Norely Faz attended GSA Connects as a non-geology major but still found connection and professional inspiration with the help of the OTF program.

What was the most impactful aspect of your OTF experience?

The most impactful aspect of my OTF experience was being around my peers in similar fields of interest. Seeing the amazing research being conducted made me fully realize that my future is within my grasp.

What do you remember most from GSA 2022?

I remember getting to the conference center every day and attending presentations in diverse fields of geoscience.

What was your mentorship experience like? Would you consider returning to serve as a mentor?

My mentor was an extremely nice person. I felt a bit left out during the GSA conference as I’m not a geology major, but my mentor made sure to introduce me to others within my area of interest. I would definitely consider returning to serve as a mentor. OTF has encouraged me to actively mentor those around me. I have always enjoyed helping others in positions that I once was in and can only see this desire increasing.

Why should donors support programs like OTF?

Honestly, without OTF I am not sure how confident I would be in my research. This was my first conference and it made me feel stronger in my expertise. I am now better prepared for my future and hope that this program continues so that others might experience similar things.

Before the GSA Connects conference in Denver, I felt slightly aloof from the world of geosciences. My professors, mentors, and classmates are all wonderful people who are hugely successful in their pursuits; however, I felt like I did not completely belong as a person more interested in environmental science. On Saturday at 8 AM, I sat in a large conference room surrounded by students from all over the world with different life experiences. We spent the day sharing our “pathways,” a term I had never considered before. As a soon-to-graduate senior, I had been unclear about the path to take that would help me land where my interests could do the most good. Through the On To the Future workshop and attending GSA 2022, I came to understand that there can be many pathways to success. I heard about people’s unconventional stories and about their disparate pathways, ones that started long before college and were filled with triumphs and hardship.

While my story is unique in its own right, I heard stories that day during the conference that were filled with far more hardship and heartbreak than I have experienced, but even more often, I heard stories of amazing resilience. I do not believe that it negates my challenges to acknowledge those of others. We are all unique and have unique experiences that are drivers of our journeys. I believe we have a responsibility to create spaces that allow us to hear and learn from the stories of others. Diversity in opinion and experience enriches the outcome of any pursuit. While my pathway is still being forged, I now feel much more at home in the STEM field than I did prior to that conference, and am enjoying the opportunity to share with others my interest in geology and the environment.

I am proud of my pathway and very much appreciate those who have influenced me as I continue my education in the environmental sciences. Through mentorship at the GSA conference, I made the decision to apply to graduate school. As a graduate student, I hope to find situations, like the OTF workshop, where diversity of thought and experience is appreciated. People come to science from all walks of life, and that is likely why science has made the amazing strides it has in the past hundred years. Where my path eventually takes me I do not know, but what attending GSA 2022 has taught me will be there with me wherever I land.

Meryssa found meaningful exchanges in opportunities such as the mentor relationship provided by OTF.

What was the most impactful aspect of your OTF experience?

This is a tough question. For me there were a few “most” impactful aspects of my OTF experience. One was hearing the first-hand experiences of established scientists in a very raw and vulnerable manner. Another was being paired with a mentor that made time to meet with me each day and provide me insight and encouragement. Lastly, having an opportunity to meet others throughout the room during OTF really helped provide familiar and safe faces throughout my conference experience.

What do you remember most from GSA 2022?

My most memorable experience during GSA would have to be career day. This opportunity not only taught me much about building different résumés to market myself in the future, it also allowed me to have conversations about my future interests with a wide variety of individuals established in both academia and in industry.

What was your mentorship experience like? Would you consider returning to serve as a mentor?

I cannot speak highly enough of my mentorship experience. Not only was my mentor just absolutely fabulous in every way possible, but having someone external to discuss positive and negative experiences as well as brain/panic dump to was something I didn’t realize I needed. I would absolutely consider returning to serve as a mentor.

After your OTF experience, how do you see OTF influencing or impacting your future?

OTF allowed me to make more personal and professional connections and really build a connection. I can see contacting many individuals I met during OTF for future support and also as collaborative colleagues.

