident and ready to start my senior year at Eastern
rising education costs make attending a field camp prohibitively with all the knowledge I had gained at field camp. I made life-
expensive, depriving them of this formative experience. As you long friends and also developed a love for hiking and doing more
consider your year-end gift, join us in supporting GSAF’s Field outdoor activities. Overall, field camp helped me decide what
Camp Opportunities Fund. We rely on the generosity of career paths in geology I would like to go for after completing
members like you, whose financial support can immediately my undergraduate studies. It was indeed an experience worth
impact the lives of students as well as create new opportunities going through.”
for the next generation of aspiring geoscientists.
This is the impact of your support of field camp
But don’t take my word for it—some of our 2018 Field Camp opportunities through GSAF—and with your help, we can
Scholarship recipients shared with us the importance of their provide field camp opportunities to even more students!
time at field camp to their professional and scientific growth: You can make your year-end gift at gsafweb.org/donate,
or to discuss in-depth ways that you can support field camp
Kuzipa Kapayi, University of Texas at San Antonio: “During scholarships, please contact Debbie Marcinkowski at
the summer of 2018, I participated in a life-changing field +1-303-357-1047 or via email at dmarcinkowski@geosociety.org.
program that focused on sustainability of natural resources and
hydrology for the exploration of water quality in southern
Africa. The field camp scholarship awarded by the Geological
Society of America was tremendously helpful as it covered all
my expenses related to field equipment, tuition, as well as
transportation. The equipment I purchased will continue to serve
great purpose throughout my geologic career. I formed long
lasting professional relationships with other students and
professors. I am humbled by GSA’s generosity and very thankful
for encouraging a bright and successful future to one of many
students. Overall, field camp was the highlight of my geologic
career and the experience and knowledge I gained has provided
a smooth transition into graduate school.”
Tamara Adams, University of Texas at Arlington: “The field
camp I attended this summer consisted of four weeks of field
study. Overall, it was an amazing experience and I would not have
been able to attend without the funds from GSA to help cover the
cost of tuition. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart!”

Shirley Tsotsoo Mensah, Eastern Illinois University: “First of
all, I would like to express my utmost gratitude to GSA for
making my participation in field camp possible through the
generous funds provided to me. As I look back on field camp,
I realize the benefits it gave me. I was proud of myself when I
was able to map a whole area by the end of field camp and 2018 Field Camp Scholarship recipient Dalila A. De Jesus,
University of Oklahoma, found her field camp experience to
actually understand what I was doing. This built my confidence be “a very rewarding and empowering one.”

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