kaeley Hardy

Making a difference for the environment and the way humanity treats it will always be my greatest passion and drive in life. Getting accepted into this program will only elevate these desires and push me to become more knowledgeable. Making a difference starts with me, a student fresh out of college and eager to make the impact that I have always believed I could make. The past academic work that I have accomplished through my environmental studies major has only made me what to learn more about the environment and how to become a more sustainable community. The course that has prepared me the most for furthering my education would be my bio senior seminar. This course focused on current issues in biology by evaluating the biological literature. We were expected to perform a presentation on our understanding of our assigned major biological concept as well as generate investigative and critical thinking as well as complex questions for all other groups in the class to identify challenging scientific problems. From my past experiences working in a professional setting such as a nonprofit, I was able to gain knowledge and understanding of how a company works at becoming more sustainable while being hands-on.
While working with Ocean Alliance, I was given a greater look as to how a nonprofit prioritizes conservation and consistent research through scientific collaboration, public education, and involvement in the arts. I was able to obtain their data and relay it to their social media for their followers to understand what the company is doing and how they can support and help. All the interns were involved in every weekly meeting and were able to get a look as to how many moving parts there are with every branch of the organization. I was also able to work with one of my professors to aid her with her graduate research about river metabolism and how it was affected by the temperature, oxidation, algae levels, and water levels. These different experiences have only made me more eager to continue my academic career to expand my knowledge of the environment.

I have been with the Common Wealth of Kentucky since February of 2023 working as an Environmental Scientist. Before this job I was on the board of directors to the nonprofit Stand up to Trash.

I got a Bachelor of Science at Concordia University Wisconsin for Environmental Studies.