Why should donors support programs like OTF?

Donors should consider supporting programs like OTF because the graduate retention rate and early-career struggle is abundantly clear. Programs like OTF are crucial ways to begin addressing student and early-career needs for support. Providing students with external support will not only provide them greater opportunities for advancement in the field, but also will provide support for issues that they may not feel like they are able to get from within their department or university safely.

Luis found connection and a chance for organized reflection on his geoscience career path, thanks to OTF.

What was the most impactful aspect of your OTF experience?

One of the most impactful aspects of my OTF experience was being able to interact for the very first time with other geoscientists with shared intersecting identities since I arrived in the States. Furthermore, as part of the OTF activities, we were assigned to sketch our pathway through geosciences. Since I am a subsurface geologist, I decided to depict my pathway as a long-way sedimentary system, starting from the source area (my hometown, Medellín, Colombia) through alluvial fans, braided and meandering rivers, to reach the sink (my goals) depicted in the channels of a delta. It is awesome how you can see your life reflected through depositional environments and the sedimentary record (at least mine)! Also, I was able to discuss geology in Spanish again with old classmates and new colleagues I met in the meeting.

What do you remember most from GSA 2022?

To be honest, beyond the amazing talks I attended throughout the meeting, the thing I remember the most from GSA 2022 is the new friends I made during the OTF activities and the LGBTQIA+ Social event. I was surprised when I saw so many people at the LGBTQIA+ Social event! After thinking I was alone in the world, getting to know those geoscientists with so many wonderful stories from so many places and backgrounds was revealing. I learned more than I thought during that social event, and that changed the way I see representation, diversity, and inclusion in geosciences. I remember with special affection one colleague from the West Coast I had the chance to talk to more, motivating me to consider more possibilities and expand my horizons currently looking for a Ph.D. program.

What was your mentorship experience like? Would you consider returning to serve as a mentor?

I would say my mentorship experience was really insightful and provided me with perspective about what’s next for me and how I would like to tackle future challenges. As part of the program, I was able to connect with another LGBTQIA+ sedimentologist and subsurface geologist. He provided me with advice about how to adapt to the culture shock as an international student and told me about his experience navigating jobs in the oil & gas industry and landing a position as an associate professor, something I was interested to hear about because it is one of my long-term goals. Furthermore, I reached out to someone from the USGS, another LGBTQIA+ geoscientist, and we talked about how to balance research while trying to build a supportive, diverse and inclusive community as a graduate student with limited time. It was very meaningful for me to hear their stories since it had been difficult, nearly impossible, to find LGBTQIA+ mentors who have also navigated a career in geosciences. GSA Connects 2022 provided me with a platform for finally getting to know them! And of course, I’d be ecstatic to give this back by becoming a mentor for other young geoscientists!

After your OTF experience, how do you see OTF influencing or impacting your future?

The activities we performed as part of the OTF program allowed me to reflect on my career and pathway in a more thorough, organized way. I was able to recognize my strengths and weaknesses and identify what I am missing to make my dreams come true. Furthermore, in the exhibitor’s hall, I found other diversity and inclusion initiatives and funds I applied for. I traveled to one of my top options for pursuing a Ph.D. program for free just one month after the meeting. I could not have found out about that opportunity if I had not gotten the OTF grant to attend GSA Connects 2022; so clearly, this experience is impacting my life both in the short- and long-term, academically and personally.

Why should donors support programs like OTF?

As you can see, I am extremely grateful and feel very flattered to have been chosen to take part in the OTF program. As an international, first-generation, Latino, LGBTQIA+ graduate student in the USA, big conferences like GSA Connects 2022 have been the only way I can get in touch with more geoscientists with intersecting identities. After the conference, I stopped feeling ostracized and realized that, out there, there are tens, hundreds, maybe thousands of geoscientists that are facing the same challenges as me. Your support produces a humungous impact in the communities we belong to by generating the opportunity to build priceless connections, so do not hesitate to donate!

OTF offered Jamie a chance to experience a very supportive, encouraging community at GSA Connects while also providing exposure to a wide array of geoscience disciplines.

