Alumni Profile: Ava Watts
Major: Environmental Technology and Sustainability
Current Position: Environmental Scientist, PennJersey Environmental Consulting
Landing a New Career
āI never liked physics, chemistry, math, engineering, or anything else to do with sciences,ā admits Ava Watts (M.S. ā21). āWhat I do like is a challenge. Sometimes people face their fears by doing extreme things, so I decided to go into Environmental Science.ā
Going back to school is a big decision in most circumstances, and for Watts the decision meant major life changes. At the time, she was running two successful businesses in her native Trinidadāthe larger of the Caribbean dual-island nation of Trinidad and Tobagoāand raising two children on her own.
āI came from a family of entrepreneurs and started my first business at 21 years old,ā she says. āOne day, I just thought, āThis is too easy. I want to be educated. I want to challenge myself.āā
She took that self-imposed challenge head-on, diving into the sciences to earn her undergraduate degree in natural resource management at The University of the West Indies. And to her surprise, she liked it. She liked it so much that she decided to pursue a graduate degree so she could pursue the field as her new career. In 2021, Watts graduated with her masterās degree in environmental technology and sustainability.
ā¶®É«µŪ was offering everything I was looking for in a masterās degree program,ā she says. āInternships, apprenticeships, financial supportāanything you could need and want as an international student.ā
Watts took full advantage of her time at ¶®É«µŪ, working in the Academic Computer Labs (now part of Information Technology Services) and engaging in a research assistantship withĀ David Nadler, Ph.D., then chair of the Department of Environmental Technology and Sustainability. When she wanted to engage in volunteer work but couldnāt find the right opportunity, she decided to create her own. Watts approached theĀ Office of Student Engagement and DevelopmentĀ and noted that there were no positions available to help young students learn about sustainability. She then designed her own curriculum based on the three Rās of sustainabilityāreduce, reuse, recycleāand with ¶®É«µŪās support, brought it to the Building Young Professionals program in the Bronx, N.Y.Ā
āI created an opportunity for myself, but ¶®É«µŪ jumped on it,ā Watts says. āOther universities might have shut it down, but ¶®É«µŪ is so supportive of studentsā goals.ā
Since graduating, Watts moved to Allentown, Pa., to work with PennJersey Environmental Consulting as an environmental scientist. In this role, companies or clients go to her for environmental assessments. Whether doing field work, report writing, or site assessments, Watts says her time at ¶®É«µŪ prepared her well for the work, and her professors were instrumental in helping her land the job.
āI had a wonderful letter of recommendation from Professor Nadler,ā says Watts, who was also prepped with a mock interview with former Associate Professor Sarah Meyland, J.D. āI benefited socially, emotionally, and professionally by attending ¶®É«µŪ. My connection with professors and the school made me feel very supported.ā
By Alix Sobler
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