Student Profile
Danielle Owczarski
Biology: Field Naturalist Major,
Class of 2007
North Adams, Mass.
Danielle Owczarski chose Johnson State College because of the wellness and alternative medicine major — one of the only programs of its kind in the country. However, she soon realized that her interests had taken a different direction. "Luckily for me," she says, "Bob Genter, my biology professor, made me aware of the new biology: field naturalist major, which resonated more with what I wanted to learn about."
It was the right move for Danielle, one that's kept her focused and inspired ever since. The community of professors, staff and students she found at JSC has been a big part of that. "The professors in my major are extremely intelligent and expect students to be professional and attentive. They are also very dedicated to and passionate about their disciplines; this can be seen through their teaching."
Being active on campus has also helped her build a strong community and gain experience relevant to her major. She served as vice president of the Wellness Club during her junior year and is currently president of the Green Solutions Club.
These experiences have been positive ones: "During my time at the Wellness Club, we were able to provide the campus with awesome festivals that offered home-cooked goods with local fare, herbal crafts, a local raffle and alternative health therapies. We were also able to purchase almost $400 worth of books about alternative medicine for the library. In Green Solutions, we are doing our best to educate students and administration about 'green' or sustainable practices and how to make the campus more efficient, whether through passing out energy efficient light bulbs or encouraging green building projects through the campus master plan."
A fan of winter sports like snowboarding and snowshoeing, Danielle currently works as ski patrol at nearby Smugglers' Notch Resort. She is also on a path toward becoming a professional field naturalist. This summer, she expects to do a botany internship with the Student Conservation Association (SCA) working in Alaska or at Mount Rainier in Washington State. After that, she plans to apply to the University of Vermont's field naturalist graduate program. This field wasn't exactly where she expected to end up when she started, but Danielle has no doubt that she's where she wants to be.