What was the most impactful aspect of your OTF experience?

The entire experience was impactful, it was such an eye-opening experience to see how many different areas and topics were being covered; it really opened my eyes that there are so many more areas in the geosciences than I had ever imagined. Overall though, I think the most impactful thing at the conference was how supportive every person I interacted with was. I was incredibly anxious and scared about attending, and then presenting my work. Those who stopped at my poster presentation were incredibly supportive and eager to hear what I had to share. That was a new experience for me; having the life experience I have had, I was worried about judgement, or not knowing all the answers to questions people may ask me. But the responses I had, and questions that challenged me, made me eager to continue my school to explore some various new areas for my career, and it made me want to make sure I worked to find a way to come back next year.

What do you remember most from GSA 2022?

I think one of the things I remember the most was getting to sit down at the GSA and talk with my geology teacher. While I was at my internship over the summer, I was with a group of students who knew sooo much about geology, it was overwhelming and honestly intimidating. They were naming all of these things about rocks and whatever else, while I was standing there confused about how there was more than one type of rock. (That was day 1 too, so imposter syndrome came up quick!) But throughout the summer I heard them talk and share their research too, and although I did not understand a bit of it, something clicked and I rearranged my fall schedule and signed up for my first-ever geology class, and I mean first ever. It turned out that my professor was going to be attending GSA as well and she made a point to offer me guidance, support, and came to my poster presentation. I got to take some time one day and sit with her outside the exhibit hall and share my experiences that had led up to my participation and talk to her about my path. In this conversation too, she shared with me some of the details of the effort she had to put forth to be able to attend the conference and the cost, something I had not thought about. It just made me realize how thankful I was to be a part of OTF and to be able to experience the conference in its entirety. Plus the opportunity to share conversation with my professor about her passions and knowledge and get to discuss everything we were seeing and hearing; it just was an experience that made me really happy and so thankful for how things had worked out to lead me to that point. (All of this also led me to fall in love with my geology course and now pursue a double associate’s degree in engineering and geology.)

What was your mentorship experience like? Would you consider returning to serve as a mentor?

I did not work with a mentor specifically at the GSA; I would absolutely do it next time if I had the opportunity to. The fear of the unknown made me really unsure about exploring that option. But the mentorship that I received in the internship where I did my research was amazing, their support is what made me not completely talk myself out of the conference, and their support while I was there contributed to my eagerness to try again. I also would absolutely love to serve as a mentor in the future; I believe that sharing those vulnerabilities, like being scared to attend and present, can be just as if not more important than sharing one’s knowledge and experience. Sometimes we just need to know that there is someone out there, feeling what we’re feeling and that they got through it, so you can too.

After your OTF experience, how do you see OTF influencing or impacting your future?

OTF gave me a hands-on experience that I would not have otherwise been able to experience or possibly have been brave enough to try. Since the GSA was in my hometown, it was extremely hard to talk myself out of going, though I tried, and I had done small presentations at my community college, but nothing like this. When I was presenting, I felt very proud and accomplished; I remembered how much work I put into my internship that got me there. Also while I was there, I learned about so many interesting areas of study, like geophysics, and I got to see others’ work which resembled my own, which combined geosciences with social sciences and focused a lot on the impact on people and some crossover with areas like climate change, which encompass much of what I want my future to revolve around working in. If I did not have the OTF support, I would not have been able to know the infinite options that are out there for me to explore, and I always like to share that if one lacks the knowledge, how can they access the information.

Why should donors support programs like OTF?

I come from a low-income background, I’m a first-generation college student, and first one in my family who got a GED, even after dropping out shortly after completing middle school. The area of STEM is not one I knew a thing about, until I came back to college at 28 years old with two kiddos and a ton of responsibilities I was trying to balance. It is not easy trying to work through any one of those hurdles individually, but especially coming from a background where you never have access to anything remotely similar, and where there is no other support system in place for exploration of these type of areas. A program like OTF allows someone like me to feel valued and heard; being selected out of a sea of applicants, it’s the first step in validating the hard work, sleepless nights, and definitely the tears that go into your work. It feels like someone is standing on the sidelines and just saying, “Yeah, Jamie, you got this! We know you are doing great things, breaking those cycles, overcoming those hurdles, and you are worthy of being here.”

