Undergraduate Rachel Loomis, a student at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, shares her experience attending a professional conference for the first time. Maybe this is something that you'd like to share with undergraduates that you work with?

Seeking a profession in Environmental Education? Want to discover a new interest or be inspired? Need to update your resume or looking to network? The Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education Winter Workshop at Treehaven (Tomahawk, WI) is the place you need to be if you answered “yes” to any of these questions! I attended Winter Workshop for the first time in January 2017, and I am already looking forward to going back in 2018.

My name is Rachel and I am an Environmental Education & Interpretation major at UW-Stevens Point. I am just starting my EE journey, and wanted to have an experience that would get me started in the right direction, but was not sure where to begin. Through EENA (Environmental Educators & Naturalists Association, a student organization at UWSP) I was informed about the event, and encouraged to attend. Throughout Winter Workshop, I was educated, creative, explorative, challenged and reflective.

You are presented with opportunities all weekend: Choosing between several sessions you want to attend, professional speakers to listen to, and discussions to help you spark an idea…just to name a few. Networking is key during the weekend – so many people you have the chance to talk with, ask questions, and make a connection for opportunities. The workshop session I enjoyed was “Land the Job You Want”. With a panel of current EE employees, the floor was open to ask questions for your professional needs and concerns: How can you prepare yourself for an interview? What are ways to express yourself through a resume or cover letter? What can you bring to the table when you do not have much experience? All of these topics, and more, were discussed between students, current employers, and people seeking out to take on a new adventure in their career.

Between meeting someone new every ten minutes, taking a snowshoe hike at 6AM on the beautiful Treehaven grounds, and constantly learning something new, I found my way of beginning my Environmental Education journey. There’s endless opportunities out there for you – you just have to get out there and experience them for yourself! Winter Workshop did exactly this for me, and conferences will for you too.