Saul Blocher

Class of 2010
Brattleboro, VT

Major: Biology: Field Naturalist

Favorite weekend activity: Being outside, traveling, hiking

Career Plans: Traveling and doing field reearch

" After getting my associate's degree at CCV, I knew I wanted to get a bachelor's in biology. After investigating my options, JSC seemed like the right choice. It is affordable and has good facilities, and the small size enables me to have one-on-one interactions with my professors, which works really well with my background as a homeschooler. "

After getting an associate's degree in liberal studies from the Community College of Vermont, Saul Blocher knew that he wanted to continue with his degree to pursue his interests in biology, environmental education and ecology. After investigating his options, Johnson State College seemed like the right choice. "JSC was affordable and I liked the size," says Saul. "It's much smaller than UVM, yet it's got really good facilities and an excellent faculty." Saul also found that JSC's size creates opportunities for one-on-one relationships with teachers, which worked well with his background as a homeschooler. 

Saul is getting a lot of hands-on experience, too. "Last fall in my Introduction to Ecology and Evolution course, we did an ecological survey of the lower pond on campus. We did things like measure the pond, do some plankton tows, take samples of the substrate at the pond's bottom. Then we compared our results to the results from past years." Not only did Saul enjoy the work, but he gained experience using methods and tools that he might use if he were doing this as a professional.

He's also taken some outdoor education classes, such as Adventure Education Theory and Practice, which required students to design the curriculum for an outdoor education lesson. Saul focused on primitive survival techniques. "Designing and teaching the class really helped drive home the things I was learning from my instructors about outdoor education."

Saul will continue putting theory and practice in ecology and environmental education to work during a summer 2009 internship being a camp instructor at a Vermont Fish and Wildlife Conservation Camp. After he graduates, he envisions himself continuing in the field while also satisfying his passion for travel. "I'd like to do biological field research on birds in the Arctic Circle or get involved in some oceanographic research," he says. 

In the meantime, Saul plans to continue enjoying his time at JSC, where, in addition to his studies, he plays Ultimate Frisbee, is a member of the Outing Club, works at the library, and savors the sight of the mountains when he wakes up every morning.