Joel Shank

I liked science in high school and wanted to pursue a career in science. I was not aware of the wide variety of scientific careers available at the time. I thought that a career in medicine was the “only” way to continue in science. Once I reached university, I became aware of the wide range of scientific fields and careers available. I took a variety of science courses and was drawn to geology. One lesson I learned in this process is that there is no need to specialize too early. If you enjoy science, you can take a full suite of science courses in first year university. Keep an open mind and then decide a specialization for second year and beyond.

Once I found geology in university, I worked several summer jobs doing field work for mining exploration companies. This work involved living in remote camps and taking quads and helicopters to field sites. These were some of my most memorable summers and allowed me to combine my love of the outdoors with work. After I graduated, I knew that I wanted a more stable lifestyle that allowed me to be home with family every day. This meant a change from the mining field work. My current office-based, oil and gas work fulfilled that need and provides me with an exciting new challenge.