Recently, as I’ve been branching out into exploring other veins of science, specifically the biological sciences, I’ve been looking to interview some scientists within the umbrella of biology in order to learn more about this field. As I reached out, I was connected with Becky Holloway. I chatted with her on the phone and took some notes as I learned about her work (on which there is more to come!) and now I’m going to share what I learned here!
Becky mainly talked to me about what she does at her job. She is an environmental consultant for a private company in Seattle. She has a Masters Degree in Genetics, which I found to be super interesting, since I would’ve expected her to have a degree deemed “closer” to what she currently does. It was cool to see how she was able to use a degree in one field to explore a different field! She told me how many people who work in environmentalism often work for the government, however there is much more money to be made in consulting (I appreciated this note). Becky works primarily on consulting for construction projects and fisheries, as well as on hatchery and channel restoration. Because of her location, the Pacific Northwest, specifically Seattle, most of the work in her area focuses around fish and water. I’m quite familiar with this, as I also live in Seattle and have grown up learning about the local fish and wildlife.
Becky went on to describe to me how a typical project for her goes. First, she spends about half the time in the field, conducting stream surveys, looking for suitable habitats, etc. She also noted, after I told her I really enjoy math, that there is a math component in this whole process, which was cool to hear because I have often wondered how I can fit my love for math into my interest in science. Then she described the second half of the project: writing up a report with the data she gathered. She also mentioned that she does a lot of work with environmental law, which has taught her more about the legal system, citing how she often has to refer to documents for the Endangered Species Act, which I found very interesting.
Lastly, Becky gave me some super valuable advice on how I personally can learn more about this field and get some hands-on experience. She referenced a couple organizations where I could do some volunteering or interning, including the Puget Soundkeeper Alliance and simply the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. She also described to me how vital it is to get some sort of an internship once I am part way through college, as those can often lead to employment post-college.
I really enjoyed talking with Becky over the phone and listening to all her valuable advice. She is super knowledgeable about her field and has a lot of interesting wisdom to share, and I really appreciated her taking time out of her day to talk to an interested high schooler!
The Rosalind Project 