Rurik Fencl

Howdy, I’m Rurik!  I’m excited to be moving to the desert; it’s an ecosystem I’ve visited  a few times but never lived in.  I majored in Environmental Science with an emphasis in  GIS and a minor in recreation resource and protected area management and had a bit of  an unusual timeline for my degree. I was on track to finish my classes on time, but had  always wanted to travel abroad and studying abroad seemed to be the best opportunity.  I  figured out a way to technically finish on time and finish a couple of my required courses  during my study abroad.  As luck would have it, the credits didn’t transfer on time nor  did I finish my independent studies mid-semester.  Despite not graduating until nearly  6 months later, it was worth messing with the typical timeline to go travel and see the  world. My travels took me down under to study biology and aboriginal culture in the northern  Queensland, Australia.  We stayed in the dry tropics, but that was filled with wait-awhiles; we stayed in the topics, but that was humid, wet, and filled with stinging trees;  we went to the desert and it was just right.  I became vastly more appreciative of my  surroundings and the history of the people that came before during that trip.   I’m excited to sleep under the stars in remote areas and wonder who went there before.