Photo courtesy of Cheri Widzowski Photography
Due to her passion for studies, leadership, and the outdoors, Gretchen McCormick is this week’s Campus Celebrity. Now a major in Ecology, Conservation, & Environmental Biology, Gretchen is proof that it is okay not to know exactly what you want to do when you start college.
After attending IUP’s program for Culinary Arts, Gretchen decided to go to Slippery Rock University for Parks and Resource Management since she felt a desire to learn about and be in the outdoors.
“However, after two and half years I felt that I did not belong at SRU and I wanted to be part of something larger. Because I very much enjoyed two ecology classes at SRU, I decided that would be my major at IUP and have never regretted making the changes necessary to get where I am today.”
Since her transfer and major change, Gretchen has excelled in her field with multiple awards including the 2015 Biology Outstanding Student award and the Gilly Young Scientist Award. One of her greatest involvements has been with the SEEDS Club. SEEDS stands for Strategies for Ecology Education, Diversity, and Sustainability. Gretchen was also a recipient of the 2015 Women’s Leadership Award, for her impact within the SEEDS Club and throughout IUP’s campus.
“Our goal as a club is to teach the principle of ecology to underrepresented populations through interactive and educational activities.”
The SEEDS Club had been around for a few years but when Gretchen arrived at IUP, she, along with a small group of friends, decided to revive the club.
“It has been hard work and I am so very proud of those who have stuck with it from the beginning – they are the most caring, best people I know.”
Since then, the club has been given a new life through many activities such as Plant-a-Tree at Flight 93, Highway Clean-up on 422, and working with students to teach them how to make terrariums from recycled glass containers on Earth Day.
All of their activities are intended to strengthen the local community and spread an ecological awareness.
One of their most popular activities at IUP is the Seed Swap which was held for the first time in November.
“[The Seed Swap] was intended to bridge the gap between the students of campus and the local community through the sharing of local seeds and the stories that go with them.”
If you are interested in participating or volunteering to help with their activities, the SEEDS club is always open to others. Upcoming events include their Easter Bake Sale, the Garden in a Bowl Fundraiser with the ICG, Earth Day activities, Plant-a-Tree @ Flight 93. To learn more about the club, check out the SEEDS Club’s Crimson Connect page or their twitter account @IUPSEEDS.