There’s so much conversation around equality and equity nowadays; sure programs like OTF can’t overcome 28-odd years of inequity I may have experienced, but they sure help to give me hope for the future and feel support that I can still accomplish great things despite any of my circumstances, because there are strangers out there rooting for me just as much as I’m rooting for me. Donating to OTF could do for someone, what it did for me, took that little spark and fanned it into a full-blown fire, where I am so eager to continue studying, going to school, and starting my career, plus it has allowed me to take my own experience and share within my own community. I went back to school and restarted our engineering club with a focus in the area of geosciences, I also created and presented my own REU workshop for our STEM students, sharing many of the resources shared with me at GSA, and it allowed me to provide some one-on-one peer mentoring and support in these areas with students at my college. I believe investing our most vulnerable communities is invaluable; it can create a generations-long ripple effect, and I plan to one day be on the other side, investing in the future of others just like myself.

For Isheka, OTF and connections made with others helped determine steps to take once finishing her graduate work.

What was the most impactful aspect of your OTF experience?

The most impactful OTF experience was creating a Pathway Map, which gave me a lot of clarity on where I am now, all that I have accomplished, and the steps that I need to take to get to where I want to go.

What do you remember most from GSA 2022?

I remember the people. I met so many awesome scientists from all over the world who are making great strides as a scientist and also [shared] their societal involvements. I was really inspired! Also, the atmosphere was not tense like at other scientific conferences I have presented.

What was your mentorship experience like? Would you consider returning to serve as a mentor?

My mentorship experience was awesome! I gained so much clarity on where I want to head after graduate studies, how to prepare for this transition, and how to go about seeking the opportunities I am interested in. Shout-out to my GSA mentors, Stan Dunagan and Adrienne Oakley! I would definitely return as a mentor.

After your OTF experience, how do you see OTF influencing or impacting your future?

After OTF, I realized I do more than I give myself credit for and that although I should still actively seek opportunities to build myself, I should celebrate my wins each step of the way. Also, I learned that you should let your interests/passions guide your decisions about a career. Do not be so fixed on a career path based on the title. Also, be flexible and your path will likely not be linear. You may have to pivot at some point.

Why should donors support programs like OTF?

Donors should support programs like OTF because it gives minoritized groups the opportunity to attend conferences and programs that otherwise would not have been possible. Additionally, supporting programs like this gives everyone a chance to access knowledge and resources that can transform their lives.

Participating in OTF helped Hy reconnect with a geoscience path. Hearing the stories of others made a significant, inspiring impression on him.

What was the most impactful aspect of your OTF experience?

Growing up I was told to graduate high school, then college, get a job, get married, and that is that. But hearing the diverse stories at OTF and during GSA as a whole, I realized that journeys are non-linear. No two stories are the same. They are full of twists, turns, heartaches, joys, and moments where we have no idea what to do. This taught me to appreciate what I do have and simply take my time. So stories, stories are the most impactful aspect of OTF.

What do you remember most from GSA 2022?

Stories were the thing that impacted me the most, but the people—the faces behind every story are what I will remember the most. The joys, enthusiasm, and simple passion for their work were the sparks that inspired and nudged me back toward my geoscience journey.

What was your mentorship experience like? Would you consider returning to serve as a mentor?

The mentorship experience was extremely helpful, especially for someone like me, who was unsure of my pathway (pre-OTF). My mentor, Dr. Paul Harnik, had us meet almost every day where we discussed my future plans, possible pathways, and his experiences and research. Hearing his advice and life story was crucial for me in mapping out my journey. If given the chance, I would 100% return and serve as a mentor. We as geologists and scientists as a whole are storytellers. This means we not only have the honor of sharing the stories of the past, present, and future, but we also have the honor of sharing our experiences with people. And to me, everyone’s story is important.

