Being a student, Courtenay Duzet sometimes feels that their lack of experience can make it difficult to integrate into the geoscience and research community, but the GSA 2021 community welcomed any and all questions they had and made their input feel wanted.

What was the most impactful aspect of your OTF experience?

Without a doubt, the most impactful aspect of my OTF experience was having a mentor and getting to meet and talk with her throughout the meeting. When I applied, the mentorship aspect was what intrigued me the most, and it did not disappoint. Being able to speak candidly with someone with years of experience in geoscience and research, I feel truly helped me through some tough situations regarding what I wanted to do with my academic career. It was truly a priceless experience and I would be honored to one day repay the favor and serve as a mentor myself.

What do you remember most from GSA 2021?

I remember how welcoming everyone in the GSA community was. Being a student, I sometimes feel that my lack of experience can make it difficult to integrate into the geoscience and research community, but the GSA 2021 community welcomed any and all questions I had, and made my input feel wanted. In return, I feel that I learned more at GSA than I have at other science conferences.