Gina Errico

It has been the most emotional, stressful and fast-paced two years of my life. As my journey in graduate school comes to a close, I took a moment to reflect on some of the amazing things I have accomplished. I had no idea what I was getting into two years ago, but looking back now, I am grateful I took the leap and stuck it out through the hardships.

Year 1

In August of 2021, I began my master’s degree bright-eyed and bushy tailed. While I knew graduate school would be tough, no one really prepared me for how fast paced it is. By the end of my first year, I had researched and developed a proposal for my two-chapter thesis, applied for five funding grants, and prepped for my field season in Costa Rica. But it wasn’t that easy, through it all, I battled constantly with imposter syndrome and managing burnout. On the bright side, I received funding for several of those grants, was given honorable mention for the National Science Foundation Graduate Student Fellowship, and managed to successfully pass my thesis proposal defense. The next step was to make it to Costa Rica and independently run the project that half of my thesis depended on.

My field season was one of the most challenging and rewarding time of my life. For the first time ever, I managed my own project from start to finish in a country I had never been to before, and had the most crazy and incredible two months of my life. I returned to Oklahoma with confidence in myself as a scientist and researcher, tons of bird photos, and unfortunately, COVID.

Year 2

After I recovered from COVID, I hit the ground running on analyzing my field data and working on the mathematical model I created for the other half of my thesis. I was also able to present the ongoing results for my model at the Ecological Society of America Meeting in Montreal. I was also accepted to be a fellow for the STEM Advocacy Institute, where I developed the plans to create an app aimed to give kids the inspiration to pursue their curiosities and explore science at their own pace. After several months and a laborious, long battle with computer coding, it was February. I jumped into thesis writing, figure making and presentation prepping for my upcoming talks.

Then it was April. I gave my first presentation to a large scale audience at ScienceTalk, where I discussed the conflict between the social and environmental issues surrounding coffee farming and forest conservation in Costa Rica. I went on to submit my thesis to my committee, develop and successfully execute my thesis seminar, and pass my thesis defense! I then headed to D.C. as a Policy Fellow for the Ecological Society of America. After meeting with policymakers about funding scientific research, I flew back to Oklahoma and the next thing I knew it was May.

Now, I am sitting on the couch in my apartment, where half of my belongings are packed in boxes, and graduation is just days away. It almost feels like a long and crazy dream. After two years of early mornings, late nights, mental health hurdles and lots of caffeine, this is the end. While I am walking away with an incredible amount of experiences (and an impressive CV), I have bittersweet feelings about this journey coming to an end. I am incredibly proud of how far I have come, but will still miss my time at Oklahoma State. Seven years ago I was a freshman in college who had absolutely no idea what she wanted to do with her life. Today, I am a successful scientist with a master’s degree, who studies ecology, forests and biotic interactions. I advocate for conservation and the environment. I have expanded my portfolio as a science communicator. I faced some of my biggest fears. I started my own blog, and I write stories about scientific discoveries and the social and environmental conflicts that climate change creates. I am walking away with a heart full of tremendous experiences and an incredible community of talented friends and colleagues, who helped me get to where I am today– all of which I am eternally grateful for.

So what’s next?

The first stop is to go home and visit my family and friends. Then, a roadtrip to Los Angeles where I will spend ten weeks as a Mass Media Fellow with the L.A. Times (which still doesn’t feel real). The rest is full of exciting adventures and opportunities waiting to happen. My partner and I are heading to Hawaii in August (which I also still can’t believe), to start a new adventure together. I plan to start applying for funding to make my app a reality, and pick up some freelancing opportunities or a full-time job in science communication when I get settled in Honolulu.

While the uncertainty of the future is a bit frightening, I cannot wait for what lies ahead.