PEG Magazine - Summer 2015

AEF CAMPAIGN CONNECTION

exploration, and by volunteering with the P.S. Warren Geological Society student group, is that her instincts were correct. “I’ve learned that geology requires creative, out-of-the-box thinking. There’s no real right or wrong answers. You’re always interpreting. That’s something I hadn’t experienced in any other subject or area of science,” says Ms. Hay. “I’ve really enjoyed the freedom to think creatively, and also the people I’ve worked with are fantastic.” Studying away from home, though, can be expensive. Several scholarships, including a $750 APEGA Fund in Geology and Geophysics award from the APEGA Education Foundation, have helped Ms. Hay concentrate on school rather than bills. “All the scholarships I received are a huge help. Being in fourth year, I’m watching the student loans pile up, so any kind of support is very much appreciated,” she says. “Geology is a pretty intensive program. Employment is often not an option if you want to do well in school, so any kind of financial support is amazing.” University Highlight: Field school is the highlight of most geology students’ university career. You’re only out in the field for two weeks, but you learn a ton and it’s a lot of fun. After second year, my class went to Jasper for field school and after third year, we did a road trip through the Canmore, Revelstoke, the Kootenays, and Cranbrook. It’s your chance to get out there, get your hands on rocks, and learn the basic principles of mapping and formulating interpretations through observations out in the field. It just solidifies everything you do throughout the year. Hobby Highlight: I like hiking and travelling whenever I can. Working in Calgary in the summer was fantastic, with the mountains so close. My family likes to travel as well, so we usually go on a yearly family trip. I’m also hoping to start competing in eventing again.

HORSE POWER (above) -photo courtesy Chelsey Hay Geology student Chelsey Hay trained her horse, Abby, to compete in eventing, a type of horse trials often described as equestrian triathlon.

to her when she was a high school student researching possible career paths. An- other was her love of science. “It was kind of a gut feeling, so I went for it and enrolled,” she recalls. “I didn’t know any geoscientists or have any

knowledge of the profession, but I knew there were a lot of areas you can branch out into.” What she’s discovered over the past four years at university, through two summer internships working in oil and gas

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