2023届毕业生:凯莉·贝克

凯莉•贝克 是一个 环境研究 和 政治科学 major from Frederick, 马里兰.

When I took my first step on the Hill, I was: 兴奋. 我不知道等着我的是什么, especially since I took a gap year after graduating high school, but I knew that I was eager to meet new people 和 dive into my passions.

The me who will ring the Old Main bell on Commencement Day is: 乐观. Though I’m not entirely sure what the future holds, I know that McDaniel has prepared me to take on whatever comes my way.

真实世界经验: The summer after my freshman year, I interned at Cunningham Falls State Park as a park ranger. 我大三之后的那个夏天, I interned at White Rose Farm in Taneytown, 马里兰, 作为一个生物动力园丁. 我最喜欢的实习, 虽然, 是我大二之后的那个夏天吗, working in the campus garden as a Food Fellow. 在此期间, I also did summer research on campus food insecurity 和 presented at the Student Summer Research Showcase.

我的顿悟时刻: I’ve learned that community is one of the most important things someone can have. The community that I’ve been a member of at McDaniel has been one of the most supportive, 紧密结合着的, 和我所知道的爱的纽带. It’s also really hard to persevere without a community encouraging you along the way, 所以我非常感谢我的.

我在山上留下的脚印 I hope to be remembered as someone who is unafraid to make change. I want other students to realize that they can truly do whatever they want, 即使没有先例.

Faculty or staff member who most influenced who I have become: Dr. Elly Engle, h和s down, has changed the trajectory of my life. As my advisor, professor, 和 fellow dirt-digger, she has been so influential in my time at McDaniel. Dr. 恩格尔一直是我理智的代言人, helping me discover a path that I am truly passionate about 和 supporting me in all of my endeavors. In addition, Cathy Gunther has been a great mentor. I started working under her as the 山上之家食品储藏室经理 in May 2022, 她一直支持我, showing me what a supportive workplace looks like 和 a glimpse into what I want my future career to be.

史上最佳课堂: Exploration of the Environment with Dr. 厨房帮手. 在这个课堂上, we did weekly hikes all around Westminster 和 the surrounding areas (even as far as Harper’s Ferry, 西维吉尼亚州). We got to learn about survival skills 和 field exploration while st和ing in such beautiful places!

让我大吃一惊: The willingness of everyone to lend a helping h和.

我在校园里最喜欢的地方: 图书馆外面的露台. I love this spot because even 虽然 it’s in the middle of campus, 它隐蔽而安静, making it perfect for homework or relaxing.

Most mind-boggling idea I learned at McDaniel: 冒名顶替综合症是真的, but more people experience it than you’d think, so just keep faking it until you make it.

我最重要的头衔: My 环境研究 capstone was titled “Carroll County attitudes towards a food policy council,” 和 my 政治科学 capstone was titled “The influence of European Union trade policies on smallholder farmers 和 its implications on food insecurity: A case study of Somalia, 尼日尔, 和乍得.(一口)!)

说白了就是: The former interviewed various stakeholders in the Carroll County food system to determine how they would feel about a potential food policy council in Carroll County, which would serve to tackle food-related issues. I determined that stakeholders would be open to a food policy council if it met all of their needs, including satisfying their current frustrations with the food system. The latter investigated domestic European Union (EU) policies that impact the agricultural sector in sub-Saharan Africa, concluding that elements such as trade relationships 和 treatment of smallholder farmers have made it difficult for sub-Saharan African farmers to compete with EU farmers, specifically forcing Somalia into the worst position of food security.

Tell us a little about your activities, including sports, during your years at McDaniel: I’ve been the treasurer of the Progressive Student Union, co-chancellor of the Dangersauce improv troupe, co-founder 和 president of Sunrise McDaniel, 和 member of Green Life 和 the Honors Program. 我也做过同侪导师, 地方领导, STEM中心学习助理, 山上之家食品储藏室经理, 美国手语实验室助理, 及食物研究员.

接下来是什么: I will be on the hunt for a job in environmental policy, but I’d really love to work in food policy on the local level.

If you received financial aid, what did that mean for you 和 your family? I received the Presidential Scholars Award 和 a couple of grants from McDaniel. 这笔经济援助数额巨大, because it lessened the burden that myself 和 my family had to pay out of pocket, 而且我毕业时没有债务!

How will you stay connected to McDaniel? I will stay in contact with my classmates 和 professors.