Jennifer Pearsall (BS Geology, 2007)

They said you would miss all of the long field trips and late night hours in the undergrad room - and they were telling the truth! Since graduation, I have found myself going down a path that I didn't expect. I got my BS in Geology and a minor in Spanish thinking that I would go somewhere really exotic and study volcanoes - or something to that extent. However, a year later I found myself working in the insurance industry.

I am working for State Farm Insurance at our corporate headquarters in Bloomington, IL, where the weather and landscape are much different than the Pacific Northwest. I started working in Illinois January of 2015 on an assignment to bring field perspective to a few corporate projects, which turned into me relocating here just 9 months later.

My current position is a Product Owner where I lead a team of systems developers to build an application for our agency force. In no way does it compare to the life of geology, however, the knowledge that I have gained since my start date almost 10 year ago drives my passion and I couldn't see myself anywhere else. The skills I learned through college have definitely helped my progression with my company.

Even though I am not using my degree, the CWU Geology program taught me many things and helped shape me into the person I am today. I will always cherish my time in Lind Hall with my peers, friends and professors.