Combining Her Love for Calculus and Drama in the CNR

Kate Eccles discovered her love of nature when she was very young. Her family went camping often, and their love of the outdoors became a part of her. Her family would explore the country for their summer vacations.

 

"Dad would stop at every single park along the way," Eccles said, "I just fell in love."

 

Eccles said she realized during these family excursions that she wanted to work with nature for the rest of her life.

 

This desire led her to Utah State University and now Eccles has been chosen as the 2005 Utah Statesman student of the year for her work in the College of Natural Resources.

 

Eccles is a senior currently preparing to graduate with a degree in recreation resource management and is know throughout the CNR for her dedication to the program and the community.

 

Mark Brunson, associate professor, has known Eccles for about four years as her adviser. He has seen her passion for her degree and community involvement. Eccles has been a success since she entered the program, he said.

 

"She's one of our academic stars. She's one of our unsung heroes, academically," Brunson said.

 

Eccles has managed to maintain a 3.87 GPA and still be an active participator in the CNR. She has helped the students in her college by giving up hours of her time every semester by peer mentoring. She has spent the past two years being a rhetoric associate and a teaching fellow.

 

As an RA, Eccles was assigned to a class and was responsible for helping them in any way necessary. She would read papers and have discussions with the students, Eccles said. She mainly assisted students in CNR.

 

"She is helping a lot of students while she is an undergrad," Brunson said.

 

As a teaching fellow she said she has learned to work with people. She had to learn to cater to the individual needs of different students.

 

Eccles explained that being a teaching fellow helped her develop skills she would need in her profession.

 

"There is a lot of dealing with people. There is a social aspect of natural resources that people don't usually think about," Eccles said.

 

Eccles spent last summer in Montana doing an internship at the Grant Kohrs Historic Site. Brunson encouraged her to apply and she was chosen for the Tehabi internship. This is a natural resources career-mentoring program administered by the college.

 

Eccles spent the summer working and being trained on a ranch. Eccles laughed as she recalled her experience living on a field in tents for two weeks.

 

"It rained every day, but it was so much fun. I really enjoyed myself. I loved it," she said.

 

The interns were able to experience what their careers would really be like. They were given hands on training in a way that is not possible at a university. After two weeks all of the students were sent to different places to finish out the summer. Eccles was chosen to remain at the Grant Kohrs historic site, where the internship had begun.

 

"Experience in the field and hands-on work was huge for me. And to do it for pay was great,"Eccles said.

 

Brunson said he noticed Eccles' passion for drama and theater last summer during her internship. Eccles found time to act in plays at Deer Lodge in Montana. One thing the CNR does not stress enough is involvement in the community, yet Eccles is doing this on her own, Brunson said.

 

"What she really puts her heart with is how to be a member of the community," Brunson said.

 

Eccles said the entire internship was a great experience, and she had a wonderful time participating in community theater in Montana. Eccles participated in drama during high school but has had a hard time finding room in her schedule for any classes at USU, she said. She said she was excited to finally find time her senior year to take some theater classes.

 

"She's not only this 3.9 GPA person, but she's got an interesting combination of arts and science," Brunson said. "Someone who loves calculus and drama."

 

Eccles has loved being a part of the CNR. She was born and raised in Houston, Texas. She landed in Utah because she said she wanted to find a school with the best program available, so she came to USU after researching and deciding it was the school for her.

 

Eccles' father got his undergraduate degree and master's from USU. She admits he may have been "little bit of a push" in her decision, but she knows it was the right choice.

 

"I love the College of Natural Resources because we are so small. Everyone knows each other. The classes are small enough to know teachers and students by name. My adviser, Mark Brunson, has helped me quite a bit. I feel very lucky to have had him," Eccles said.

 

After graduation Eccles plans on returning to Montana for the summer to continue working on the same ranch as the last summer.

 

Eccles said she will be doing a lot of volunteering for the Grant Kohrs historic site and then hopes to acquire a seasonal position at Grant Kohrs. She said she wants to continue working in parks or on ranches as positions become available.

 

Like many seniors, Eccles looks forward to graduation with a bit of unbelief that it is happening.

 

"I am excited, but I haven't realized that September will come and I won't be going to school," she said.

 

Although graduation may seem overwhelming, she is ready to begin her career.

 

"She's driven to perfection. She asks a lot of herself and then she proceeds to meet her expectations. She is the kind of student that we are most proud of being able to say comes out of our program," said Brunson. "She is going to be a success. She really makes us proud to say she's from Utah State.

-megliso@cc.usu.edu