After your OTF experience, how do you see OTF influencing or impacting your future?

OTF has helped pave a possible path for my future. I was debating whether or not I wanted to pursue grad school, but because of OTF, I am now on that trajectory. Moreover, I wouldn’t have access to all the important networking experiences, connections, and programs. In a way, it has also helped me break the shell formed during the pandemic. I want to meet more people in my field, and I want to continue learning the diverse stories all around. Now, I am even more motivated to help people/prospective STEM students by providing them with the networks and connections I’ve never had.

Why should donors support programs like OTF?

Before OTF I was lost and unsure of my career choices. I was discouraged because a lot of people around me were already starting their careers and then there’s me. I was a struggling scientist and author who was constantly unsure of himself. And fortunately for me, OTF came around and nudged me back on a path I can be proud of. Strong foundations are crucial to every organization, group, or project. Geology is no different. For our science to continue to grow and reach people, we need to foster that growth. We need to nudge people who are lost and guide them. OTF is one of the ways we can do this. Through OTF, I was given the necessary funding to journey to the GSA convention in Denver. A trip I wouldn’t have made otherwise. OTF has allowed me to grow connections (old and new), and friendships, and gain experiences that I will take with me into my future career.

For Etzy, attending GSA Connects with an OTF scholarship was a defining moment in her professional and academic development.

What was the most impactful aspect of your OTF experience?

The most impressive thing was being part of a community in which I learned that we are all connected by our stories and that each of our experiences and differences builds our identity, which allows us to offer different societal perspectives and, thus, to be involved in the construction of a better society. In addition, I understood that science is a common language that leaves aside our origins, skin color, gender, or preference. As a community, we all share the same passion, the study of the Earth and its phenomena.

What do you remember most from GSA 2022?

What I will remember most is, first, all the people who crossed my path day by day and enriched my experience in many ways; secondly, having been able to present my research project with a community of geoscientists and receive constructive feedback that undoubtedly enhanced my vision and my approach; and finally, the personal growth I had during these days that allowed me to overcome fears and taught me that dreams are closer to you when you work for them.

What was your mentorship experience like? 

It was an excellent experience since my mentor supported me in many aspects, from advice on moving around the city to introducing me to incredible people and, above all, the openness to give me advice and support for my academic and professional development.

Would you consider returning to serve as a mentor?

I would love to come back as a mentor.

After your OTF experience, how do you see OTF influencing or impacting your future?

This experience was a defining moment in my professional and academic development; it gave me ideas, energy, and a clear vision of my plans. This program is an excellent way to remind us to be proud of our identity and to understand that our actions represent many others out there whose voices are not heard. And we can achieve all our dreams with the power of our differences.

Why should donors support programs like OTF?

Because there are communities that have a limited representation and few resources to participate in academic or professional activities of this type, however, these types of programs allow us to have access to experiences that enrich us and allow us to feel part of an inclusive community, and therefore, contribute our knowledge, ideas, and actions to have a positive impact on society.

After his OTF participation, César A. Bucheli Olaya wants to inspire future generations of earth scientists as he was inspired by his mentor.

What was the most impactful aspect of your OTF experience?

For me, the most impactful aspect of my OTF experience was becoming aware that your culture, background, and identity have the power to define your approach to Earth sciences and the way you use it to change the world. The disciplines, techniques, and solutions that Earth scientists provide to modern society are, in a way, an expression of their individual identity and their relationship with the community and environment surrounding them.

What do you remember most from GSA 2022?

I remember the excitement I had to learn what is going on in the world of igneous petrology and volcanology, and share results of my own research with people who share my passion for all things volcanic. I also remember the feeling that attending GSA Connects was a pivotal moment in my career: sharing my work and receiving feedback on it, attending different interesting presentations, and making new connections were experiences that inspired me to keep pursuing an academic career and develop knowledge that becomes instrumental for the well-being of societies coexisting with volcanoes.

What was your mentorship experience like? Would you consider returning to serve as a mentor?

