This month, GreenVest was invited by the Chesapeake Bay Alliance to participate in the Green Careers Round Table panel at Bowie State University (BSU). The panel spoke to current students interested in the “Green” industry to encourage the next generation of environmentalists. Alongside representatives from the Greater Washington Region Clean Cities Coalition and the National Wildlife Federation, GreenVest’s own Carmen Tucker spoke to the BSU community about the onset of her career, her personal experience and education in environmental science, and how the environmental field is progressing. As a recent graduate from a Johns Hopkins University Master’s program, she related to the students who are heading toward the end of their own senior years.
The BSU community was very interested in approaches that each of the five panelists took in their careers. Each participant had varying education and experiences, but all shared similar goals. There were no pauses during the discussion as panelists answered question after question, sharing stories of their own professional progression and providing advice for the audience as they start their own careers.
When asked what advice Carmen would give to her college self, she responded:
“The worst you can be told is ‘No.’ The answer to the question you don’t ask will always be no, so why not ask ‘Can I shadow you while you do this?’ or ‘Can I help get this done?’ It never hurts to ask. So, if you want a job, send your resume out to everyone no matter how far of a longshot it seems. If they say no, ask what experience you need to build up and go for that.”
GreenVest is thrilled to have Carmen as part of our team, and we look forward to her own professional growth as she continues to encourage the next generation of environmentalists.
