Sarah loves studying rocks. She grew up being intrigued by geological science, but it wasn’t until she took a natural hazard class in high school that her love of minerals solidified. Now, as a senior at the University of Arizona, she is studying Geology with an emphasis in structural petrology. She was awarded a scholarship for her academic excellence by the Tucson Gem & Mineral Society.
Most of her time at university is spent writing and researching for her honors thesis. The scholarship will fund her research and upcoming field camp excursion. Sarah’s thesis is centered on zircon dating Picacho Peak, to understand more about how and when the structure formed. Her field camp during this summer is a mandatory trip for all Geology majors to venture on. It is a five-week excursion, that entails mapping, hiking, and camping with other students from around the country. Sarah could not do all this without the scholarship and continued support from the Society.
In her own words:
“I especially want to thank Tucson Gem & Mineral Society for giving me the opportunity to continue to work on my thesis and to make it such much easier for me to attend field camp. It is going to make a world of difference.”
Sarah
19 years old
Focus: Geology and studies at the University of Arizona
Society member since 2016