My mentor was Dr. Liannie Velázquez Santana. We had interesting conversations about her experience as a Latina in academia and the path that led her to obtain a Ph.D. and, later, a postdoctoral fellowship. I also attended the presentation where she shared results of her research about Bolivian volcanoes. I would like to return to OTF and serve as a mentor: Liannie’s outstanding and passionate work inspired me and gave me confidence in my own abilities. My mentorship experience is something I will remember dearly, and I hope that I get an opportunity to inspire future generations of Earth scientists just as she inspired me.

After your OTF experience, how do you see OTF influencing or impacting your future?

Participating in OTF was an eye-opening experience. It taught me that diversity is a driving force in the Earth sciences, and that integrating different experiences, opinions, and techniques into our daily work strengthens the quality and extent of our impact in science and society.

Why should donors support programs like OTF?

Programs like OTF help students and early-career scientists break financial barriers that keep them from fully immersing into the Earth science academic community. The generous support from donors allows people like me to stop worrying about potential financial hardships and focus instead on sharing our science, learning new advances in our research area from people that share our interests, and making significant connections that can mark our current and future lives, both personally and professionally.

“On To the Future (OTF) creates shared joy, and a more certain future, for OTF Scholars, OTF Mentors, and GSA overall. The joy is generated the moment new OTF Scholars step into the GSA Annual Meeting space and begin to recognize what they are a part of …scientifically, personally, and through enduring opportunities to contribute to pressing needs.” —Dr. George H. Davis, GSA Past President.

This year we celebrate the ten-year anniversary of On To the Future, GSA’s diversity initiative that began during the Society’s 125th anniversary year. The program supports students from groups underrepresented in the geosciences to attend GSA Connects by offering partial travel funding, meeting registration, one-year membership, one-to-one mentorship, and special sessions with leadership during the meeting.

Dr. Marjorie Chan, who was instrumental in establishing OTF, reflects: “It’s hard to believe it was a decade ago that the On To the Future program started. I was chair of GSA’s diversity committee, and we saw a need for positive actions to increase diversity in GSA. We were fortunate to have the convergence of a great committee, with the support of Wes Ward (GSA Foundation Board), George Davis (GSA President), GSA staff, and many others. We proposed the OTF program to coincide with GSA’s 125th anniversary, and Wes Ward had the brilliant idea to use the first letters of the anniversary numbers (One Two Five), which we called On To the Future. I crafted the proposal to the GSA Foundation emphasizing the importance of this initiative to the future of GSA, and subsequently, George Davis invited me to present the program to the GSA Council. I distinctly remember turning to GSA division reps during the presentation and saying: ‘You’ve been saving money for a rainy day, and the rainy day is now! You need to open up those purses and spend it on supporting this program if you want to continue having a vital GSA membership in the future.’ The divisions and the Foundation responded positively and OTF was launched.”

Marjorie also recalls an affirming experience from the first OTF cohort, “I asked one of the OTF participants about their experience, and the response was: ‘It has totally changed my perspective and I feel empowered!’ Wow, that was exactly the response we wanted and I knew from that, OTF was destined for success.” Every OTF cohort has had a special and impactful experience at the GSA Annual Meeting. Over the next several months, come back here to read about a number of recent OTF recipients and their experiences.

As we look back in celebration of ten years of OTF, we also look to the future. The impact of OTF extends far beyond the year students participate in the program. Since its inception, more than 700 students have received OTF Scholarships. Many of these recipients have had their academic and career paths shaped by the experience. This large cohort of OTF alumni stay in touch with one another and often, with their mentors, support each other as they continue on their career paths. We are encouraged at the program’s success when some even return as mentors.

Our vision for OTF is superbly expressed by Marjorie: “It is my hope that we will continue to grow and expand OTF because it enriches GSA and is an investment in our future.”

You have the opportunity to double the impact of your gift: a GSA Foundation donor has once again offered a challenge and will match 1-1 every gift made to OTF, up to $10,000, this spring. We hope you will help GSA enrich the geoscience profession and community by investing in the future with support of OTF.